2007 Toyota Avalon Suspension Problems

PURCHASED VEHICLE "AS IS" WHILE RECOVERING FROM SURGERY. COULD NOT INSPECT VEHICLE. ON FIRST DRIVE ON CITY STREET, COULD NOT SLOW DOWN TO MAKE A RH TURN. BRAKES DID NOT FULLY ENGAGE, AND DRIVER HAD TO SHIFT DOWN. VEHICLE ENTERED ADJACENT LAWN BEFORE STOPPING. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN SLOWLY TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS EXAMINED. ESTIMATE TO GET VEHICLE RUNNING SAFELY: $4,719.11. VEHICLE DECLARED UNSAFE WHEN SOLD.

IT WAS DAYLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 3 PM LOCAL TIME. WE WERE ON GOOD INTERSTATE ROAD WITH MODERATE TRAFFIC AND DRY PAYMENT. WE WERE ON I-65 ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH OF FRANKLIN, TN. MY WIFE AND I WERE THE ONLY PASSENGERS IN OUR VEHICLE AND WE WERE BOTH WEARING SEAT BELTS. WE ARE THE ORIGINAL VEHICLE OWNER AND THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. WE WERE NOT IMPAIRED AND HAD STOPPED FOR A REST BREAK AND A DRIVER CHANGE 15 MINUTES EARLIER. SHE WAS DRIVING, I WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. WE WERE IN THE LEFT LANE. THE DRIVER IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT US IN THE RIGHT LANE SUDDENLY SWERVED INTO OUR LANE FOR REASONS UNKNOWN. WE HAD TRAFFIC TO OUR IMMEDIATE RIGHT SO THE ONLY PLACE AVAILABLE FOR MY WIFE TO AVOID WAS THE LEFT EDGE OF THE HIGHWAY WHICH IS WHERE SHE WENT. THE LEFT SHOULDER WAS ROUGH DUE TO RECENT CONSTRUCTION IN THE AREA. SHE LOST CONTROL AND WE SPUN OUT IN THE GRASSY MEDIUM WITHOUT HITTING ANYTHING. SHE WAS UNHURT. MY RIGHT CLAVICLE WAS BROKEN IN TWO PLACES WITH THE TWO BREAKS THE WIDTH OF THE SHOULDER BELT APART WHICH IS ASSUMED TO BE THE PROXIMATE CAUSE OF THE BREAK. I WAS EVACUATED BY AMBULANCE TO THE NEAREST TRAUMA CENTER AND HAD SURGERY TWO WEEKS LATER TO REPAIR MY CLAVICLE. IT TOOK SURGERY, THE LARGEST CLAVICLE PLATE THEY MAKE, AND 10 SCREWS TO PUT MY SHOULDER BACK TOGETHER. OUR AIR BAGS DID NOT FIRE. OUR SEAT BELT PRE-TENSIONERS DID NOT FIRE. THE OTHER VEHICLE FLED THE SCENE. OUR CAR WAS REPAIRED AT A STATE FARM CERTIFIED REPAIR CENTER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH AND HEARD A NOISE NEAR THE REAR TIRES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE AXLE NEEDED A KNUCKLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000. UPDATED 8/31/12 *CN THE BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 09/10/12

IN JUNE OF 2007 WE PURCHASED A NEW TOYOTA AVALON. WITHIN 2 WEEKS WE NOTICED IT PULLING INTERMITTENTLY TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT ON THE OPEN ROAD AND WHEN BRAKING. AT TIMES IT WOULD JERK WILDLY TO THE RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT OR OPPOSITE WHEN BRAKING AND IT HAS A TENDENCY TO CLIMB UPHILL AGAINST THE SLANT OF THE OPEN ROAD. THE SITUATION IS WORSE IN COLD WEATHER. WE HAD THE CAR ALIGNED NUMEROUS TIMES, ROTATED THE TIRES, CHECKED THE PRESSURES, ALL WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND HAD IT SERVICED 3 TIMES (WITH TOYOTA CORP. INSTRUCTION) WITH NO RESULTS. AT TOYOTA'S SUGGESTION, WE REPLACED 2 OF THE MICHELIN TIRES THAT CAME ON THE CAR (AT OUR EXPENSE) WITH 2 HIGH QUALITY MASTERCRAFT TIRES WHICH SHOWED SIGNIFICANT TREAD WEAR AFTER ONLY 700 MILES. IT HAS WORN OUT 2 ORIGINAL TIRES AT 15,000 MILES AND THE OTHER 2 NOW NEED REPLACED AT 19,000 MILES. THE CAR WILL NOT HOLD AN ALIGNMENT. WE WERE TOLD BY TOYOTA REPS. THAT THE CAR IS REACTING TO "ROAD CROWN" CONDITIONS AND THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. TOYOTA INSTRUCTED US TO PURSUE THE PROBLEM WITH THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR DISPUTE SETTLEMENT. THE DETERMINATION WAS "THE CUSTOMER FAILED TO PROVE THE CONDITIONS PRESENT ARE DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN MATERIAL OR WORKMANSHIP". WE HAVE SINCE TAKEN THE CAR TO ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALER IN OUR AREA AND THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND AGREES THAT THE SITUATION EXISTS AS WE'VE DESCRIBED. HE CONTACTED TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THE REPLY AS STATED ON THE SERVICE REPORT IS "TOYOTA SAYS NO FIX FOR CONCERN NORMAL CONDITION FOR NATURE OF VEHICLE". WE HAVE DRIVEN OTHER AVALONS AND KNOW PEOPLE WHO OWN THEM AND ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM. OUR FIRST CONCERN IS THAT THERE MAY BE A SAFETY ISSUE WITH OUR CAR. IN ADDITION, WE FEEL THAT FOR THE PRICE PAID WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ENJOY DRIVING IT AND NOT BE CONSTANTLY FIGHTING THE CAR. WE WOULD LIKE THE CAR TO BE COMPETENTLY REPAIRED AND REIMBURSEMENT FOR 4 TIRES. *TR