NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Toyota Avalon. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
I have an 08 Avalon xls and was driving and out of no where it started to shudder and it happened as I was bending a curve. I almost ran off the road. No indicators came on my dash! Because I am mechanically inclined I do know a little about vehicles! So I pulled to inspect the bottom of the transmission pan was wet! And due to the seal transmission there was no way for me to check the fluid! I believe the shudder could be from the torque converter or transmission! I took the vehicle to a friend shop and was told how to add the transmission fluid! And end up putting in a whole court of transmission fluid in before it started to show coming out where it’s supposed to be checked! By not being able to check the transmission fluid and with the shudder like it did it could have caused an accident! I still don’t know what the problem is due to the lack of money to be able to take it to a dealer to find out the true cause! And now my car shudder at 30mph and 45mph if I cruise up to the speed limit but if I accelerate faster then nothing!
Because my instrument panel is alway illuminated, I was unaware that I was driving one night without my lights on. Now I know why I see more cars at night without their lights. Manufacturers need to fix this problem. Older cars would not turn on the panel lights if the headlights weren't on. You would think this would be an easy technology fix with since we have self driving cars now.
OEM high beam bulbs continuously explode. I’m not saying they just burn out, these bulbs shatter, and send shards of glass on the inside of the headlamp housing. I believe it’s a big safety risk, because for me, it happened while I was driving late at night in the dark where there are deer nearby. Brights are essential to see far and when you’re driving through hills, going up a hill you need your brights to extend higher than your normal lights do. This is a commonly complained about problem for the 2008-2010 models of this Toyota Avalon. Toyota has issued a technical service bulletin back in 2011, but it is a major defect and I believe it should be fixed regardless of whether a customer pays for a warranty or not. A mechanic told me also that they are not sure why Toyota has not warrantied vehicles with this issue. The solution is replacing the headlight housing. So there is clearly a material defect, and I believe it affects safety. Vehicles are required to have high beam headlights for a reason, and the high beams on this vehicle burn out commonly on certain vehicles, and replacing bulbs does NOT solve the problem. It is a very expensive repair as well. What kind of car manufacturer doesn’t recall or acknowledge a material defect or design flaw in such a crucial safety feature or a vehicle such as headlights? It’s an expensive, annoying, and dangerous issue that continues to happen. There are so many complaints about this high beam issue for the 2008 year. In my mind this really reduces Toyotas reputation and credibility since they did not and will not recall these headlights. We just have to deal with their faulty design. Fix your mistakes instead of making customers foot the bill for your poor craftsmanship. This is pathetic.
The telescopic steering wheel lever comes loose which will cause the wheel to lurch forward if the brakes are pushed in hard. This could be dangerous. This has happened twice in 2 months.
Car was rear ended by semi truck, crushed trunk into vehicle rear seat. Car was the pushed forward into truck in front crushing right fender. Pelvic fracture in right rear passenger. Air Bags did NOT DEPLOY.
This car has a rear window shade that started going up on its on when it is hot outside. I could not locate this feature in the owners manual. I did read that a safety feature for the shade is that when car is placed in reverse the shade is automatically closed. This feature has stopped working, in fact the shade now will not even lower. I used to be able to manually assist the shade down while someone would press the switch but down it raises back up almost immediately. I checked with Google and apparently this is a common problem. I have finally pulled the fuse to keep the shade down permanently.
