2001 Toyota Avalon Complaint Log

VEHICLE WAS AT STANDSTILL IN TRAFFIC AND WAS REARENDED. TRUNK WAS PUSHED INTO BACKSEAT. VEHICLE WAS PUSHED INTO VEHICLE IN FRONT, VEHICLE IN FRONT AND CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WERE TOTALLED. SEATBELT DID NOT RESTRAIN DRIVER. HE HIT HIS HEAD ON STEERING WHEEL, REQUIRED 20 STITCHES. *AK PASSENGERS SEAT BELT WORKED, HOWEVER DRIVERS DID NOT, PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, CONSUMER LIST THAT VEHICLE HAS MOTORBELTS AND REGULAR SEAT BELTS. *SLC

THERE IS CONSTANT VIBRATION AT 60-75 MPH, AND VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT, SELDOM TO THE RIGHT. DEALER REPLACED TIRES AND RIMS, IT DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM.*AK TWO TIRES SHOWED EXCESSIVE WEAR AND WERE REPLACED. WHILE DRIVING THE LUG NUTS CAPS FELL OFF AND WERE REPLACED. *YH

WHEN AT A STOP OR WHILE PARKING ENGINE REVS AND RPMS GO UP TO 7000. CONSUMER HAS TO APPLY BRAKES HARD AND PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO STOP THE REVVING, THIS HAPPENS 2-3 TIMES A MONTH. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES, CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK *YD

THIS IS AS MUCH A QUESTION AS AN ACTUAL REPORT. DRIVER'S SIDEVIEW MIRROR HAS TREMENDOUS BLIND SPOT - CONVERSELY - A SMALL VIEWING AREA. TYPICALLY A CONSCIENTIOUS DRIVER, I HAVE CUT OFF 2 OR MORE DRIVERS THAT JUST WEREN'T VISIBLE TO ME. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE REVIEWED. PERHAPS THIS IS MY OWN PROBLEM, BUT I'VE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH A CAR IN THE PAST. MY BELIEF IS THAT THE SIDEVIEW MIRROR SHOULD BE MORE CONCAVE - OR AT LEAST PROVIDE A LARGER VIEWING AREA.*AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35 MHP ON A SIDE STREET AND NOTICED THAT VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN, CONSUMER TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE WHEN APPLYING GAS PEDAL, VEHICLE WOULD BEGAN TP COAST, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDER AND NOTICED THAT GASOLINE WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE, VEHICLE WAS TOWED, AND MECHANIC STATED THAT CONNECTION TO FUEL AND IGNITION WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE GASOLINE LINE HAD DISCONNECTED FROM THE MOTOR, AND THAT THE FLANGE ON THE CONNECTOR APPARENTLY HAD NOT ENGAGED PROPERLY. *YD

THE VEHICLE "WANDERS" IE, AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE PERCEIVED FEELING IS THAT THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN IN DEEP ROUTES OR OVER TROLLEY TRACKS, MUCH LIKE THE FEELING WHEN DRIVING OVER A BRIDGE SURFACE THAT IS CONSTRUCTED OF METAL GRATING. THIS CREATES AN OVERALL FEELING THAT I HAVE NO REAL CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE.

MULTIPLE FAILURE OF INSTRUMENT PANEL AND INFORMATION PANEL LIGHTING. DEALER UNABLE TO FIX PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER CONTACTED -- BUT NO RESPONSE TO DATE.

LIGHTS ON VSC STAY ON ALL THE TIME. AUTO HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 6 TIMES. KEPT HAVING ALL KINDS OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. WINDOWS GO UP AND DOWN ALL THE TIME BY THEMSELVES. BATTERY FAILED. DEALER REPLACED STEERING ANGLE SENSOR. DID NOT REMEDY PROBLEM. TRUNK OPENS BY ITSELF. DEALER FOUND LATCH NOT HOLDING SECURELY ON LATCH LOCK BAR. *AK *TT

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT DASHBOARD LIGHT WILL REFLECT ON WINDSHIELD GLASS, AND WILL INTERFERE WITH DRIVER'S VISION IN DARK. *AK THE REFLECTION ON TO WINDSHIELD WAS DUE TO DESIGN FLAW. THE DASBOARD DOES NOT EXTEND FAR ENOUGH TO BLOCK THE REFLECTION FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. *YH

I HIT A LARGE STEER AT NIGHT WHILE ACCELLERATING FROM A STOP. IMPACT WAS SEVERE AND RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF THE CAR. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT BECAUSE THE INITIAL IMPACT WITH THE STEER WAS HIS LEGS AND LITTLE RESISTANCE WAS NOT ENOUGH TO TRIGGER THE AIR BAGS. THE SEVERITY OF DAMAGE TO FRONT END, HOOD, AND ROOF MADE ME WONDER IF ANOTHER SENSOR WOULD BE APPROPRIATE HIGHER UP WHICH WOULD TRIGGER THE AIR BAGS. YOUR OPINION AND COMMENTS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. HOOD, LI*AK

