2008 Toyota Avalon

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. THE VEHICLE SURGED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND THE SPEED INCREASED BETWEEN 5 AND 10 MPH. SHE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY ENGAGING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE CRUISE CONTROL. WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN. SHE WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE BRAKE PEDAL AND DOWN SHIFT TO THE LOWEST GEAR. AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH THE CONTACT USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. SHE WAS TOLD THAT THE FLOOR MAT CAUSED BECAME STUCK UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE DEALER CUT THE FLOOR MAT TO FIT IT IN THE VEHICLE AND HOOKED IT TO THE BOLTS. THE CONTACT ALSO PAID A FEE TO DETERMINE IF THE COMPUTER SYSTEM DISPLAYED ANY FAILURE CODES. THE FAILURE DID NOT REOCCUR AFTER THE DEALER CUT THE FLOOR MATS. SHE RECENTLY RECEIVED RECALL 09V388000, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR PEDAL NOTICE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 9,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,500. UPDATED 12/30/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE FLOOR WAS NOT CUT TO FIT VEHICLE. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ACTIVATED. UPDATED 12/30/09

MY COMPLAINT IS WITH MY 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. I WAS TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT AND TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR TO APPLY THE BRAKES WHEN MY CAR SHOWED NO SIGN OF SLOWING DOWN. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND CAME TO A STOP. I CHECK THE ACCELERATOR AND THERE WAS NO MAT IN THE AREA. THIS WAS BEFORE THE PUBLICITY OF TOYOTA'S PROBLEMS. WHEN I HEARD THE NEWS I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO REMOVE THE MAT EVEN THOUGH I SAID IT WASN'T INVOLVED. ON A SECOND OCCASION WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR ONLY TO HAVE THE PEDAL HIT THE SOLE OF MY SHOE ABOUT A SECOND OR TWO LATER. THAT HAPPENED THREE TIMES ON A TRIP FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO CONNECTICUT. IT HAPPENED ONCE ON THE RETURN TRIP. IT WAS AS IF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STICKING. I INTEND TO REPORT THE LATEST INCIDENT TO MY DEALERSHIP DURING MY NEXT SERVICE APPOINTMENT. I WOULD REPORT IT SOONER BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE TOYOTA IS LISTENING. *TR

WHILE PULLING INTO A MARKED PARKING SPACE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. IT JUMPED TWO WHEEL STOPPERS, WENT UP A SMALL HILL AND WITHIN A COUPLE OF FEET OF RUNNING INTO A CEMENT BUILDING BEFORE I COULD STOP IT. VERY VERY SCARY SITUATION. I CALLED GERMAIM TOYOTA IN NAPLES, FLORIDA AND HAD THE VEHICLE TAKEN THERE. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY ARE GOING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR

MY 2008 TOYOTA AVALON XL HAD LESS THAN 3,000 MILES WHEN I HAD AN ACCIDENT ON DECEMBER 22, 2008. I WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC FOR 5 TO 7 MINUTES. WHEN I RELEASED MY FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE, THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD SEVERAL FEET AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR HAS LUNGED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THIS UPON STARTING IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES. ON DECEMBER 22 THE TEMPERATURE IN CINCINNATI WAS 21 DEGREES F. I HAVE HAD THE CAR CHECKED AND THE DAMAGE REPAIRED. THE MECHANICS SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM DETECTED. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR BUT THEY WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY BEGAN ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MAXIMUM FORCE AND PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL, BUT IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE TO 70 MPH. HE SMELLED A BURNING ODOR AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN DECELERATING. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ENGAGED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 11,000.