2006 Toyota Avalon

I TOOK MY 2006 AVALON IN TO NALLEY TOYOTA FOR AN OIL LINE RECALL. I ASKED THEM IF THEY COULD ALSO LOOK INTO THE FLOOR MAT RECALL FOR ME. THEY TOLD ME NO DECISION HAD YET BEEN MADE ON THE FLOOR MAT ISSUE BUT WENT AHEAD WITH THE OIL LINE RECALL. I PICKED MY CAR UP THAT AFTERNOON, DROVE 15 MINUTES TO MY MOTHER'S APARTMENT. WHILE SLOWLY GUIDING MY WAY INTO A PARKING PLACE, MY CAR ACCELERATED VIOLENTLY PROPELLING ITSELF UP OVER A CURB AND THROUGH A WOODEN FENCE, LANDING WITH MY BACK TIRES ON THE FRONT CURB OF THE PARKING PLACE. MY BRAKING HAD NO EFFECT AND UPON LANDING ON THE DOWNSIDE OF THE SLOPE, MY ENGINE DIED. I CALLED TOYOTA IMMEDIATELY ASKING WHAT THEY COULD HAVE DONE TO CAUSE THIS TO HAPPEN SINCE MY CAR HAD NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN BEFORE IN THE 4 YEARS I HAD IT, AND YET HAPPENED 15 MINUTES AFTER THEY HAD WORKED ON IT. THEY SAID NOTHING WAS DONE THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS. WE COMPLAINED TO THE AREA TOYOTA REP AND AN INSPECTOR CAME AND LOOK AT THE CAR AT THE NALLEY REPAIR SHOP WE HAD IT TOWED TO. TOYOTA SAYS MY CAR CHECKS OUT FINE AND ANY PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE FLOOR MATS /DRIVER. THE SERVICEMAN DID NOT ADVISE ME TO REMOVE THE FLOOR MATS THAT WERE IN PLACE WHEN THEY WERE WORKING ON THE CAR. THEY RELEASED IT TO ME WITH THE FLOOR MATS IN PLACE. FURTHERMORE, I CONTEND THAT THE FIRST THING I CHECK AFTER THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION WAS THE LOCATION OF THE FLOOR MAT,WHICH WAS FLAT AGAINST THE FLOOR. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES, JUMPS, AND BUCKS AND ACCELERATION IS VERY UNEVEN. WHEN ACCELERATING FROM 0 MPH (I.E. AT A RED LIGHT), THE CAR HESITATES, AND THEN AT APPROX. 20 MPH, WHILE KEEPING THE GAS PEDAL STEADY, THE RPM'S REV UP, AND THE CAR ACCELERATES WILDLY. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS AT AROUND 20 MPH, IT FEELS LIKE IT SHIFTS INTO A GEAR ABOVE WHAT IT SHOULD BE. THE CAR ALWAYS FEELS LIKE IT IS IN THE WRONG GEAR. THIS CAUSES PROBLEMS WHEN ACCELERATING AND BRAKING AND HAS CAUSED NUMEROUS "CLOSE CALLS." *TR THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND THEY MADE A MINOR ADJUSTMENT TO THE SHIFTING POINTS IN THE TRANSMISSION. UPDATED 02/17/10.

I WAS TRAVELING ON THE NY I-87 IN MY 2006 TOYOTA AVALON FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES WHEN THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WITHIN A MINUTE OR SO, THE "CHECK OIL" LIGHT STARTED BLINKING SLOWLY AT FIRST, THEN AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS IT WAS ON CONTINUOUSLY. BY THIS TIME I HAD PULLED OFF INTO A GAS STATION. AS I WAS PULLING INTO THE STATION THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A LOUD CLICKING NOISE. AFTER IT WAS PARKED, I CHECKED THE DIPSTICK AND THERE WAS NO OIL REMAINING IN THE ENGINE. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR, INCLUDING INSIDE OF WHEELS AND BRAKES WAS COMPLETELY COATED WITH OIL AS WELL AS THE BACK OF THE TRUNK. PRESUMABLY FROM THE SPRAY UNDERNEATH WHILE TRAVELING @ 65-70MPH. I THEN PURCHASED 3 QUARTS OF OIL, PUT IT IN THE ENGINE AND IT DRAINED ONTO THE GROUND. THE MECHANIC STATED THERE IS A PIN HOLE IN THE RUBBER SECTION OF THE OIL LINE. THE USE OF A RUBBER HOSE FOR A PRESSURIZED FLAMMABLE LIQUID SYSTEM IN THIS LOCATION IS ABSOLUTELY RECKLESS. AT A MINIMUM, IT SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF ARMORED OR SHIELDED HOSE. I'M AMAZED THE CAR DIDN'T START ON FIRE FROM BEING DOUSED WITH FIVE QUARTS OF OIL LEAKING FROM THE RUPTURED HOSE. THE SERVICE PERSON AT THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2006 AVALONS AND HE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ISSUED. THE ENGINE REPAIRS CAUSED BY THIS DEFECT WILL COST ME UP TO $5000. TODAY I FOUND AT LEAST A 1000 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE ON CARCOMPLAINTS.COM AND ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM. I WOULD HATE TO SEE A DEATH RESULT IN THIS ISSUE CAUSED BY FIRE DUE TO HOT OIL. *TR

