2005 Toyota Avalon

UNEXPECTEDLY THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHEN BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY WITH FOOT ON BRAKE. WENT TO NEUTRAL AND ENGINE SLOWED DOWN. PUT IN DRIVE AND IT TRIED TO RUN AWAY AGAIN. TOOK TO DEALER AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND NO CODES IN COMPUTER LOG. TWICE PREVIOUSLY HAD SIMILAR UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION WHEN DRIVING ON FREEWAY. BRAKED LIGHTLY TO CHANGE LANES AND CAR UNCONTROLLABLY ACCELERATED. SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL WITH HEAVY BRAKING AND ENGINE RESPONSE CAME BACK UNDER CONTROL. CAR ONLY HAS 3200 MILES ON IT AT THIS DATE. 9/26/05 INCIDENT WAS AT 1975 MILES ON VEHICLE, PRIOR INCIDENTS WERE PROBABLY A MONTH TO 6 WEEKS EARLIER. *JB SEE ALSO VOQ 10149436. *DSY

DT: THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. WHEN APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE GEAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT SHIFT GEARS SMOOTHLY. THE CONSUMER SUSPECTED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE PASSED. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS COMPUTER CONTROLLED. *AK (12/01/05) *SC

2005 TOYOTA AVALON - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE I JUST PURCHASED 2005 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED. I EXPERIENCE TERRIBLE TRANSMISSION HESITATION/SLIPPAGE. IT IS GETTING DANGEROUS WHEN I HAVE TO ENTER HIGHWAY RAMP BECAUSE OF TRANSMISSION HESITATION. WHEN I COAST AT LOW SPEED, FOR EXAMPLE, I NOTICE A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT AHEAD AND TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS, THE CAR THEN CONTINUES FORWARD AS IF IN GEAR AND AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME IT FEELS AS IF THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL, THE RPMS DROP TO BELOW 1,000. THEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGES WHEN MY SPEED IS ABOUT 5 - 10 MPH AND I SLOWLY DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR. THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASE ABOUT 300 - 500 RPMS BUT THERE IS NO ACCELERATION. THEN THE TRANSMISSION GETS THE MESSAGE AND WE START TO ACCELERATE. *JB

I OWN A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WITHIN AN APPROXIMATE SIX MONTH PERIOD THAT THE VEHICLE JUST SHUT OFF WHILE IN OPERATION. DURING BOTH OCCASIONS THE ENGINE SURGED, HESITATED AND SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE RESTARTED AND WAS TOWED TO DEALER. THE FIRST REPAIR FOR THIS PROBLEM, MECHANICS STATED WAS A FUSE IN THE FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM THAT BLEW. THE VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY ADVISED AT THIS TIME THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THE FUSE TO BLOW. EACH FAILURE OCCURRED DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, CLEAR DRY DAY, FREEWAY DRIVING. *NM

WE PURCHASED A 2005 AVALON LIMITED. FROM NEARLY THE FIRST DAY WE NOTICED A HESITATION DRIVING. THE SYMPTOM IS THAT THE CAR WILL HESITATE AS IT THINKS ABOUT WHAT GEAR TO GO INTO. THIS IS NOTICEABLE GOING UP A HILL, AND IS AT ITS WORST IN A SLOW TURN WHEN THE CAR SEEMS LIKE IT MIGHT STALL. QUITE SIMPLY THIS IS DANGEROUS AND FROM EVERYTHING WE HAVE LEERED A RESULT OF DRIVE BY WIRE. THE DEALER SAYS IT IS NORMAL AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. WE SPENT CLOSE TO $35,000 FOR THIS CAR AND IT IS OUTRAGEOUS TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON AVALON (AS WELL AS OTHER TOYOTA MODELS).*JB

