2006 Toyota Avalon

VVT OIL LINE FAILURE-AS I WAS DRIVING, I HEARD A ?WHIRRING? NOISE FOR 1-2 MINUTES. THEN IT STOPPED, AND THE OIL LIGHT FLASHED ON AND OFF. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD, AND OIL WAS SPRAYED ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THERE WAS NO OIL LEVEL INDICATED ON THE DIPSTICK. WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE REMAINING OIL DRAINED OUT UNDER THE CAR. THE TOYOTA DEALER INDICATED THEY HAD 3 OTHER AVALONS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, AND PARTS WERE BACKORDERED. NO REPAIR DATE WAS PROMISED. FROM ON-LINE MESSAGE BOARDS, THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE 05-06 AVALON. TOYOTA IS APPARENTLY WELL AWARE OF THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM, BUT HAS DONE NOTHING TO PROACTIVE REPAIR/REPLACE THE LINE. THERE IS NO WARNING OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL IT HAPPENS, AND IT MAY LEAVE THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS OF THE CAR IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

I WENT OUT THIS MORNING TO WARM MY CAR. WHEN I CAME OUT TO TAKE MY SON TO SCHOOL ALL OF MY OIL HAD LEAKED OUT ON THE GROUND. I HAD JUST WENT IN FOR A REGULAR OIL CHG AT THE TOYOTA DEALER. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALER NOT KNOWING THAT MY ENGINE COULD HAVE LOCKED UP ON ME. LUCKILY I MADE IT TO THE DEALER SAFELY. AFTER LOOKING AT MY CAR THE TOYOTA REP. CAME OUT AND TOLD ME THAT MY VVTL LINE HAS BUSTED. I WAS LIKE THIS IS A BRAND NEW CAR. I ONLY HAD IT FOR 3 YEARS. THE REP SAID THAT THE PART IS UNDER WARRANTY AND IT WILL PROBABLY TAKE SOME WEEKS BEFORE THE PART COMES IN. SHE SAID THAT THEY ALREADY HAD CARS THERE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THAT HAVE BEEN SITTING FOR WEEKS. SHE SAID THAT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. I REALLY THINK THAT ITS CRAZY THAT TOYOTA HAVE HAD THIS MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE VVTL LINE BREAKING AND HAVE NOT MADE THEY CUSTOMERS AWARE OF IT. I AM VERY DISSATISFIED WITH TOYOTA, AND I THINK THAT THEY NEED TO DO A RECALL ON ALL CARS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. AT LEAST SEND SOMETHING OUT TO THERE CUSTOMERS MAKING THEM AWARE OF IT. THE THING IS NOW THE PART THAT THEY ARE SENDING OUT ..WILL THAT HAVE A DEFECT IN IT TOO? IF THEY ARE JUST REPLACING THE SAME OLD PART WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR CAR ISN'T UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE? IF IT WASN'T FOR MY CO-WORKER TELLING ME ABOUT THIS WEBSITE I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS JUST SO UPSETTING! *TR

ON 2/3/09 WHILE DRIVING TO WORK MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ONCE I ARRIVED AT WORK I COULD SEE THAT THERE WAS OIL ALL OVER THE REAR AND UNDER CARRIAGE OF MY CAR. I CHECKED THE OIL IN THE ENGINE AND IT WAS EMPTY. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE VVTI LINE HAD BROKE AND ALL THE OIL IN THE ENGINE WAS GONE. THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER FOR 2 WEEKS. THEY COULD NOT TELL ME THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE UNTIL THEY TAKE IT APART AND INSPECT IT. THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATED BILL OF $1800 FOR PARTS ONLY, NOT INCLUDING LABOR CHARGES. MY WARRANTY EXPIRED 2,000 MILES AGO. MY CAR IS TAKEN IN FOR REGULAR SERVICE. WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA THEY SAID THEY CAN NOT HELP ME BECAUSE THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN PUT OUT ABOUT THIS PART DID NOT INCLUDE MY CAR, IT WAS FOR THE '05 MODEL NOT THE '06. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A STRANGE NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SHE ARRIVED AT HER RESIDENCE AND NOTICED OIL LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT AN OIL HOSE HAD BURST. THE FAILURE WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. ALTHOUGH THE PART WAS AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS COMPONENT NOT BEING REPAIRED DUE TO THE PART BEING ON BACKORDER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 70,788. 4/01/09 *NJ UPDATED 04/09/09. *JB