AVALON LIMITED 3.2L V6 * AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION * 72,900 MILES WELL, THIS IS MY 3RD TOYOTA, THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE UP UNTIL THURSDAY NIGHT WHEN I STARTED THE CAR I HEARD A CRANKY FAN LIKE NOISE, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT WAS AFTER I DROVE SHOPPING AND CAME BACK AFTER 2-3 MILES AND PARKED THE CAR ON MY DRIVEWAY IN THE DARK. NEXT MORNING WHEN I PULLED MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY THE NOISE CONTINUED AND I SAW A POOL OF ENGINE OIL ALL OVER, I CALLED THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY AND SURPRISINGLY THEY OFFERED TO REPAIR THE CAR THE SAME DAY (SAME DAY APPOINTMENTS-NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE EVEN FOR JUST OIL CHANGES) AFTER TAKING A LOOK THEY SAID THE OIL LINE NEEDS TO BE FIXED AND COST WOULD BE $450 FOR A HALF DAYS WORK. I CALLED BACK THE EVENING AND WAS TOLD NOW THEY CALLED TOYOTA AS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG BUT HAVE NOT HEARD FROM TOYOTA SO I WONT GET MY CAR UP UNTIL AFTER LABOR DAY WEEKEND- (HAD TO GET A RENTAL FOR A WEEK) NEXT WEEK, THEY TOLD BE THE GEAR SHAFT CRACKED AND GASKETS NEED REPLACEMENT AND A 16 HRS JOB AND WOULD COST APPROX $6000 TO REPAIR "BUT TOYOTA WILL COVER 50%" EVEN THOUGH I AM OUT OF 60,000 MILES WARRANTY. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I WALKED IN TO DEALER TO SEE MY CAR AND THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THE BROKEN PART AND TOLD ME TOYOTA HAS SINCE REDESIGNED THIS PART SO IT DOES NOT BREAK AND CAUSE SUDDEN OIL LEAKS- ONCE THE NEW PART IS REPLACED I SHOULD NOT EXPECT MORE SIMILAR PROBLEMS- I AM KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY MADE A NOTE OF MY PROBLEM BUT SAID I HAVE TO GET THE NUMBER OF THE TOYOTA REGIONAL MANAGER FROM THE DEALER WHO SAID HE CANNOT LET ME TALK DIRECTLY DUE TO" BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM". I TOLD THEM ITS NOT FAIR FOR THE CUSTOMERS TO PAY FOR THE MANUFACTURING FAULTS OF TOYOTA. FINALLY THE "HIDDEN" TOYOTA REGIONAL MANAGER OFFERED TO SETTLE FOR PAYING 2/3 RD FOR MY CAR'S REPAIR. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT OTHERS DRIVING THE AVALON AND A BIG COVER-UP BY TOYOTA. *TR

2006 TOYOTA AVALON LXS DRIVING HOME FROM VACATION NOTICED NOISE WHEN TRANSMISSION SHIFTED. GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AS WE APPROACHED HOME. CHECKED OIL NEXT DAY. ENGINE EMPTY OF OIL. PUT OIL IN AND LEAKED IMMEDIATELY OUT. OIL LINE BROKEN. NO WARNING OF ENGINE TROUBLE, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NO WARNING AT ALL. HAD CAR TOLLED TO REPAIR SHOP. ENGINE MAY BE GONER. *TR