2005 Toyota Avalon

I OWN A 2005 AVALON THAT HAS A TRANSMISSION/THROTTLE PROBLEM. SLOWING FROM SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH, THEN ACCELERATING MODERATELY, THE ENGINE WILL INCREASE RPM TO 2500-3000 RPM AND THE TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL UNTIL THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL DECIDES TO SHIFT TO A LOWER GEAR. AT THE SHIFT POINT THE CAR WILL SURGE FORWARD RAPIDLY. THIS SURGE OCCURS EVEN ON THIS VEHICLE WITH TRACTION CONTROL. THIS "SURGE" HAS RESULTED IN MULTIPLE NEAR END COLLISIONS IN CITY TRAFFIC. THE NEUTRAL SHIFT PROBLEM HAS ALSO BEEN ENCOUNTERED ON OCCASION WHEN ENTERING HIGH SPEED INTERSTATE TRAFFIC. 18 WHEELERS BEARING DOWN ON YOU AT SPEED WHILE YOUR CAR IS TURNING 4000 PLUS RPMS IN NEUTRAL IS FRIGHTENING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THREE SEPARATE DEALERS AND A COMPLAINT WAS REGISTERED WITH TOYOTA MANUFACTURER. TOYOTA RESPONDED, SAYING THE TRANSMISSION WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. HOPEFULLY SOMEONE WILL CORRECT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE I, AND OTHERS, BECOME A STATISTIC IN A CLASS ACTION SUIT AS AN INJURY OR DEATH NUMBERS. MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS PROBLEM CAN BE FOUND ON SEVERAL OTHER WEB SITES. I'VE BEEN A TOYOTA OWNER FOR OVER 25 YEARS AND THIS LACK OF RESPONSE BY THE MANUFACTURER ON THIS HIGH END OF THE BRAND ENDS THAT . AND TOYOTA DOES NOT CARE IF THEY LOST A LONG TERM CUSTOMER, SO STATED BY TOYOTA OF AMERICA. *NM

NOTICING HESITATION AT LOW SPEED GEAR SHIFTING . RESULTS IN NO ACCELERATION IN SPITE OF PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR AND AFTER A LAG CAR SUDDENLY RESPONDS. HAD TROUBLE WHILE MERGING FROM THE RAMP ON TO THE HIGHWAY NOW SEVERAL TIMES, BUT NOT DAILY. CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT SPECIALLY WHILE MERGING OR DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED ME TO BUMP INTO A TRUCK RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO MY RIGHT FRONT FENDER. *NM

2005 AVALON INSTRUMENT PANEL CAN NOT BE SEEN AT TIMES IN THE DAYLIGHT. *TS THE INDICATOR LIGHTS FOR THE GEAR SHIFTER AND HVAC CONTROLS WERE AT TIMES IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE. THE ANGLE OF HE DASH, THE COLORS USED FOR LIGHTING AND THE ANGLE OF THE SUNLIGHT RENDERED THE INDICATORS UNREADABLE. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE CONFORMS TO FMVSS STANDARDS. *NM

2005 TOYOTA AVALON TOURING MODEL TAKEN IN 5000 MILE SERVICE WITH COMPLAINTS ABOUT A NOISE COMING FROM REAR END OR TRANSMISSION. TOYOTA COULD NOT HEAR IT UNTIL I INSISTED MECHANIC TAKE RIDE ME. MECHANIC ACKNOWLEDGED NOISE AND SAID MAYBE COMING FROM COMPUTERIZED ABS BRAKE INITIATING AT 5 MPH. WIFE PARKED AT WORK JUST COUPLE WEEKS AFTER MAINTENANCE. PULLED INTO PARKING AT WORK, STOPPED, PUT IN PARK AND IN SECONDS THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD WITH ENGINE REVVING AT HIGH SPEED; WIFE STOMPED ON PARKING BRAKE BUT BY THAT TIME CAR JUMPED OVER 10 OR 12 FOOT CURB , A FOUR FOOT SIDEWALK AND INTO A WALL JUST STOPPING AS IT HIT THE WALL. TIRE MARKS. CALL TO ELMORE TOYOTA GARDEN GROVE (ALAN/SERVICE) WHO SAID THEY HAD NO BODY SHOP AND DID NOT WANT TO SEE CAR OR NEED TO CHECK AND WORK ON IT BEFORE BODY WORK. SAID IF NO LIGHTS WERE ON THE DASH THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. JUST LIKE THEIR ATTITUDE ABOUT THE RATCHETING NOISE SUPPOSED FROM THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM. WIFE INSISTS SHE DID NOT THE GAS PEDAL ACCIDENTALLY . WHEN ENGINE REVELATION AFTER HITTING WALL WENT BACK TO NORMAL, CAR PUT IN REVERSE TO BACK OFF SIDE WALK. STATE FARM TOLD US NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR TO BODY SHOP. HOW DO WE FORCE TOYOTA TO FIND THE PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40MPH THROUGH A RESIDENTIAL AREA, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED AND SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE DRIVING 75MPH THE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, THERE WAS COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE WAS A BRIDGESTONE, TIRE LINE SIZE OF P215/55/R17.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR AN OIL CHANGE WITHIN 7 MILES OF THE DEALERSHIP AND DRIVING 55MPH THE WARNING LIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WITHIN MINUTES THE ENGINE STALLED. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED BELOW THE RECOMMENDED LEVEL CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE DESIGN FEATURE OF THE VEHICLE ALLOWS THE ENGINE TO STALL BECAUSE OF THE LOW PRESSURE BEFORE AN ENGINE FAILURE. AS A RESULT TO THIS FEATURE THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. A COMPLAINT WAS PREVIOUSLY FILED ODI NUMBER, 10147740.

TRANSMISSION LAGS THEN JUMPS FORWARD, TRANSMISSION SLIPS AT LOW SPEEDS NEVER SEEMS TO FIND A GEAR. STEERING AT SPEEDS BELOW 40 WILL JERK LEFT OR RIGHT DEPENDING ON THE ROAD.(SCARES YOU TO DEATH) BRAKES HAVE GRABBED AND JERKED THE CAR FROM DAY ONE THE DEALERSHIP GROUND THE ROTORS TO FIX THIS BUT IT HAS NOT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS HAD THE POWER STEERING HOSE REPLACED BECAUSE IT LEAKED AND IT STILL DOES. THE CD PLAYER SKIP WHILE YOUR PARKED, THE STEERING WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE HAVE HAD THIS CAR IN TO THE DEALER 5 TIMES WITH NONE OF THE PROBLEMS TO THE BRAKES, TRANSMISSION, OR STEERING RESOLVED. *NM