POWER SUNSHADE IS STUCK IN THE UP POSITION BLOCKING THE BACK WINDSHIELD AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON WHICH DISABLES TRACTION AND STABILITY CONTROL. THESE MAKE THE CAR DANGEROUS TO DRIVE
POWER REAR SUNSHADE GETS STUCK IN UP POSITION CAUSING VISIBILITY HAZARD AT NIGHT
I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER NUMEROUS TIMES DUE TO HAVING A HEADLIGHT OUT. HOWEVER IT'S NEVER BLOWN. ONCE I SHOW THE OFFICER BY TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN BACK ON THE LIGHT IS ON. FROM READING MANY TOYOTA FORUMS AND GOING TO A TOYOTA DEALER, IT IS A FAULTY WIRING SYSTEM AND TO REPAIR IT WILL COST AT LEAST $1300.00 OR MORE. IT IS A HASTLE AS WELL AS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE LIGHT DOESNT STAY ON ONCE TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF THEN ON. WITHIN A FEW MILES IT GOES OFF AGAIN AND IT IS CONSTANTLY BLOWING THE LIGHT BULBS. IN THE 3 YEARS I HAVE HAD MY CAR I HAVE REPLACED THE LIGHTS AT LEAST 7 TIMES. THE LIGHT WILL ALWAYS BE OFF WHEN I START MY CAR WITH THE REMOTE STARTER AND WHEN I START IT WITH THE IGNITION IF IT'S ON, WITHIN A FEW MILES OF DRIVING IT GOES OFF AGAIN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED THE FAILURE ONLINE AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE HEADLIGHT FAILURE AND ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF UP TO 75,000 MILES. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE EXCEEDED THE MILEAGE REQUIREMENT; THEREFORE, THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT ASSIST. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER TO BE REPAIRED AT HIS EXPENSE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.
I HAD MY CAR INSPECTED IN DECEMBER 2018 AND WAS TOLD THAT MY HIGH BEAMS WERE OUT. I HAD THE BULBS REPLACED AND JUST RECENTLY HAD MY LIGHTS INSPECTED. CHANGING THE BULBS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND MY HIGH BEAMS ARE STILL NOT WORKING!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. AFTER LEAVING THE DENTIST AND DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL. WHEN THE CONTACT WOKE UP, HE REALIZED THE VEHICLE WAS HEADED TOWARDS THE MEDIAN. TO AVOID THE MEDIAN, THE CONTACT TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL AND DROVE INTO A DITCH ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED TOTALED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED INJURIES TO THE NECK, ELBOW, LEG, AND HEAD. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NEEDED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
HEADLIGHTS AND FOG LIGHTS GO OFF WHILE TRAVELING. MAY OR MAY NOT COME BACK ON WHEN SWITCH IS RESET. THEY GO OFF UNPREDICTABLY AND MAY BE AT A VERY INOPPORTUNE TIME CAUSING COLLISION.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS CRACKING AND MELTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ELK GROVE TOYOTA (9640 W STOCKTON BLVD, ELK GROVE, CA 95757, (916) 405-8000) WHERE THE GENERAL MANAGER OBSERVED THE DASHBOARD, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE CENTER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 1909100691. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000.
REAR SUN SHED BREAK VERY FAST MAKES A LOT OF NOISE. IT CAN'T BE DISABLED WITHOUT CAUSING OTHER PROBLEM SUCH AS ENGINE LIGHT ON AND CRUZ CONTROL DISABLED AND ALL KIND OF SENSORS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. ITS VERY DANGERS AND FRUSTRATING
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.
OUR HIGH BEAMS WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME. SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM
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
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.
JULY 30, 2018 WHILE IN PARKING SPACE I TURNED ON IGNITION AND HEARD A MILD POP, THE LOOKING TOWARDS PASSENGER SEAT I SAW WHITE SMOKE RISING BETWEEN CHAIR AND WINDOW AND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER SEAT. IT SMELLED AS IF DOMING WAS BURNING. I TURNED IGNITION OFF. SMOKE STOPPED. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING UNDER THE CHAIR. I CHECKED MOVEMENT OF CHAIR AND IT WAS OK. I CALLED TOYOTA: NO IDEA OF CAUSE AND CLAIMED NO RECALLS. I MENTIONED WHAT I SAW ON LINE, TO NO AVAIL. I OBSERVED 6/2/2016 RECALL: 16V396000 AND 11/19/2014 # 14V743000. I WOULD LIKE THESE HEATING WIRES ON BOTH SIDES TO BE DISCONNECTED TO PREVENT POSSIBLE FIRE WHILE DRIVING. THANK YOU
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
DASHBOARD IS CRACKING ALL OVER AND ITS NOT FROM HEAT I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID I MISSED RECALL BY 17 DAYS? NEVER GOT A NOTICE, MU CONCERN BESIDES COSMETICS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE VINYL OVER AIR BAG AREA WILL BECOME BITS OF SHARP VINYL SCHRAPNEL IF DEPLOYED. THEY KNOW ITS A PROBLEM AND TRYING TO AVOID A SAFETY RECALL BY CALLING IT EXRENDED WARRANTY RECALL.
WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT NIGHT BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE HIGH BEAMS FAILED TO GO ON. WHILE FUSES ARE OK, NEITHER HIGH BEAM WILL GO ON IN EITHER THE FLASH OR PERMANENT MODE.
PASSENGER SIDE HEAD LIGHT INTERMITTENT FAILURE. NOTICEABLE, OBVIOUSLY, ONLY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. FAILS AFTER A FEW MINUTES DRIVING, THEN WORKS NORMALLY FOR A DAY OR TWO THEN FAILS AGAIN WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. NO RHYME OR REASON TO THE FAILURES. ONLY OCCURS ON LOW BEAM. HEADLAMP IS NOT 'BURNT OUT.' AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS IS NOT A HEADLIGHT ISSUE BUT RATHER A HOUSING ISSUE AND THE ENTIRE HOUSING AND LAMP NEED TO BE REPLACED. WHY HAS TOYOTA NOT ISSUED A RECALL? THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! CAR CURRENTLY HAS 115,739 MILES ON IT.
2008 TOYOTA AVALON. LOW BEAM ON DRIVERS SIDE GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY. HAVE TO TURN HEADLIGHTS ON/OFF QUICKLY. WAS PULLED OVER BY CHP ON HIGHWAY, TOLD HIM JUST HAD LOW BEAMS BULBS REPLACED. HE ASKED ME TO TURN THEM OFF, THEN ON AND BOTH LIGHTS WERE WORKING. THIS WAS IN SPRING 2018 APPROX 80,000 MILES. TOOK TO MECHANIC, THEY WORKED FINE. DID NOT HAVE A PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER THAT, NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE AT NIGHT AS IT HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY AND AFRAID THAT LIGHTS WILL NOT COME BACK ON. SO MANY OF SAME COMPLAINTS ON FORUMS. I EMAILED TOYOTA AND ACTUALLY GOT A CALL BACK BUT GAL STATED THEY HAD NO RECORD OF ANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING LOW BEAM PROBLEMS. SHE GAVE ME A CASE #2008070658. ASKED IF I HAD TAKEN IT TO DEALER BUT THEY WOULD CHARGE FOR DIAGNOSIS, I TOLD HER I WOULD NOT BE DOING THAT. MY MECHANIC HAS REFERRED ME TO ANOTHER SHOP WITH A CERTIFIED A TOYOTA MASTER MECHANIC, WILL SEE WHAT HE HAS TO SAY. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM TO SAY THE LEAST AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY TOYOTA REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE IT AND STEP UP TO CORRECT PROBLEM. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND OBVIOUSLY I AM NOT ONLY ONE WHO IS VERY CONCERNED.
1. HIGH BEAMS AND DAY RUNNING LIGHTS INOPERABLE (DISCOVERED JANUARY 2018). 2. TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED AND CAUSED CAR TO DECELERATE IN APRIL 2018.