I FOUND A HUGE AMOUNT OF OIL IN THE DRIVEWAY AFTER TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES TO TAKE MY 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL. THE OIL STICK READ EMPTY. I IMMEDIATELY ADDED OIL SO I COULD TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I MADE SEVERAL CALLS BEFORE TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I HAD RECENTLY HAD MY CAR SERVICED AT ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. WHEN DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM THE MAINTENANCE ASSISTANT INSTANTLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE AVALON. I CALLED TWO OTHER DEALERSHIPS AND THEY HAD THE SAME RESPONSE. WHEN I GOT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND AT THAT TIME TOLD ME THAT THE "PIPE ASSEMBLY" PART IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER AND THAT THEY WEREN'T EXPECTING THE PART UNTIL FEBRUARY 16, THE DATE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN WAS JANUARY 15TH. TOYOTA IS TAKING LITTLE TO NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PART THAT IS CAUSING UNDO HARDSHIP ON TOYOTA'S OWNERS. AFTER TALKING TO VARIOUS AVALON DEALERS, I FOUND THAT SOME OWNERS HAD TO HAVE THEIR ENGINES REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTIVE PART THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THAT HAVE NOT INFORMED THE PUBLIC OF. APPARENTLY, TOYOTA HAS BEEN QUIETLY FIXING THE PROBLEM WHILE THE VEHICLES ARE UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS FAILED TO LET THE CONSUMERS AWARE OF THIS ONGOING DEFICIENCY. NOW THAT THE PART IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER THE SEVERITY OF THIS PROBLEM IS BEING ADDRESS DAILY. I AM HOPING OTHER MEASURES WILL BE TAKEN TO FIX THIS PROBLEM NOW THAT THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF THE BACKORDER. I AM JUST GLAD THAT I IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM BEFORE IT GOT WORSE. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE LEAD TO MY DAUGHTER AND I STRANDED ON HWY 495 IN WASHINGTON DC TRAFFIC, ON THE COLD HIGHWAY WAITING FOR THE TOW TRUCK TO PICK US UP BECAUSE THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. THE REASON WHY I'M SUBMITTING THIS COMPLAINT IS BECAUSE I SPOKE, TO THREE DEALERSHIP, IN THREE DIFFERENT STATES AND EACH IDENTIFIED THIS AS A PROBLEM. EACH DEALERSHIP KNEW OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART AND PROBLEM. *TR

CAR HAS BEEN FINE UP UNTIL THIS POINT. BUT WHEN STARTING THE CAR ONE MORNING, OIL BEGAN STREAMING ONTO THE GROUND. I FILLED THE CAR WITH OIL, DROVE THE 2 MILES TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND JUST UNDER 2 QUARTS LEAKED OUT AFTER THAT SHORT DRIVE. AFTER THEY REMOVED THE INSPECTION PLATE, THEY FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF CHAFFING BUT A SIMPLY SMALL HOLE THAT HAD DEVELOPED IN THE MIDDLE SECTION OF THE VVTI OIL SUPPLY LINE. THEY REPLACED THE OIL SUPPLY LINE AND NOW THE CAR ENGINE HAS A LOT OF CLATTER AT LOW RPMS. I HAVE THE OLD PART AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. CAR HAS 63,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

ON 12/7/2008 OIL CAME OUT FROM BOTTOM OF THE CAR. ON MONDAY 12/8 I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER--AFTER LOOKING AT THE CAR I WAS TOLD IT WAS A FAILURE OF SOMETHING CALLED A VVTI OIL HOSE--THIS PART IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER BY TOYOTA AND WONT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL THE END OF DECEMBER OR MID JANUARY (ACCORDING TO TOYOTA)--THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THIS AND I WAS ALSO TOLD 1748 CARS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM-----WHY WOULD IT TAKE SO LONG TO OBTAIN THESE PARTS? *TR

DRIVING CAR ON HIGHWAY ENGINE STARTING KNOCKING. OIL LIGHT WAS NOT ON. NEXT DAY CAR RAN 1/4 MILE AND ALL DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. CHECKED OIL AND THERE WAS NONE IN THE ENGINE. THIS WAS ONE WEEK AFTER HAVING AN OIL CHANGE AND 70,000 MILE FULL SERVICE. TOWED TO DEALER. WAS TOLD THE OIL PIPE HAD CORRODED AND BROKEN OFF. HOW THIS HAPPENS IN A 2 YEAR OLD CAR I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND. EITHER A MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN DEFECT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, ANOTHER DRIVER WARNED THE CONTACT THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH HIS VEHICLE. HE PULLED OVER AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ADDED OIL AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS BEING A VVTI OIL LINE RUPTURE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 48,500.