2007 Toyota Avalon

DRIVING AT SPEED ON INTERSTATE. A/C WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TURNED OFF A/C. AT DESTINATION, PARKED CAR FOR SEVERAL HOURS. DID NOT TURN ON A/C WHEN DRIVING FROM PARKING LOT. SOON CHECK ENGINE LIGHT VSC AND TRAC LIGHTS CAME ON. DROVE AT LOW SPEED DIRECTLY TO TOYOTA DEALER TO CHECK PROBLEM. DEALER FOUND OIL LEVEL 1 QT. LOW AND OIL LEAKING FROM VVTI LINE. TECH USED TOYOTA SCAN TOOL FOUND CODES P0024 P0012 FOR VVTI TIMING MALFUNCTIONS.TTECH REPLACED BOTH VVTI CAMS AND CAM HOUSINGS, CAM GEARS, INTAKE GASKETS, OIL PUMP GASKET, OIL PAN GASKET, HEAD GASKETS, TIMING COVER GASKET. INITIAL ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR WAS @ $6400 AS CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO MILEAGE. AFTER DISCUSSION, THE DEALER GOT TOYOTA TO PICK UP THE COST OF MOST OF THE PARTS. I PAID $2527 FOR LABOR AND $28.57 FOR PARTS. SUBSEQUENTLY THE DEALER ADVISED ME THAT THE PROBLEM HAD OCCASIONED A TOYOTA RECALL. I SUBMITTED A CLAIM A MONTH AGO TO TOYOTA FOR A REFUND, BUT HAVE HAD NO REPLY FROM THE COMPANY.

STEERING COLUM ADJUSTING CONTROL CONTINUES TO RELEASE. THIS CAUSES THE STEERING WHEEL TO GO INTO THE THE DASH AREA OR UP OR DOWN. THERE IS NO CONTROL OF STEERING. BEFORE THIS INCIDENT, OIL BURST ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND DRAINED OUT OF MY CAR, SPILLED ONTO THE FLOOR OF MY GARAGE. THE OIL LIGHT OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. DEALER MADE REPAIRS AFTER KEEPING MY CAR -NOT A RECALL NOTICE BUT A NOTED PROBLEM. NO POWER WHILE PRESSING ON THE GAS. THERE IS A DELAYED REACTION RESULTING IN SLOW OR NO SPEED FOR PASSING OR JUST DRIVING (DEALER INDICATED POWER TRANS PROBLEM - NOT RECALL KEPT CAR 3+ DAYS FOR REPAIRS). THE GREY PAINT HAS SPOTS ITHAT WILL NOT COME OUT WITH A WASH AND WAX.

WHILE DRIVING ,WITHOUT WARNING, THE "V V T I OIL LINE" BURST, DRAINING ALL THE OIL FROM THE ENGINE. THERE IS LOSS OF POWER WITH POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE. AT TIME OF INCIDENT, LEAVES OIL ON ROAD AND WINDSHIELDS OF ANY CARS FOLLOWING. ( THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ON TOYOTA'S V-6 ENGINES SINCE 2005. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RECALL...IT ONLY "QUIETLY" GETS REPAIRED AS YOU BRING THE CAR IN WITH THIS PROBLEM. TOYOTA HAS CHANGED THIS PART 4 TIMES WITH NO RECALL. THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM ON THE 2009 ENGINES, REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE RUBBER HOSE TO A SOLID METAL OIL LINE. TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS SINCE 2005, AND NOW WITH THE GAS PEDAL PROBLEM, WANT TO HIDE THE "RECALL" AT THE SAME TIME........PROBLEM IS THEY PUT THE SAME RUBBER PART IN . I PAID $240.00 TO CHANGE THE PART TO THE NEW ALL-METAL PART THE 2009 AND NEWER V-6 ENGINES HAVE. INCIDENT DATE AND TIME AND PLACE: MAY 21,2009 10:38 AM HIGHWAY I-15 ...48 MILES WEST OF BAKER,CA ...IN THE MIDDLE OF DESERT ! *TR

DEFECTIVE HOSE IN THE ENGINE/OIL SYSTEM FAILED CAUSING ALL OF THE OIL IN THE CARS ENGINE TO DRAIN IMMEDIATELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MY TOYOTA DEALER WHERE THEY EXPLAINED THAT SOME AVALONS HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN. TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGES THIS BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. MY CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS FIXED FOR FREE AS IT WAS COVERED. HOWEVER, MY DRIVEWAY IS LOADED WITH ALL OF THE OIL FROM MY ENGINE. IF THIS HAPPENED ON THE ROAD I WOULD HAVE LOST THE ENGINE. *TR

INTERMITTENTLY, UPON HEAVY ACCELERATION EXHAUST EMITS A HYDROGEN SULFIDE TYPE (ROTTEN EGG) ODOR. TOOK TO DELIVERY DEALER AND TECH COULD NOT DUPLICATE &. TOOK CAR TO ANOTHER DEALER. BOTH DEALERS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT TOYOTA WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. BOTH STATED THAT TOYOTA HAD REPLACED/REPAIRED EXHAUST OR CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. HOWEVER SUBSEQUENT TO 2003 MODELS TOYOTA WOULD NO LONGER OFFER REPAIR OR SOLUTION FOR MY 2007 MODEL. SERVICE TECH SUGGESTED USING HIGHER GRADE GASOLINE. I HAVE USED MID AND PREMIUM GRADE GAS WITH NO CHANGE IN RESULT. *TR