2006 Toyota Avalon

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH ON A SNOW PACKED INCLINE, THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (TCS) ACTIVATED VOLUNTARY. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE OCCURS WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS PROCEEDING UP AN INCLINE ON SNOW COVER ROAD SURFACES. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER STATED THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WAS A MANUFACTURER DESIGN, HOWEVER, SOME VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH A MECHANISM THAT DISENGAGES THE TCS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 69,000. UPDATED 2/23/09 *CN WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE UP A SLIGHT INCLINE IN SNOW, THE DRIVE WHEEL SLIPPED WHICH ENGAGE THE TCS. THE DRIVE WHEEL WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN TRACTION WHICH WOULD HAVE DISENGAGED THE TCS. THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP SLIDING BACKWARDS. THERE WAS NO WAY TO MANUALY DISENGAGE THE TCS. IF THE TCS COULD BE DISENGAGED THE VEHICLE COULD BE HANDLED MORE EASILY. UPDATED 02/27/09. *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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65-70 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE STEERING WHEEL DROPPED DOWNWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED THE MILEAGE UNDER THE WARRANTY COVERAGE AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH TILT STEERING AND TELESCOPING STEERING. WHILE DRIVING, THE PRESSURE ARM UNDER THE STEERING COLUMN WHICH HELD THE TELESCOPING COLUMN IN PLACE BECAME LOOSE DUE TO A VIBRATION. UPDATED 02/24/09. *JB

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM WAS NOT OPERATING NORMALLY. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY ACCESSING THE NAVIGATION MODULE DUE TO THE ROCKER SWITCH FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM WAS OPERATING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,000.