WITH CRUISE CONTROL (CC) ON, BETWEEN ABOUT 30 & 70 MPH, ON INCLINES THAT CAUSE A SPEED DECREASE OF 3+ MPH, CAR DOWNSHIFTS MORE THAN THE NORMAL 1 GEAR, & SURGES AHEAD QUITE VIOLENTLY, WITH LARGE RPM INCREASES, TO 3+ MPH ABOVE THAT SET, THEN SLOWLY SETTLES TO THE SET SPEED. WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 70 MPH ON A LEVEL INTERSTATE, I SLOWED TO 60 MPH & SET THE "RESUME" FUNCTION; IT DOWNSHIFTED ONCE, ACCELERATING NORMALLY, UNTIL, @ 64 MPH, DOWNSHIFTED AGAIN, MORE THAN ONE MORE GEAR & SURGED VIOLENTLY AHEAD, UP ABOUT 3000 RPM & TO 72-73 MPH BEFORE RETURNING TO 5TH GEAR, & SLOWING TO 70 MPH. THE RAPID INCREASES ARE STARTLING TO ALL OCCUPANTS, AND COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL, AND THE OFTEN RAPID BRAKING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL, A REAL CHALLENGE FOR THE TAILGATER BEHIND ON A CELL PHONE! DOWNHILL, WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON, IT USUALLY, BUT NOT ALWAYS, SPEEDS UP EXCESSIVELY; MORE THAN WITH CRUISE CONTROL OFF. IT USUALLY ACTS NORMAL ON FLAT ROADS, AND, EXCEPT AS STATED, ON HIGH SPEED HIGHWAYS WITH GRADUAL INCLINES. WITH CRUISE CONTROL OFF, NONE OF THESE ABNORMAL THINGS HAPPEN. WHEN THE DEALERS SHOP FOREMAN HAD ME TEST DRIVE A 2006 WITH HIM AS PASSENGER. AND BOTH CARS DID IT HE DECIDED IT WAS "NORMAL". BUT EVEN IF ALL 05/06 AVALONS DO, IT'S NOT "NORMAL". WHILE I DO KNOW THAT DOWNSHIFTING GENTLY IN THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES IS NORMAL, AS A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED COMMERCIAL DRIVER & AIRCRAFT PILOT/MECHANIC, & AVID CC USER, I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE ACT LIKE THIS. WHEN I PHONED CORPORATE TOYOTA, THEY OPENED CASE #2005 0921 1138; HAD THE "AREA REP." INVESTIGATE (HE/SHE NEVER CONTACTED ME, OR DROVE MY CAR); TOLD ME THAT SINCE THE "AREA REP" CONSIDERS IT "NORMAL" MY ONLY RECOURSE WITH THEM IS TO ENTER "ARBITRATION". WE LIKE THIS CAR VERY MUCH, & WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT IF THIS CAN BE RECTIFIED. SURELY IT'S A SOFTWARE GLITCH OR SOMETHING ALONG THAT LINE. PLEASE HELP SOLVE THIS OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW, BEFORE A TRAGEDY FORCES IT. THANK YOU. *JB

WE HAD HAVE OUR 2005 AVALON LIMITED FOR 2 MONTHS NOW. WHILE THIS CAR IS AN ABSOLUTE GEM, WE HAVE EXPERIENCE THE ACCELERATION HESITATION AS DID OTHER OWNERS. WE TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER, AND LUCKILY, HE WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY, HE SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING MECHANICALLY WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE ISSUE LIES IN THE COMPUTER ELECTRONICS. HE COULD CHANGE OUT THE "BRAINS" OF THE CAR, BUT IT WOULD NOT ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM. HE ADVISED US TO CALL TOYOTA'S 800-NUMBER TO FILE A REPORT IN HOPES OF RAISING TOYOTA'S AWARENESS. *NM

DT: THE THROTTLE STUCK TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO GO FORWARD QUICKLY. WITH A LOT OF EFFORT THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND SHUT IT OFF. THIS HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2005. WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS THEY TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY DID NOTHING TO ALTER THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *AK

I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON PURCHASED NEW IN APRIL,2005.I ALSO HAVE AN EARLIER COMPLAINT,ODI#10119869,REGARDING HAVING TO RE SAUDER RADIO SPEAKER WIRES,REPLACING THE BUSHINGS AND LOWER SUB FRAME,AS WELL AS AIR CONDITONING,STEERING,AND RADIO PROBLEMS ALL OCCURRING IN THE FIRST 33 MILES OF OWNING THE NEW CAR.I ACCIDENTALLY FILED IT UNDER A TOYOTA SCION FOR TOYOTA CORP. PLEASE SEE THAT COMPLIANT ALSO.. THIS COMPLAINT IS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION. IT SEEMS TO NOT WANT TO GET OUT OF FIRST GEAR.GETTING ONTO THE THE FREEWAY IS TERRIBLE,AS WELL AS DRIVING IN SLOW TRAFFIC. I HAVE TAKEN IT INTO THE DUBLIN TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG,IT'S JUST THAT THE SENSORY COMPUTER IN THE CAR KNOWS HOW I DRIVE AND THE GEARS FOLLOW MY DRIVING HABITS. THEY SAID THEY RESET IT,THAT MAYBE WHEN THE CAR WAS TEST DRIVEN,IT SET ITSELF TO ANOTHER DRIVER. THEY SAID TO DRIVE IT EASY FOR THE FIRST 50 MILES,THEN NORMALLY AFTER THAT. WELL, BEFORE I EVEN DROVE OFF THIER LOT,IT STUCK AGAIN-BUT I HAD TO GO TO WORK SO I CALLED THEM AS SOON AS I GOT TO WORK AND HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK IN AGAIN. THE REAL SAFETY ISSUE OCCURRED YESTERDAY,WHEN I WAS THE FIRST CAR WAITING AT A TRAIN CROSSING FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES WHILE THE TRAIN WAS PASSING. AFETR IT PASSED,AS I WAS CROSSING THE TRACKS,IT TOOK ABOUT 15 SECONDS FOR THE CAR TO MOVE ,AGAIN STUCK AND REVING IN LOW GEAR!I HAVE ALMOST BEEN REAR ENDED ON FREEWAY ENTRANCES,RED LIGHTS TURNING TO GREEN,ANDND NUMEROURS OTHER TIMES,AND NOW ON TRAIN TRACKS!!!!SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE- I ALSO HAVE COMPLIINED TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT NOISES WHEN STEERING AND THEY SAID IT IS JUST THE RELEASE OF THE BRAKES.SINCE I CANNNOT DUPLICATE IT,THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO- IT IS NOT THE BRAKES BECAUSE IT HAPPENS WHEN I AM MAKING SHARP TURNS.