2008 Toyota Avalon

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 50-60 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK DRASTICALLY WITHOUT WARNING AND WOULD NOT STOP. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT A FRONT END ALIGNMENT WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED MORE THAN TWICE. DUE TO THE FAILURE, A NEW RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.

ON NOVEMBER 2018 I NOTICED THAT MY REAR DECK MOUNTED BRAKE LIGHT WAS OUT. I THOUGHT IT WAS A BULB BUT THE VERY NEXT DAY IT WAS BACK ON AGAIN. THIS CONTINUED FOR ABOUT A WEEK SO I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD BE ABOUT $400 TO TAKE OFF THE REAR DECK JUST TO SEE WHAT THE ACTUAL PROBLEM WAS. I HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE AVALON'S WITH THIS SAME UNSAFE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE ALSO WILL NOT PASS STATE SAFETY INSPECTIONS WITH THIS ISSUE.I THINK AN INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE CONDUCTED ON THIS HIGHLY UNSAFE ISSUE.

LOW BEAM LIGHTS RANDOMLY GO OUT AFTER BEING ON FOR A SHORT TIME. I'VE BEEN BATTLING THIS ISSUE SINCE 2013 WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE DEALER SAYS MY LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE BURNT OUT. I CAN TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON QUICKLY AND THE AFFECTED LIGHT COMES BACK ON. I DO THIS SEVERAL TIMES A DAY WHEN IT IS DARK OUT. I EVEN HAD SMALL LED LIGHTS MOUNTED INTO MY DASH AND WIRED INTO EACH LOW BEAM BULB SO I CAN SEE IF ONE GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN AT NIGHT AS IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO KNOW IF ONE WHEN OUT.

WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT AHEAD AT NIGHT ON A HIGHWAY THE HIGH BEAMS SUDDENLY WENT OUT AND WOULD NOT GO ON AGAIN. I SWITCHED TO LOW BEAMS. I LATER LEARNED FROM A MECHANIC THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW OR INFERIOR MICROPROCESSOR CONTROLLING THE HEADLIGHTS AND THAT THE LOW BEAMS COULD ALSO SUDDENLY GO OUT WHILE IN MOTION. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE. THE TOYOTA CORPORATION WILL NOT STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT AND HAVE REFERRED ME TO A TOYOTA DEALER THAT WANTS OVER $2,000.00 TO FIX THE SAFETY ISSUE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS. I BELIEVE IT ONLY AFFECTS THE 2008 AVALON MODELS. THERE ARE EVEN SEVERAL ARTICLES ON THE INTERNET RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE NOTHING TO DOWNLOAD AS I DID NOT GET A WRITTEN ESTIMATE, ONLY A TELEPHONE QUOTE, FROM THE TOYOTA DEALER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS STICKY AND MELTING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IMAGE OF THE DASHBOARD WAS REFLECTED ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE ONCOMING VEHICLES OR PEDESTRIANS DUE TO THE REFLECTION. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WARRANTY PERIOD FOR REPAIRING OR REPLACING THE DASHBOARD WAS EXCEEDED AND NO ASSISTANCE WOULD BE OFFERED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. *TT CONSUMER STATED HEADQUARTERS ADMITTED THERE WAS MANUFACTURER DEFECT. UPDATED 12/04/18*JB

THE DASHBOARD GETS STICKY ON SUNNY DAYS AND THE SURFACE BECOMES SHINEY WHICH THEN REFLECTS OFF THE WINDSHIELD. THE REFLECTION (ON THE WINDSHIELD) SIGNIFICANTLY OBSTRUCTS DRIVERS VIEW OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR PEDESTRIANS ON SUNNY DAYS. DRIVER IS BLINDED OR IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THROUGH THE REFLECTION. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION AND A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE CAR OWNER AND THE PUBLIC (ACCIDENT CAN AFFECT OTHER VEHICLES, PROPERTY, OR PEDESTRIANS) THAT NEEDS ADDRESSED AS A PERMANENT SOLUTION BY TOYOTA CORPORATION FOR ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. THE VEHICLES ARE IN MOTION AND STATIONARY WHEN THIS OCCURS. ANY RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED BY TOYOTA TO ALL VEHICLES HAVING THIS CONDITION THAT ARE CURRENTLY DRIVEN AND NOT LIMITED TO ANY ARBITRARY DATE OF COVERAGE. DASHBOARD REPLACEMENT BY TOYOTA CORPORATION IS CURRENTLY KNOWN TO BE THE ONLY SOLUTION

SOON AFTER PURCHASING THE USED CAR, WHEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, THE DRIVER'S SEAT STARTED HEATING UP. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 100 DEGREES SO HEATER WAS NOT TURNED ON. IT KEPT GETTING HOTTER AND WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT ON WHILE DRIVING TO DESTINATION. WHEN CONTACTING A DEALERSHIP WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO SERVICE BULLETIN ON IT. IT FINALLY QUIT ON IT'S OWN AND HAVE NEVER USED IT AGAIN.JUST READ IN CONSUMER REPORTS THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON SEAT HEATERS. HAVE ONE RECALL NUMBER ON SEAT HEATER PROBLEMS THAT WERE IN THE ARTICLE (SET16B). HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PROBLEM.