2007 Toyota Avalon

I am the owner of the 2007 Toyota Avalon that my son was driving. He experienced a very dangerous situation where his steering wheel getting locked while driving on Dec 10, 2021 afternoon. He stopped the car immediately by slamming on the brakes. The car was towed to a local Toyota dealership, Toyota of Redlands, California. The Service Manager Todd Klingbeil was able to reproduce the issue based on the earlier Toyota Recall information for 2000-2004 Avalons, and they replaced the steering bracket assembly. It is clear that my 2007 Avalon car experienced similar Steering locking issue/defect like in the Toyota Avalon 2000-2004 recall bulletin. I brought the matter to the attention of Toyota (manufacturer), but they simply ignored the matter saying there is no recall for 2007 Avalon, and they would not cover the cost nor reimburse me. And they never responded to my fax, emails and phone calls.

I HAVE TO APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE AT ALL TIME NO MATTER WHAT POSITION THE CAR IS IN AT THAT TIME. IF NOT, THE CAR WOULD MAKE A MOVEMENT TO WHERE IT ACTS LIKE IT WANT TO JUMP OUT OF THE GEAR THAT THE CAR IS POSITION IN. EVEN IF THE CAR IS IN POSITION PARK POSITION IF THE BRAKE IS NOT APPLIED THE CAR WOULD MAKE A HARD MOVEMENT LIKE IT WANT TO KEEP MOVING. WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE IS APPLIED AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS STILL IN THE DRIVE OR REVERSE POSITION AND THE STATIONARY PTO SWITCH IS ENGAGED BY THE OPERATOR, THE ENGINE MAY REV AND OVERCOME THE PARKING BRAKE'S ABILITY TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING. UNEXPECTED VEHICLE MOVEMENT CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH OR INJURY.

RECALL NUMBER: SET16B: THE SEATS CUSHION IS COMPRESSED AND WHEN TURN ON THE HEATER FOR THE SEATS IT GET OVER HEATED AND IT HARD TO TURN IT DOWN SO IT CAN COOL OFF FAST. LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATIONS LABELS THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD NO 110, REQUIREMENTS. TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS STICKING ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS HARD TO DEPRESS SLOW TO RETURN TO IDLE OR IN THE WORST CASE, MECHANICALLY STUCK IN A PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION WHICH MAKE IT HARD FOR THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP. WHILE IN MOTION. WHICH CAN CAUSE A RISK OF A CRASH. PEDAL ENTRAPMENT WHILE IN MOTION THE OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECOME IN A VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

MY PAID CASH FOR THIS TOYOTA AVALON $5000 WORTH $2200 THE CAR HAS 6 RECALLS NONE OF WHICH WERE EVER INVESTIGATED BY TOYOTA OR ANYONE ELSE. I FIRST GOT THE CAR STARTED DRIVING AND THE BELT STARTED SMOKING BEFORE 3 YRS THE BATTERY WAS CHANGED OUT BY ADVANCED AUTO FREE / WE PAID FOR A NEW BELT THEN THE TIRE WENT OUT 2 X FOUND OUT THEIRS A WHEEL ALIGNMENT ISSUE WITH THE ARMS THAT NEED REPLACING TOY DEALER AND AMERICAN BEST RECOMMENDED NEW ARMS AMER BEST PRICED $800 TOY DEALER PRICED $3-5K AMONG BRAKES WIPERS SUSPENSION ETC ! TOY SHOULD BE LIABLE TO FIX THE CAR PARTS AS I WENT THERE FOR HELP INSTEAD THEY SEND AN EST FOR THOUSANDS TO FIX WHEN THERE ARE 6 RECALLS REMAINING ! I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT 10/30 SOMEONE HIT ME WHILE DRIVING FROM BEHIND . THE CAR I BELIEVE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT PRIOR TO OWNERSHIP. EVERYTHING I MENTIONED IS HAZARDOUS AND UNSAFE FOR MANUFACTURERS TO CONTINUE TO BUILD UNSAFE CARS ON THE ROAD!

