2005 Toyota Avalon

MY 2005 TOYOTA AVALON DEVELOPED A NOISE IN THE STEERING. THE DEALER TOLD ME THE GREASE HAD LEAKED PASSED THE SEALS ON THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. WITH NO GREASE IN THE SHAFT, IT WILL BREAK AND CAUSE A LOSS OF STEERING WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT OR DEATH. TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THAT SINCE THE CAR HAS MORE AND 36000 MILES AND IS OVER 3 YEARS OLD, THE PROBLEM IS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. GREASE SHOULD NOT LEAK PASS THE SEALS ON THE SHAFT AND SHOULD BE TOYOTA'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $562. *TR

RE: 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. LUBRICATION OIL LEAK FROM THE VVTI OIL LINE. TOYOTA IS AWARE THERE IS A DEFECT IN THIS PART BUT ONLY WILL FIX IT IF THEY SEE IMMEDIATE LEAKING AND THE VEHICLE IS UNDER 60,000 MILES. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING MY CAR IN ON OCTOBER 1, 2010. BUT HAVE BEEN ADVISED IF THEY DO NOT SEE OIL SPURTING FROM THE LINE THERE WILL BE A 95.00 CHARGE FOR INSPECTION AND THEY WILL NOT FIX THE DEFECT. IN THE PAST 3 WEEKS I HAVE ADDED 2 QUARTS OFOIL TO THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROX. 42,00 MILES ON IT. MY MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THIS PROBLEM IS WITH THE 2005 MODELS ONLY. THE ANGLE OF THE OIL LINE IS TOO SEVERE CAUSING THE TUBE TO FAIL AND LEAK OIL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING A STRONG "BURNING OIL" SMELL BEGAN TO FILL THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A NEARBY SERVICE STATION WHERE THEY FOUND OIL COATING ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WITH A HIGHER CONCENTRATION ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. AFTER PUTTING A COUPLE QUARTS OF OIL THEY STARTED THE VEHICLE AND IMMEDIATELY A STREAM OF OIL (ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PENCIL LEAD) WAS FOUND SPRAYING OUT FROM A RUBBER HOSE LOCATED TOWARD THE REAR OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR, JUST ABOVE A METAL BRACKET. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO REPLACE THE LEAKING HOSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. THE LOCKING LEVEL LEVER, WHICH CONTROLS THE STEERING WHEEL AND MOVES IT UP AND DOWN, AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGES AT RANDOM. THE FAILURE CAUSES THE STEERING WHEEL TO FALL ONTO THE DRIVER'S LAP AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT. THROUGH RESEARCH, THE CONTACT FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V227000 (STEERING:COLUMN). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LOCKING MECHANISM NEEDED TO BE TIGHTENED. THE STEERING WAS TIGHTENED, BUT IT DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURS EVERY 150 MILES. THE VEHICLE IS STILL EXPERIENCING THE DEFECT AND HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,900. UPDATED 09/01/09 *BF

2005 TOYOTA AVALON PREVIOUSLY HAD MASSIVE OIL LEAK, HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER AND REPAIR WAS COVERED BY TOYOTA AND PROVIDED WITH RENTAL (10/08) 6/09, STARTED VEHICLE AND THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD CLANKING NOISE - HAD VEHICLE TOWED AGAIN AND WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER TECH THAT IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT NOT SURE IF THEY WILL COVER REPAIRS. 67,000 MILES. *TR

2005 TOYOTA AVALON WITH ALL LEATHER INTERIOR. THERE ARE REPORTS THAT LEATHER FROM CHINA CAN CAUSE RASHES TO THE SKIN DUE TO AN INGREDIENT THEY PUT IN THE LEATHER TO PROTECT IT FROM MOLD. MY WIFE AND I HAVE DEVELOPED ITCHY RASHES. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE LEATHER IN OUR AUTOMOBILE COULD BE INFECTED? HOW CAN THIS BE DETERMINED? *TR

I HAVE A 2005 AVALON XLS WITH ABOUT 25,000 MILES. I TOOK IT TO HAVE A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE ON JANUARY 23, 2009. WHEN THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN GOT UNDER IT TO REMOVE THE FILTER AND DRAIN PLUG HE NOTICED OIL SPRAYED ON THE ENGINE AND FRAME AND ASKED ME IF I KNEW THE VEHICLE HAD AN OIL LEAK. I TOLD HIM NO AND THAT I HADN'T NOTICED ANY OIL ON THE GROUND WHERE I PARK THE CAR. HE THEN LOOKED AT THE ENGINE FROM THE TOP AND NOTICED OIL POOLING ON TOP OF A SMALL HOSE THAT CONNECTS TO A METAL LINE. HE TOLD ME I SHOULD TAKE IT TO THE DEALER RIGHT AWAY TO HAVE THE OIL LEAK FIXED. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE TO THE DEALER AND A MECHANIC THERE TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS THE OIL PIPE SUB-ASSEMBLY. THE TOYOTA SERVICE REP. SAID TOYOTA WILL GET AND PAY FOR A RENTAL CAR UNTIL MY CAR WAS FIXED. THAT WAS OVER 9 WEEKS AGO AND I STILL DON'T HAVE MY CAR BACK!!! THE SERVICE REP STATES THIS PROBLEM IS HAPPENING TO MANY, MANY AVALONS AND THEY'RE WAITING FOR THE PARTS TO COME IN. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT THIS ISSUE BACK IN 2005 BUT DID NOTHING ABOUT IT. ALSO, CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN WHY IT'S TAKING SO LONG TO GET THE PARTS? *TR

WE BOUGHT A TOYOTA AVALON IN 2005 FOR MY SON THINKING THAT WE HAVE HAD A VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH OUR FIRST TOYOTA. YESTERDAY, MY WORRIED SON CALLED TO TELL ME THAT OIL WAS LEAKING FROM HIS CAR. NOT WANTING TO CAUSE MORE DAMAGE TO HIS CAR, HE CALLED A TOWING SERVICE AND THEY TOOK HIS CAR TO THE CLOSEST REPAIR SHOP. THERE HE WAS TOLD THAT HE HAD TO TAKE THE CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AS THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY SEVERAL AVALON OWNERS. WHEN THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, HE WAS TOLD THAT THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE CAR IS IN BACK ORDER AND WOULD PROBABLY TAKE 3 WEEKS BEFORE IT ARRIVES. IN THE MEANTIME, HE WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS ANOTHER AVALON WAITING FOR THE SAME PART AND SINCE THAT CAR CAME IN FIRST, HIS CAR MAY NOT BE READY BY THEN. MY SON WAS NOT OFFERED A RENTAL WHICH I WILL TAKE UP WITH THE DEALERSHIP. LOOKS LIKE WHATEVER WAS PLAGUING THE AVALON 2006 OWNERS IS ALSO BEING EXPERIENCED BY 2005 OWNERS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING UNIT. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER IN REFERENCE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V227000 (STEERING:COLUMN) AND WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VEHICLE EXCEEDED ITS WARRANTY; THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY FOR FREE UNDER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,853 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,468. UPDATED 03/24/09.*JB