STEERING FEEDBACK BECOMES TOO LIGHT AND UNSTABLE AT HIGHT SPEED (65MPH). ON THE SECOND VISIT TO THE DEALER, THE TECHNICIAN WHO TEST DROVE THE CAR ADMITTED THIS CARS STEERING FEELS LOOSER. DEALER ADJUSTED THE ALIGNMENT WITH NO POSITIVE CHANGES TO THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE CAR MAKES A JERKY MOVE WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A SLOW ROLLING SPEED (10 MPH).*AK

MULLER TOYOTA TECHNICIAN STATED THAT FUEL LINE FELL OFF FILTER. INCIDENT: CAR STALLED WHILE PROCEEDING ON NYC STREET. PULLED OUT OF TRAFFIC. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RESTART, LARGE AMOUNT OF GASOLINE FLOWED OUT FROM UNDER CAR. GOT THE THREE PEOPLE OUT OF CAR TO SIDEWALK. NYC FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED OUT-THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE SOURCE OF GASOLINE AND ADVISED THAT NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. CAR WAS FLATBEDDED TO MULLER TOYOTA IN CLINTON, NJ. ADDITIONAL GASOLINE SPILL NOTICED ON FLATBED. OWNER WAS TOLD THAT FUEL LINE CONNECTION CAME APART AND TECHNICIAN CLICKED IT BACK TOGETHER. THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE FUEL LINE CONNECTION CAME APART AS A RESULT OF AN IMPACT WITH AN OBJECT, A ROAD BUMP, OR IMPROPER FACTORY ASSEMBLY. NO EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING IMPACTING A COMPONENT WAS FOUND. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DESIGN DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE FUEL LINE THAT COULD HAVE HAD A CATASTROPHIC RESULT WITH FATALITIES IF THE FUEL LINE SEPARATION OCCURED ON A HIGHWAY, AT SOME HIGHER SPEED, OR WITH THE CAR AT A HIGHER TEMPERATURE. IT MAY REQUIRE A REDESIGNED COMPONENT PRECLUDES AN UNSAFE INSTALLATION AND RESISTS SEPARATION DUE TO NORMAL ROAD BUMPS.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON. SHE NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN SURGING WHENEVER THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED ON 25 OCCASIONS SINCE NOVEMBER 2000 INTERMITTENTLY. SHE WOULD DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE RPMS WOULD RAPIDLY INCREASE; HOWEVER, SHE WOULD SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND TURN IT OFF. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER MORE THAN TEN TIMES BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. SHE PROVIDED DETAILED INFORMATION TO A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE SINCE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 41,390. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 441. UPDATED 03/04/10. *LJ UPDATED 09/16/10

BRAKE PEDAL PROCEEDS ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR WHEN PRESSED AT STANDSTILL. *AK

AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. AS A RESULT, THE AIR BAGS WERE INOPERATIVE, THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE 13 TIMES AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK THE DEALER REPLACED ALL THE WIRING, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *JB

VEHICLE SLID TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WITH THE WHEELS LOCKED ON A SNOWY AND ICY ROAD AT 35 MPH. *PH THE VEHICLE ENDED UP SLIDING INTO A DITCH. NONE OF THE VEHICLE'S OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED DURING THIS ACCIDENT. *NM

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING DURNING RAIN WINDSHIELD GIVES OFF POOR VISIBILITY. *AK

NHTSA REQUIREMENT OF WARNING LABELS POSTED ON THE VISOR HAS RESULTED IN GLUE RESIDUE ON THE VISOR WHICH I CANNOT REMOVE. WHAT CAN USE TO CLEAN OFF THE GUMMY AREA?*AK

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT AND REAR END COLLISONS WHILE TRAVELING 30-35MPH. AIRBAG SENSOR WAS SCRAPED, AND EXPOSED; BUT THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING THAT AIRBAGS WERE INOPERATIVE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, BUT NO RESPONSE AS OF YET. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

WHEN DRIVING WITH 4 AVERAGE SIZE ADULTS IN THE AVALON (2 FRONT/2 REAR) - THE REAR BOTTOMS OUT (AXLES/SUSPENSION) AND THE FRONT SCRAPS WHEN GOING UP DRIVEWAYS, OVER SPEEDBUMPS, LEAVING DRIVEWAYS, ETC. THE FRONT BUMPER/PAINT, MIDDLE UNDERSIDE, AND/OR THE REAR BUMPER/PAINT SCRAP SEVERELY ALONG THE GROUND AND/OR BUMP IN THE ROAD. EVERYTHING CAN BE FELT WHEN DRIVING AND THERE IS A LOT OF SCRAPING ALONG THE GROUND. OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE AXLES/STRUTS/SUSPENSION - THE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND THE CAR JUST HAS A SOFT RIDE. THE STEERING WHEEL MAKES SQUEAKING/RUBBING NOISES - AGAIN THE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND JUST LUBRICATED IT. THE FRONT PAINT IS CHIPPING AFTER A FEW MONTHS DESPITE IT BEING CHIP RESISTANT PAINT. THE CHIPS LOOK LIKE THE EDGES ARE READY TO FLAKE. THE FUEL TANK NOZZLE IS JAMBED AGAINST THE LEFT SIDE OF THE GAS DOOR OPENING, THUS REQUIRING A PERSON'S HAND TO SCRAP AGAINST THE CAR TO OPEN THE FUEL TANK. *AK

