2005 Toyota Avalon

LEVER THAT CONTROLS TELESCOPING STEERING WHEEL DROPS DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND COULD BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THIS WAS NEVER A RECALL BUT WAS COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY EXTENSION. ACCORDING TO TOYOTA THEY SENT OUT LETTERS BEGINNING IN APRIL 2014 ADVISING OWNERS OF THE PROBLEM. WE NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER. TOYOTA FURTHER ADVISES US THAT THE WINDOW FOR FREE REPAIR OF THE DEFECT CLOSED ON MAY 31,2015 AND THEY WILL NOT PAY TO FIX IT. WHY WAS THIS NOT MADE AN OFFICIAL RECALL? I HAVE INJURED MY KNEE SEVERAL TIMES ENTERING THE VEHICLE.

ON MAY 28, 2016, ME AND MY 4 YEAR OLD TODDLER WERE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE IN OUR 2005 TOYOTA AVALON (APPROX. 142,000 MILES) WHEN IT SUDDENLY LOSS POWER. THE DASHBOARD LIT UP AND HEAVY SMOKE BEGAN POURING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOP THE VEHICLE WITHOUT GETTING SLAM FROM BEHIND ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE HAD JUST BEEN SERVICED ON 05/18/2016; WITH NO ISSUE PRIOR TO TRAVELING OUT OF TOWN FOR THE HOLIDAY. AFTER A DEALER FULL DIAGNOSTIC WAS COMPLETED; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET BLEW AND THAT ALONG WITH THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS THE SECOND OPINION. THE PREVIOUS DEALER FULL DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED ON THE CAR IN 11/2015, WHEN ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND AN "SYSTEM TOO LEAN CODE" APPEARED. AT THAT TIME, THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE REMOVED AND REPLACED. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, THROTTLE BODY GASKET, PLEMUM GASKETS AND SPARK PLUGS. OTHER THAN THAT, THE CAR HAS HAVE ROUTINE SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON A REGULAR BASIS. HOW DOES A CAR WITH AN EXCELLENT SERVICE RECORD DEVELOP AN ISSUE OF THIS NATURE WITHOUT ANY ADVANCE WARNING? THERE WAS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, THE CAR WASN'T RUNNING HOT. THERE WERE NO STRANGE NOISES, THUMP, RATTLES, ETC. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BASED ON ITS RATINGS AND RELIABILITY FACTOR. --AS I STARTED TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH, I AM SEEING THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE ALONG WITH THE TOYOTA CAMRY. WHY ISN'T THIS REPORTED AS A KNOW ISSUE WITH THIS PRODUCT. I JUST GET SICK KNOWING THERE WAS NO LIGHT SENSORS OR ANYTHING TO WARN OF AN ISSUE. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE NOT TO GET STRUCK FROM BEHIND TRAVEL AT SUCH A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE.

THE AIRBAG ON THE DRIVERS SIDE NEAR FLOOR UPON IMPACT BROKE MY ANKLE. THE AUTO HIT ON THE PASSENGERS FRONT SIDE. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN I TRIED TO AVOID HITTING A CAT AND HIT A TELEPHONE POLE.TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE THE IMPACT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO SEVERE AS TO BREAK THE ANKLE CAUSING A PLATE, ROD, AND SEVERAL SCREWS TO BE PLACED IN THE ANKLE, BOTH SIDES HAD STITCHES APPROXIMATELY 8 TO 12 INCHES. NOW RECENTLY I HAD TO HAVE SOME OF THE HARDWARE REMOVED, CAUSING ME TO LOSE MORE TIME FROM WORK. I HAVE COMPLETE SET OF PICTURES OF AUTO AND SURGERY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 121,500.

WAS DRIVING ON BELTWAY IN WASHINGTON, DC. ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS DRIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED IN AN ATTEMPT TO MERGE ON THE BELTWAY WHEN HE CLIPPED MY VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE SPUN AROUND ON BELTWAY AND HIT GUARDRAILS AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED TWICE. BOTH FRONT AND BACK BUMPERS WERE COMPLETELY TORN APART IN ADDITION TO HUGE DENT IN DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. FRONT OR SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

CAR WAS IN PARK WITH ENGINE RUNNING AND AIRBAGS IN DRIVER'S SEAT AND ROOF DEPLOYED WHEN DRIVER'S DOOR WAS SHUT. MADE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS WITH TOYOTA TO REPAIR AND HAVE HAD NO SUCCESS IN GETTING THIS DONE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ON 11/13/14 TO HAVE DIAGNOSTIC READINGS AND WAS TOLD WE WOULD BE NOTIFIED WITHIN 30 DAYS BY LEGAL DEPARTMENT. I HAVE MADE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS AT GETTING ANSWERS BUT HAVE NOT HAD ANY SUCCESS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD'S VINYL COVER FRACTURED. THE CRACK INITIATED AT THE DRIVER SIDE AND SPREAD TO THE AIR BAG AND GLOVE COMPARTMENT AREA. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG MAY DEPLOY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000. UPDATED 10/22/2014*LJ UPDATED 04/2/2015 *JS