2001 Toyota Avalon Electrical System Problems

I HAVE REPLACED O2 SENSORS TWICE TO GET RID OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FOR CODES THAT HAVE POPPED YOU P1135 & P1155. TOOK CAR TO TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS AND TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND NO ONE COULD FIGURE OUT WHY THE LIGHT IS STILL ON. ALL SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH DENSO PARTS. THIS SEEMS LIKE A RECALL IF NOT EVEN THE TOYOTA DEALER COULD FIX THE PROBLEM. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH TOYOTA'S. I NEED MY CAR TO PASS A SMOG AND IT COULD NOT BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. CAR ONLY HAS 62,000 MILES AND RUNS GREAT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 189,047.

DROVE VEHICLE TO WORK IN AM. NOTICED KEY DIDN'T "CATCH" FIRST TIME, THOUGHT IT WAS HUMAN ERROR AND WROTE IT OFF AND DROVE TO WORK. WENT TO LEAVE WORK AND TURNED KEY IN IGNITION, LIGHTS AND RADIO LIGHT UP BUT KEY FREELY TURNED LIKE BUTTER AND STEERING FELT TIGHTER THAN NORMAL. COULD NOT START VEHICLE. HAD MECHANIC REMOVE IGNITION ASSEMBLY ON SITE TO DETERMINE THAT THE LINKAGE IN BETWEEN THE LOCK CYLINDER AND IGNITION SWITCH HAD A BROKEN METAL PIECE STUCK OFF INTO THE SWITCH. THIS LINKAGE IS CONTAINED IN A METAL HOUSING UNIT WITH 3 HOLES. WENT TO TOYOTA DEALER AND ASKED FOR THE LINKAGE PART, WAS SHOWN THE HOUSING UNIT IT WAS CONTAINED IN, ONLY AVAILABLE FROM TOYOTA. WAS TOLD BY EMPLOYEE THAT THE PIECE HE WAS SHOWING ME CAME OFF A CAR LIKE MINE THEY HAD JUST REPAIRED BECAUSE OF A RECALL ON THE STEERING LOCK BAR, THIS PIECE IS CONNECTED TO THE PIECE THAT I NEED TO REPLACE. I FEEL MY ISSUE OCCURRED BETWEEN DRIVING AND PARKING AT MY WORK AND IT IS BECAUSE OF THE RECALL ON THIS PIECE. CAR IS NOW AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, SO FAR THEY HAVE PICKED UP THE TOWING BILL BUT GIVEN ME GRIEF THAT I HAVE A "13 YEAR OLD CAR" REGARDLESS OF THE CAR'S AGE I FEEL THAT IF THAT PIECE I NEED CAME OFF A REPAIRED CAR DUE TO RECALL, THEY NEED TO COVER THE BILL FOR THIS REPAIR. *TR

HORN SOUNDED SQUEAKY, THEN INOPERATIVE. AIRBAG LIGHT WENT ON. CRUISE NO LONGER WORKED. TOYOTA DIAGNOSED THE SPIRAL CABLE A/K/A CLOCK NEEDED REPLACEMENT. OTHER VEHICLES, INCLUDING TOYOTAS, HAD RECALLS ON THIS. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE MALFUNCTIONED AT THIS AGE OF THE CAR, ONLY 108,000 MILES. SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL, PAID BY TOYOTA. IT COST ME NEARLY $500 TO GET IT FIXED. MAYBE THE CABLE WAS DAMAGED WHEN THE STEERING LOCK BAR WAS FIXED, ON A PREVIOUS RECALL (YEARS PRIOR).??? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WHEN THE KEY WAS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EVENTUALLY START THE VEHICLE. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

TL*- THE CONTACT TOOK THE 2001 TOYOTA AVALON TO THE DEALER ON 01/03/07 BECAUSE THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ON. AT THE DEALERSHIP THE MECHANIC STATED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE AIR BAGS WOULDN'T DEPLOY,. ALSO, THE CRUISE CONTROL AND HORN WERE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE REASON FOR THE AIR BAGS, HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL NOT WORKING WAS BECAUSE THE SPIRAL CABLE ASSEMBLY WAS CREATING A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. CONTACT FELT THAT THIS INCIDENTWAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, AND COULD PROVIDE A COPY OF THE INVOICE REPAIR IF NEEDED. *AK UPDATED 01/31/07. *JB

THE SENSOR THAT CAUSES THE REAR WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER TO TURN OFF MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE BACK GLASS TO OVERHEAT AND SHATTER. I HAVE A MR2 WHICH WAS NOT LISTED IN THE VARIOUS MODELS.*AK

TRUNK OPENS, NOT FULLY, JUST AJAR, BY ITSELF. THIS HAS HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY (6) TIMES IN (2) YEARS. THE TRUNK IS NOT OPEN SUFFICIENTLY FOR THE TRUNK OPEN LIGHT TO GO ON. THIS HAS HAPPEN APPROXIMATELY (3) TIMES ON THE ROAD AND (3) TIMES PARKED. WHILE ON THE ROAD IT WILL BE ANOTHER DRIVER WHO WILL SIGNAL THAT IT IS AJAR OR IN ONE CASE IT WAS A GAS STATION ATTENDANT (STILL ATTENDANT SERVICE IN NEW JERSEY!). ONE TIME THE TRUNK WAS FOUND AJAR IN THE MORNING AT A MOTEL STOP (NOTHING TAKEN), AND A COUPLE OF TIMES IT WAS FOUND OPEN WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE. ON THIS AUTOMOBILE, 2001 TOYOTA AVALON, THE TRUNK OPENER IS ON THE DASH AND IS ELECTRONIC WHILE THE GAS CAP OPENER IS ON THE FLOOR AND IS MECHANICAL SO THERE CAN BE NO MISTAKING THE TWO. BECAUSE THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES, I WILL LIST THE MOST RECENT DATE AS THE "INCIDENT DATE". THANK YOU.*JB

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON 9/13/02 AT 65MPH, THERE WAS A TOTAL FAILURE IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR A SPLIT SECOND. I DISREGARDED IT THINKING THAT IT WAS MY IMAGINATION. HOWEVER, THE VERY NEXT DAY THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON THE CAR WAS DEAD MAKING THE CAR INOPERATIVE. CAUSE: DISINTEGRATION OF NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE TERMINAL END WHICH CAUSED THE NEGATIVE CABLE TO DISCONNECT FROM ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM WITH OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. FAILURE OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS A SAFETY RELATED FUNCTION IN THAT IT COMPLETELY DISABLES THE VEHICLE. NLM

DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE ATTEMPTED NUMEROUS TIMES TO CORRECT PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BUT HAVE NOT SUCCEEDED. HEADLIGHT FAILURE IS THE MOST SERIOUS INCIDENT TODATE. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO OTHER VEHICLES TRAVELING AT THE SAME TIME ALONG THE HIGHWAY, AND WE WERE ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE PROMPTLY AND WITHOUT INCIDENT.*AK

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