2006 Toyota Avalon

2006 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED HEADLIGHTS HAVE VERY POOR ILLUMINATION BEYOND 2 CAR LENGTHS AHEAD OF VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THERE IS A VERY DISTINCTIVE LINE WHERE THE HEADLIGHTS PROJECT AHEAD OF THE CAR AND FROM THERE IT'S VERY DARK AHEAD. ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR, AT 60 MPH TRYING TO DODGE A DEAR IN THE ROAD THAT WASN'T VISIBLE DUE TO SUCH A POOR HEADLIGHT ILLUMINATION. IT'S A DRIVING SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA TO GET THE HEADLIGHTS ADJUSTED/ALIGNED & THEY SAID THEY WERE PROPERLY ADJUSTED AT THE FACTORY & NO PROBLEMS NOTED! *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A SERVICE DEALER AND RELEASED WITHOUT IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR SERVICE AT THE END OF THE TRIP WHERE THE DEALERSHIP'S MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT OF THE DAMAGE TO THE FUEL LINE AT THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL WELL. THE LINE WAS TORN AND HANGING FROM THE BRACKET MOUNTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND CLAIMED NO RESPONSIBILITY DUE TO POSSIBLE ROAD DEBRIS. UPDATED 10/4/2006 -*NM

I OWN A 2006 AVALON LTD. UPON ENTERING THE ON-RAMP TO ROUTE 23 IN WAYNE, NJ, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE CAR. AFTER CONFIRMING THERE WAS ROOM TO MERGE, I APPLIED THE GAS AND ATTEMPTED TO MERGE. I NOTICED AND HEARD THE TACHOMETER SURGE BUT THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT ENGAGE. I LOST MY OPPORTUNITY TO MERGE AND HAD TO QUICKLY APPLY THE BRAKES. BY THEN, THE RAMP LANE HAD ENDED AND I HAD TO TURN ONTO THE SHOULDER TO AVOID HITTING AN ONCOMING CAR. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO TO THE DEALER WHO EXAMINED THE CAR AND STATED THAT THIS WAS/IS "NORMAL OPERATION WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER CARS OF THIS TYPE". I OPENED A COMPLAINT FILE WITH TOYOTA ((#20060719XXX...LAST 3 NUMBERS LEFT OUT INTENTIONALLY). THE TRANSMISSION ON THIS CAR CONTINUES TO EXHIBIT ERRATIC BEHAVIOR (TRANSMISSION HESITATION) UNDER THESE SAME CONDITIONS (BRAKING FOLLOWED BY ACCELERATION). THIS SITUATION SIGNIFICANTLY HINDERS MY ABILITY TO SAFELY OPERATE MY VEHICLE WHILE MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. *JB

AT TIMES THE ENGINE SPEED DOES NOT INCREASE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. SUCH AS WHEN I STOP AT A RED LIGHT AND THEN TRY TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN AND AT TIMES WHEN I TRY TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE AND I CANNOT INCREASE SPEED OR WHEN I SLOW DOWN AND THEN TRY TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE DOES NOT ACCELERATE AS IT SHOULD. *JB

I PURCHASED A 2006 TOYOTA AVALON ON 24 DEC 2005. ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS WHEN I COME TO A STOP, NO MATTER WHAT THE SPEED IS THE RPM WILL REV UP TO ABOUT 2000 RPM. I HAVE A VERY HARD TIME STOPPING THE CAR. IT IS A VERY SCARY SITUATION & DANGEROUS POSITION I AM IN. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR. MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT NOW. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER & THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS? *NM

PURCHASED A CERTIFIED, USED 2006 TOYOTA AVALON TOURING MODEL ON JULY 15, 2006. WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OF OWNERSHIP, I NOTICED A SERIOUS HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION, ESPECIALLY AT SPEEDS BELOW 10 MPH. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO KOONS TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ON JULY 8, 2006 AND HAD THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SHOP FOREMAN, DRIVE THE VEHICLE. HE CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS INDEED HESITATING AND THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM FOR 2004-2006 TOYOTA SIENNAS, AVALONS AND CAMRYS THAT SHARE THE SAME 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. CHRIS TOLD ME THAT THE COMPUTER THAT SELECTS THE APPROPRIATE GEAR BASED ON VARIOUS CRITERIA ANALYZED BY THE SYSTEM IS TOO SLOW IN PROCESSING THIS INFORMATION, WHICH IN TURN CAUSES THE HESITATION AND RPM SURGE BEFORE A GEAR IS ENGAGED. I LODGED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA TODAY (CASE NUMBER 200608090063), AND WAS TOLD THAT THE "CORPORATE LINE" IS THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS BEHAVING AS WAS INTENDED. THE DEALER TOLD ME THIS ISSUE CAN BE FIXED BY A REPROGRAMMING OF THE COMPUTER OR REPLACING THE CHIP WITH A "FASTER" VERSION. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A TERRIBLY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT TOYOTA NEEDS TO ADDRESS. *NM