I HAVE HAD CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH EITHER ONE OR BOTH FRONT HEADLIGHTS GOING OFF RANDOMLY. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST DAILY AND I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE SHOP NUMEROUS TIMES. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AS ON OCCASION I DO NOT EVEN KNOW THAT THE LIGHTS ARE OFF. ADDITIONALLY, I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE AND ISSUED A WARNING WITH THE EXCEPECTATION THAT THE PROBLEM WILL BE FIXED. THIS POSES ANOTHER GREAT CONCERN AS THE MECHANIC HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE, THEREFORE, IT CANNOT BE FIXED. THE MECHANIC HAS ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE DEALER AS WELL AS OTHER MECHANICS ALONG WITH CONDUCTING HIS OWN RESEARCH ALL TO NO AVAIL. DURING MY RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED NUMEROUS COMPLIANTS STATING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS THAT I AM EXPERIENCING, ALSO WITH NO RESOLVE OR REMEDY. I AM SHOCKED THAT TOYOTA WOULD PLACE PEOPLE IN SUCH DANGER AND NOT TAKE ANY ACTION TO RECTIFY THIS VERY SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE.
OUR 2008 TOYOTA AVALON WAS RAMMED FROM THE REAR WITH FULL FORCE FROM A HONDA CRV GOING 40 MPH. THE AVALON WAS SLOWING DOWN TO ALLOW A GROUNDHOG TO CROSS ON A STRAIGHT 2 LANE ROAD AT THE TIME, BUT THE DRIVER OF THE HONDA BEHIND SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A DISTRACTED DRIVER BECAUSE SHE DID NOT STOP ACCELERATING. THE DRIVER OF THE AVALON SUFFERED HEAD, NECK, BACK AND HIP INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. THE DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES IS EXTENSIVE-PICTURES OF THE AVALON ATTACHED. THE HONDA AIRBAG DEPLOYED, SAVING THAT DRIVER FROM INJURY. THE AIRBAG OF THE TOYOTA DID NOT DEPLOY-CLEARLY MALFUNCTIONING AND COULD HAVE PREVENTED SOME OF THE INJURIES IF IT HAD DEPLOYED PROPERLY. THERE IS A POLICE REPORT BUT IT IS NOT AVAILABLE TO US YET. THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE WORKING ON THE CLAIM. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE YET AND IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER IT IS 'TOTALED'.
WHILE DRIVING, THE LEFT HID LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT RANDOMLY SHUTS OFF. WHEN I CYCLE THE ON/OFF SWITCH THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON, BUT WILL GO OFF RANDOMLY AGAIN. THE LIGHT DOES THIS IN DIFFERENT WEATHER AND DRIVING CONDITIONS. NO SET PATTERN. WHEN ADVISED OF THE PROBLEM THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID THIS WAS AN PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE AND I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND DETERMINED THE ISSUE WAS NOT ISOLATED TO MY VEHICLE. MANY OTHER 2008 TOYOTA AVALON OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. TOYOTA DOES NOT WANT TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. GIVEN THE RANDOMNESS THAT THE LIGHTS TURN OFF, THIS IS DEFINITELY A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED TO ENSURE TOYOTA FIXES THE PROBLEM PROPERLY.
STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP WHEN TURNING TO THE RIGHT
CAR DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT GOES OUT RANDOMLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY .
RECENTLY PURCHASED A CAR. WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY GOE OFF AFTER A FEW MINUTES. UNFORTUNATELY THIS ISSUE WAS DISCOVERED WHILE MY RECENTLY LICENSED TEEN WAS DRIVING THE CAR... HUGE SAFETY ISSUE! I WENT TO DEALER TO HAVE LIGHT SYSTEM CHECKED OUT. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE LIGHTS WERE BROKEN. I ASKED IF THEY COULD HAVE EXPLODED DO TO SOME SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. I WAS ASSURED THAT WAS NOT THE CASE AS THEY INSINUATED THAT WHOEVER PUT THEM IN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE, OFFERING ME A VERY COSTLY SOLUTION. HOWEVER THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT COULD CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. BEFORE AGREEING TO ANY REPAIRS, I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH. THEIR UNCERTAINTY LEFT ME UNEASY AND VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH COMING OUT OF POCKET FOR ANYTHING AT THAT POINT AND MY CHILD'S SAFETY IS MY TOP PRIORITY. UPON RESEARCHING, I FOUND OUT THESE PROBLEMS ARE KNOWN TO TOYOTA. THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 72,000 MILES, BUT, WOULD NOT COVER MY CAR ISSUE DUE TO MILEAGE AND YEAR SURPASSING THAT WHICH IS OUTLINED IN THE WARRANTY EXTENSION. HEADLIGHTS ARE ESSENTIAL AND QUITE FRANKLY REQUIRED BY LAW. THE EXTENSION SHOULD BE APPLIED WITH NO MILEAGE RESTRAINT AS HEADLIGHTS ARE A MAJOR SAFETY COMPONENT OF A VEHICLE. EVERY WHERE YOU GO DEALERS SWEAR BY THE AVALON BEING A COST EFFECTIVE AND VERY SAFE CHOICE WITH THIS ISSUE EXISTING, THEY HAVE NON THE LESS SHOVED A FOOT RIGHT DOWN THEIR OWN THROATS! THIS SHOULD EITHER BE A RECALL OR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH UNLIMITED MILES. IF YOU CAN'T DO THIS TAKE THE CAR OFF THE MARKET/QUIT LETTING DEALERS SALE THE CAR ASSURING UNBEKNOWNST BUYERS OF THE CAR'S UNDENIABLE QUALITY FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!
JUST ABOUT EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT, ONE OR BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT. IN ORDER TO GET THE LIGHT OR LIGHTS BACK ON, I HAVE TO TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON. THIS PRESENTS AN ONGOING POTENTIAL HAZARD, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY BOTH GO OFF AT ONCE. THIS MODEL IS THE TOP OF THE LINE (LIMITED) AND HAS THE HID LIGHTS. I HAVE READ ON LINE THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. I FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA MAY HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT IF BOTH LIGHTS GO OUT AND I AM NOT ABLE TO GET THEM ON AGAIN WHILE I AM TRAVELING ON AN UNLIT ROAD. THIS LAST HAPPENED YESTERDAY AS I WILL INDICATE BELOW BUT IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR MORE THAN A FEW YEARS NOW.
THE HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY GO OUT WHEN THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN. IT STARTED WITH ONE SIDE BUT NOW BOTH LIGHTS ARE GOING OFF AND HAVE DONE SO SIMULTANEOUSLY WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS!
THE REAR WINDOW SUNSHADE COMES UP UNCONTROLLABLY AND WILL NOT GO DOWN. I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT AND THE SUNSCREEN CAME UP BLOCKING MY VIEW OF CARS BEHIND ME AND WAS EXTREMELY DISTRACTING. THE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS AND THERE IS NO WAY TO GET THE SHADE DOWN.
LEFT HEAD LIGHT GOES OFF AFTER ABOUT 15 TO 20 MIN OF DRIVING..THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA FOR YEARS. WHY HAS THE NHTSA FORCED TOYOTA TO FIX THIS. IT SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NHTSA HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR A LONG WHILE. NHTSA REF# 10033406 AND 10037591. *TR
INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT FAILURE. HEADLIGHTS FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. EITHER DRIVERS,PASSENGER OR BOTH. HID HEADLIGHTS OEM.
