2006 Toyota Avalon

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WHEN WITHOUT WARNING ,THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN UNLOCKED IN A DOWNWARD MOTION, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO TRAVEL TOWARDS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IMMEDIATELY THE CONTACT REDUCED SPEED AND ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE STEERING WHEEL FAILURE. THE CONTACT CAUTIOUSLY DROVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO RE-LOCK THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.

WE SPOTTED DROPS OF OIL COMING FROM OUR TOYOTA AVALON 2006. A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM TO BE A SLOW OIL LEAK FROM THE FRONT TIMING COVER. THE DEALERSHIP ESTIMATES IT WILL COST OVER $2,200 TO RESEAL OR REPLACE THE COVER WHICH COSTS ABOUT $50. WE HAVE DECIDED, AS OF NOW, TO NOT SPEND THE MAJOR DOLLARS INVOLVED, AND KEEP A EYE ON THE OIL IN THE CAR. WE HAVE ALSO RESEARCHED THAT PARTICULAR PROBLEM IN THE 2006 AVALON, AND HAVE FOUND NHTSA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, ITEM NUMBER 10021531, AND 2006 TOYOTA AVALON, SERVICE BULLETIN #: 01907. THE SUMMARY OF THIS BULLETIN READS: "ENGINE OIL LEAK FROM FRONT TIMING COVER." THE BULLETIN SEEMS TO BE DESCRIBING OUR PROBLEM EXACTLY. WHEN A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE MONEY INVOLVED WITH THE REPAIR ($2,200) TO THE PART TOYOTA WILL REPLACE ($50), THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE 2006 AVALON'S DESIGN AND/OR THE SITUATION CALLS FOR A TOYOTA RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED IN THE ENGINE AND SMOKE BEGAN TO COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND THE HIGHWAY PATROL APPEARED ON THE SCENE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED BUT NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INSURANCE COMPANY GARAGE WHERE AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 142,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, SHE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE THROTTLE ACTUATOR CONTROL MOTOR WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT NOTICED ANY FURTHER ISSUES SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,319.

I WAS EXPERIENCE WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE A "STICKY" STEERING WHEEL. I FIRST NOTICED IT IN DECEMBER OF 2009. IN 2010, I WENT TO TOYOTA NUMEROUS TIMES ABOUT THIS ISSUE BUT THEY SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T LOOK IN TO IT BECAUSE 1. IT WAS INTERMITTENT AND 2. "LIKE LOOKING FOR A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK". I SAVED THE PAPERWORK OF WHERE I HAD CAME TO THE DEALERSHIP COMPLAINING OF SUCH ISSUE WHICH PROVED TO BE FRUITFUL WHEN TOYOTA ISSUED A RECALL ABOUT THE PROBLEM IN JULY. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY WITH MY PAPERS STATING MY PREVIOUS INQUIRES. STILL THEY WERE UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING BECAUSE TOYOTA HAD NOT ISSUED ANY FIXES TO THE DEALERSHIPS. THERE WERE NUMEROUS TIMES I FELT LIKE THE CAR WOULD NOT COME OUT OF A TURN. I HAVE SINCE SOLD MY 2006 TOYOTA AVALON. ONE GOOD THING IS THAT THOUGH MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO REACH CORPORATE TO GET GUIDANCE ON THE ISSUE, THEY OPENED UP A CASE NUMBER TO BRING IT TO TOYOTA'S ATTENTION THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS OCCURRING IN A 2006 MODEL AND THE OWNER HAD PROOF THAT SHE HAD BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THE ISSUES MONTHS BEFORE A RECALL WAS ISSUED. *TR

FAILURE OF THE HINGES AND TORSION BARS THAT ARE MOUNTED FOR THE TRUNK LID OF MY 2006 TOYOTA AVALON, LIMITED. THE TORSION BAR ROTATES INTO THE TRUNK SPACE ABOUT 5 INCHES AND CAN HIT ITEMS IN THE TRUNK AND DISLODGE THE TORSION BAR AND DAMAGE A WEAK MOUNTING BRACKET. THIS FAILURE IS NOT GRACEFUL BUT IMMEDIATE. UPON OPENING THE TRUNK WITH THE TORSION BAR DISLODGED OR THE BAR BECOMES DISLODGED THE TRUNK CAN COME BACK AND HIT YOU IN THE HEAD OR A CHILD BEING HELD. I NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND TOYOTA OF THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE 36000/ 3YR WARRANTY WHICH I EXCEEDED. HOWEVER, AFTER SEVERAL MORE CONTACTS I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN BO030-06 ISSUED IN DECEMBER 2006. MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE WAS NEVER ANY WARNING ON LIMITING THE USEFUL SPACE IN THE TRUNK NOR ANY NOTIFICATION OF THE POTENTIAL FAILURE. MY CONCERN IS THAT TOYOTA NEW ABOUT THIS SAFETY ISSUE AND WAS RELUCTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND THAT THERE WAS A POTENTIAL FIX THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT. NO CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS PROVIDED. *TR

ISSUE: AFTER A PERIOD OF APPROXIMATELY 2,000 DRIVEN MILES, THE LOCKING DEVICE ON THE TELESCOPING STEERING COLUMN WILL LOOSEN TO THE POINT WHERE IT BECOMES FULLY DISENGAGED. THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN WITH THE TELESCOPING COLUMN FULLY EXTENDED AND THE DRIVER IS UNAWARE OF WHEN THE LOCKING DEVICE HAS BECOME DISENGAGED. DURING HARD BRAKING SITUATIONS THE DRIVER NATURALLY APPLIES SUPPORT PRESSURE TO THE STEERING COLUMN CAUSING THE DISENGAGED STEERING COLUMN TO FULLY COLLAPSE. THIS SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED COLLAPSE OF THE STEERING COLUMN CAUSES THE DRIVER AN ADDITIONAL CONCERN AND AN EMERGENCY REACTION, UP TO AND POTENTIALLY INCLUDING THE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, TO AN ALREADY HAZARDOUS SITUATION (HARD BRAKING). THE ABOVE INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. REPORTING: THIS INCIDENT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AT EVERY SCHEDULED 5,000 MILE CHECK UP FOR AT LEAST THE LAST 2+ YEARS. THIS ISSUE IS NOT NEW AND AT MY REQUEST THE SERVICE AGENT CONTINUES TO ADD THE ISSUE TO THE SERVICE ORDER. TOYOTA RESPONSE; TOYOTA SERVICE PERSONNEL STATE THAT THEY CAN NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE SINCE THEY CAN NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE. AS WAS STATED ABOVE THE ISSUE OCCURS AFTER APPROXIMATELY 2,000 DRIVEN MILES. HOW TOYOTA EXPECTS TO REPLICATE 2,000 DRIVEN MILES BY DRIVING THE VEHICLE AROUND THE PARKING LOT IS ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE TO ANY REASONABLE PERSON. TWO MONTHS OF DRIVING CAN NOT BE CONDENSED INTO 10 MINUTES. FOR SAFETY ISSUES, ESPECIALLY FOR ONE CONSISTENTLY REPORTED OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS, TO BE DISMISSED AFTER A 10 MINUTE CURSORY INSPECTION OR NONE AT ALL, IS BEYOND WILLFUL NEGLECT AND IS EVIDENT THAT TOYOTA'S SAFETY CULTURE HAS NOT IMPROVED. THE ISSUE WITHIN TOYOTA REMAINS UNREPORTED, UNACKNOWLEDGED AND UNRESOLVED. *TR