2011: I NOTICED THE DASH FELT SOFT, NOT STICKY EXACTLY, BUT FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, PLIABLE. 2013: WHILE DRIVING ON VACATION I REALIZED MY VISIBILITY WAS TREMENDOUSLY IMPEDED BY THE INCREDIBLY OPAQUE GLARE IN MY WINDSHIELD FROM THE DASHBOARD. IT WAS SO BAD, I REALIZED I COULD MAKE OUT THE PATTERNED IMPRINT (DESIGNED TO RESEMBLE LEATHER GRAIN). THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO REDUCE THIS GLARE AS LONG AS THE SUN IS OUT. IT SERIOUSLY IMPAIRS MY ABILITY TO SEE CLEARLY, IS OBVIOUSLY DISTRACTING, AND ADDED TO MY FATIGUE ON THE TRIP. A SAFETY ISSUE IF THERE EVER WAS ONE CAUSING DRIVER IMPAIRMENT DUE TO EYE STRAIN ADDING TO DRIVER FATIGUE. 2015: I NOTICED MY FIRST CRACK IN THE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE NEAR THE AIRBAG. WITHIN A MONTH, I FOUND ANOTHER CRACK IN THE CENTER OF THE DASH. THIS IS A GARAGE KEPT SECOND CAR, USED FOR LONG TRIP COMFORT AND SUNDAY DRIVES. 2016: CALLED TOYOTA ABOUT PROGRESSING CRACKS IN DASH. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL BUT IT HAD ENDED 2 MONTHS EARLIER. SORRY BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. 2020: I AM WAITING FOR PIECES OF MY DASH TO FALL OFF. MY LATEST CRACK FOLLOWS THE INSTRUMENT COCKPIT TOP EDGE COMPLETELY ACROSS TO THE DRIVER'S DOOR CURVE. IT JUST SPLIT APART. THIS IS MY BABIED AND PROTECTED CAR, 2007 AVALON XLS WITH 64,000 ORIGINAL MILES ON IT. MY FAMILY AND I HAVE OWNED TOYOTAS SINCE THE EARLY 80'S; COROLLA, TERCEL, CELICA, CAMRY, RAV4, AVALON. NOT ONE OF THEM EVER HAD A DASH PROBLEM. IN LOOKING AT COMPLAINTS HERE THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE ABOUT THE DASH. TOYOTA SHOULD STEP UP. WHO GETS TO DECIDE THAT ONE SAFETY ISSUE IS WORTH A RECALL BUT ANOTHER ISN'T? THE GLARE IS SO BAD THAT, MORE THAN ONCE, I HAVE BEEN NERVOUS ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE BRAKE LIGHTS WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE. IS IT FAIR THAT THE ONLY SAFE WAY TO OPERATE MY TOYOTA IS ON A CLOUDY DAY OR AT NIGHT? I HOPE EVENTUALLY ENOUGH COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS WILL HELP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLEAN THE DASHBOARD THE CONTACT BECAME AWARE OF A STICKY SUBSTANCE ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE GLARE FROM THE DASHBOARD DIMINISHED VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT A WARRANTY FOR THE FAILURE HAD EXPIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE WINDSHIELD HAS A CRACK* *LN*JB

I WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AND MY HOLE FRONT IN WAS SMASHED IN AND NONE OF MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I WAS DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET GOING STRAIGHT AND AN AVALANCHE TRUCK PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING LOT TRYING TO QUICKLY JET ACROSS THE STREET SO HE HIT THE GAS PEDDLE TO MOVE FAST AND SMASHED RIGHT INTO MY PASSENGER FRONT SIDE SMASHED THE HOLE FRONT END THE RADIATOR AND EVERYTHING MY CAR WAS LEAKING RADIATOR FLUID AND EVERYTHING IT'S A TOTAL LOSS