NHTSA, I WOULD LIKE REPORT AN INCIDENT OF 'SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION' WHEN DRIVING MY 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. I WAS DRIVING WITH MY WIFE, [XXX], ON SUNDAY, 10/23/16 TRAVELING WEST ON WALKER ROAD IN BEAVERTON, OREGON AT 11:05AM (ADDRESS: [XXX]) . I WAS STOPPED BEHIND (2) CARS WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE. SUDDENLY THE CAR ENGINE QUICKLY REVVED UP. MY CAR SURGED FORWARD AS I DEPRESSED MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE FURTHER. THANKFULLY MY CAR ONLY SURGED FORWARD A FOOT OR TWO AND THEN THE ENGINE RETURNED TO IDLE. NO CONTACT WAS MADE TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS INCIDENT WAS VERY SCARY FOR ME AND MY WIFE AND I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS 'SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION' IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND WILL CAUSE HARM TO ME, MY FAMILY AND OTHERS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
WATER PUMP WHILE DRIVING FAILED AT 62,902 MILES ON 06/23/14, WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY BY TOYOTA. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND CUT OUT ENGINE WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER ON LIE I-495 IN NYC, HAD TO BE TOWED TO TOYOTA, TOLD AIR WASN'T BLED PROPERLY AFTER WATER PUMP REPAIR. AGAIN FAILED IN MAY, 2016 AT 86,000 MILES WHILE DRIVING AND REPAIRED AT PRIVATE SHOP. AGAIN FAILED 07/08/16 AT 87,175 WHILE DRIVING AND REPAIRED BY TOYOTA.
THE ADVISOR FROM TOYOTA GARAGE TOLD ME THAT I HAVE TO CHANGE THE RACK BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING RACK IS LEAKING OIL AND I CAN HAVE AN EXPLOSION WHEN THE RACK IS FULL OF OIL. MY TOYOTA HAS 41.000 MILEAGE. HE IS LYING OR THE PART IS DEFECTIVE? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. MY CAR HAD 2 CALLS: PEDAL AND VVT-1 (4-12-10) AND CRACKED DASHBOARD REPLACED (4-8-16).
TAKATA RECALL MARCH 9TH 2016 9:30PM I WAS ACCELERATING ONTO THE HIGHWAY FROM THE ONRAMP TO ABOUT 70MPH WHEN THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING AFTER PRESSING THE BRAKE SO I CONTINUED TO PRESS THE BRAKE BUT THERE WAS NO RELEASE OF ACCELERATION SO PUT THE GEAR IN NEUTRAL AND I FOUND ROOM TO PULL TO THE RIGHT SIDE AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK. I GAVE IT 15 SECONDS AND RE-STARTED BUT IT WAS STILL ACCELERATING, I REPEATED THIS AGAIN WITH THE SAME RESULTS. I LEFT ITHE ENGINE OFF FOR A FULL MINUTE AND RE-STARTED TO FIND IT HAD RESET. I THEN CHECKED THE FLOOR MAT AND FOUND IT INTACKED AND PINNED TO THE FLOOR PINS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED TO OPERATE. THE BULB WAS REPLACED NUMEROUS TIMES; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE LOCATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, BOTH HIGH BEAM HEAD LAMPS EXPLODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT BOTH HEAD LAMP ASSEMBLIES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED, THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED THAT BOTH HEADLAMPS WERE NOT CORRESPONDING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT BOTH HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES BLEW OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,187.
THE HEADLIGHTS FOR THE AVALON ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THE LIGHTING SYSTEM WILL WORK WHEN THE VEHICLE IS FIRST STARTED AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES, ONE OF THE LIGHTS WILL NO LONGER WORK. IN THE DARK, THIS CREATES A SAFETY CONCERN FOR ONCOMING CARS AND LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO SEE PEOPLE AND OTHER ITEMS IN THE ROAD.