ODOMETER IS GIVING A FALSE READING. ALSO, VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED FOR A 15 INCH WHEEL, AND VEHICLE HAS A 16 INCH WHEEL. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED SPEEDOMETER WAS OKAY.*AK

DURING NIGHT DRIVING A PORTION OF THE SPEEDOMETER REFLECTS OFF WINDSHIELD, CREATING A DISTRACTION. TOYOTA CLAIMS MY VIN REPRESENTS THE VEHICLES THAT WERE CORRECTED DURING PRODUCTION, BUT THE REFLECTION STILL EXISTS.*AK

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL (01V-072), BUT THE DEALER REFUSED TO CORRECT THE DEFECTIVE PART. *YH

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BRAKES FEEL SPONGY AND GO HALFWAY TO THE FLOOR, THE DEALER HAS BLED THE BRAKES AND REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER, HOWEVER THE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST, CONSUMER GIVES 2 ADDRESSES AND 2 PHONE NUMBERS, 394 CASA GRANDE, EDGEWATER, FL 32141, 386-427-2455, FLORIDA IS WHERE THEY SPEND THE WINTER. *SLC

VEHICLE BRAKE SYSTEM IS OF CONCERN. OCCASIONALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BROUGHT TO A STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL MOVE DOWN TOWARD THE FLOOR A FEW SECONDS AFTER THE CAR IS STOPPED. THE TWO TIMES I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER, I AM BEING TOLD THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE AND THAT ALL OF THEM DO THIS. THIS IS THE SECOND AVALON I HAVE OWNED AND THE FIRST ONE DID NOT HAVE THE SITUATION HAPPEN. OTHER AVALON OWNERS I HAVE SPOKEN TO HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN. THE MOVEMENT OF THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWNWARD AFTER STOPPING DOES NOT OCCUR ALL THE TIME. IT LOOKS TO OCCUR AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND IN LOCAL TRAFFIC THAT REQUIRES CONSTAND STOPPING AND STARTING. THE PEDAL MOVEMENT OCCURS ABOUT 10 TO 15 SECONDS AFTER STOPPING BUT DOES NOT OCCUR EVERY TIME. THIS BRAKE PEDAL MOVEMENT IS OF CONCERN SICE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 40 YEARS. BRAKE PEDAL MOVEMENT AFTER STOPPING A VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SIGN OF FAILURE WITHIN THE SYSTEM. USUALLY A FAILING MASTER CYLINDER. THE MOVEMENT OF THE BRAKE PEDAL AFTER STOPPING IS NOT A CONFORTABLE FEELING AND ALL THAT I HAVE TALKED TO (BOTH TOYOTA OWNERS AND OTHER MFG'S) NO ONE HAS EXPERIENCE THIS PEDAL MOVEMENT. THIS INCLUDES CARS THAT HAVE SKID CONTROL SYSTEMS. I AM CONCERNED ENOUGH ABOUT THIS BRAKE PEDAL ISSUE AND WANT CONFIRMATION FROM THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER (NOT THE DEALER) THAT THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. CLOSING NOTE, TALKED TO A FEW LEXUS OWNERS, NONE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS BRAKE PEDAL MOVEMENT. *AK

THE ENGINE IN THIS CAR, THE TOYOTA V6 1MZ 3.0L HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE DEFECTIVE. *AK

CONSUMER NOTICED A BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL OF HIS MICHELIN TIRE (NO TIRE INFORMATION). CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THE BUBBLE IN THE SIDEWALL WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY CAUSED BY A TRAUMATIC INJURY TO THE TIRE, HOWEVER, WHEN THE TIRE WAS REMOVED, NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND. AS A RESULT TIRE DEALER OFFERED A 25% DISCOUNT ON THE PURCHASE OF A REPLACEMENT. *TT

AIRBAG SENSORS WERE KNOCKED COMPLETELY OFF AND NEITHER AIRBAG WAS DEPLOYED, THE OTHER PERSON WAS DRIVING A 1992 OLDER MODEL CAR AND HIS AIRBAGS DEPLOYED RIGHT AWAY. *AK

WITH THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND THE ENGINE RUNNING THE CONSUMER STEPPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE, SUDDENLY THE GEAR JUMPED INTO REVERSE CAUSING THE OPEN DOOR TO KNOCK THE DRIVER OVER, AS A RESULT THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL RAN OVER THE RIGHT LEG OF THE DRIVER, THE DRIVER HAS HAD FOUR LEG OPERATIONS. NLM

THE DASHBOARD INDICATOR LIGHTS FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY, THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED 6 TIMES FOR THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED.*JB

THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL WERE DESIGNED TOO CLOSE TOGETHER, WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, HIS FOOT SLIPPED AND DEPRESSED THE GAS PEDAL. *AK *JB

CONSUMER STATED TIRES WORE OUT PREMATURELY. THE TIRES HAD BEEN REPLACED 5 TIMES. CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT VEHICLE WAS MISALIGNED. *AK