THE HIGH BEAM LIGHTS ARE KNOWN TO EXPLODE ON SOME 2008 AND 2010 MODELS. MY HIGH BEAM LIGHTS EXPLODED WITH 66,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. I ROUTINELY DRIVE IN AN AREA WITH A HEAVY DEER POPULATION. I CANNOT SEE THESE HAZARDS AT NIGHT WITH OUT HIGH BEAMS. TOYOTA HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS ISSUE (5 YEARS, 70,000 MILES). SINCE MY CAR IS OVER WARRANTY IN YEARS BUT NOT MILES, TOYOTA REFUSES TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES. THEY ARE TELLING ME THE COST WILL BE OVER $2,000. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY HAZARD AND AM VERY UPSET THAT TOYOTA WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM ON MY $40,000 TOP OF THE LINE TOYOTA. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT TO THE DOT, NTSB, AND ATTORNEY GENERAL. YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
20008 TOYOTA AVALON. 72, 354 MILES. LAST YEAR THE REAR SUNSCREEN STARTED DEPLOYING ON IT'S OWN AND WOULD NOT RETRACT EVEN WHEN THE CAR WAS PUT IN REVERSE. THIS GREATLY RESTRICTS VISIBLITY DURING THE DAY AND MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE OUT THE REAR WINDOW AT NIGHT. I CHECKED ON LINE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE PROBLEM THAT MORE THAN ONE PERSON HAS HAD.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THE HIGH-BEAM HEAD LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING WHEN THE CAR WAS IN MOTION ON THE FREEWAY. LOW -BEAM LIGHTS WORK. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY HAZARD AND IS OBVIOUSLY A TOYOTA ENGINEERING FLAW. TOYOTA DID HAVE A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT FOR THIS VEHICLE - 75,000 MILES OR 5 YEARS, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. MY CAR HAS 52,000 MILES BUTS IS OVER 5 YEARS OLD. TOYOTA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX THIS, FREE OF CHARGE AND I SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE FIX OF $2,500 PLUS LABOR, WHICH IS OUTRAGEOUS.
CASE # 1509281592 COMPLAINT OF ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO LEAKING "SOFT PLUG" TYPE PART ON VALLEY OF ENGINE. INSTALLED AT THE TOYOTA ASSEMBLY PLANT. THIS PART LEAKED AND ALLOWED ANTI-FREEZE FLUID TO ENTER THE VALLEY AND MIX WITH THE OIL. OVER TIME THIS CAUSED A HARD COATING ON ALL PARTS. THE VALVE GUIDE SEALS WERE RUINED AND THE PVC AND PICK UP TUBE WERE ALMOST COMPLETELY BLOCKED. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO BURN OIL AND SMOKE. TOYOTA'S FIX WAS TO BUY A NEW ENGINE FOR $6,826.97. THEY DID NOT WANT TO FIX MY ENGINE. JUST SELL PARTS AND LABOR. I TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND THEY FIXED MY ENGINE FOR LESS THEN HALF OF THAT. TOYOTA IS AT FAULT FOR NOT INSTALLING PARTS IN THE ENGINE CORRECTLY.
WHILE DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE COUNTRY HIGHWAY AT NIGHT WITH MY BRIGHT LIGHTS ON, I HIT A BUMP AND THE BRIGHT LIGHTS SIMULTANEOUSLYWENT OFF. FORTUNATELY, MY LOW BEAMS THEN CAME ON. I TRIED SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS INCLUDING FLICKING THE LIGHTS, STOPPING THE CAR AND TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF/ON. THE BRIGHTS NO LONGER WORK. I DID CHECK TO SEE IF THEY EXPLODED AS REPORTED BY MANY OTHERS IN THIS DATABASE, BUT THEY DO NOT APPEAR TO HAVE. THEY JUST DO NOT WORK. LIVING IN A VERY RURAL AREA OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN, BRIGHT LIGHTS ARE A NECESSITY. I CALLED THE DEALER WHO SERVICES MY CAR AND THEY PLEADED IGNORANCE WITH REGARD TO KNOW PROBLEMS WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE. THEY SUGGEST I BRING THE CAR IN TO REPLACE THE BULBS. I WILL ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE BULBS MYSELF BEFORE I WILL PAY FOR THE ASSEMBLY MENTIONED IN THE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME AND MY WIFE AS CAR/DEER COLLISIONS ARE RAMPANT WHERE WE LIVE. IF THE BULBS HAVE NOT EXPLODED YET, I'M SURE THEY WILL WHEN I HAVE MY FIRST COLLISION WITH A DEER I DID NOT SEE BECAUSE I HAD NO HIGH BEAM LIGHTS. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. IF WE WERE TO LOSE LOW BEAMS ALSO, WE WOULD BE STRANDED AND UNABLE TO DRIVE.