2011 Toyota Avalon Engine Problems

The engine has quit while in traffic several times and the check engine light and the skid control lights are the only lights lit on the dashboard. Once the car comes to rest and one waits 3 to 5 minutes, the car will restart. We have taken the car to the dealer twice, ( each time the had it for nearly a week) and they could not find the problem. This is a very serious problem because the engine stops without notice causing loss of power steering and total loss of control. The lights for check engine and skid control are sometimes on when this happens, but not always; and the fact that these lights are lit does not predict this event happening.I think there might be a sensor in the engine that is faulty.

I WAS ENTERING INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 80 FROM AN ON RAMP WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE, FOLLOWED BY WIND NOISE AND WITHIN A SHORT TIME A SNAPPING TYPE OF NOISE FOLLOWED BY QUIET. I STOPPED AN ON INSPECTION FOUND THAT THE LEFT-SIDE PLASTIC UNDER-ENGINE COVER HAD FALLEN OFF. WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE RIGHT SIDE PANEL STARTED DRAGGING ON THE ROAD AND HAD TO BE REMOVED. I HAD BOTH REPLACED ABOUT A MONTH LATER. THREE DAYS AFTER THE REPLACEMENT WHILE ON BY WAY TO THE AIRPORT AND PASSING A SEMI TRUCK THERE WAS A LARGE CRACK NOISE AND ONE OF THE ENGINE UNDER-COVERS SKIDDED FROM UNDER THE CAR AND WENT IN A DITCH. I HAD THAT PANEL REPLACED ABOUT A MONTH LATER (MARCH 6, 2013). ON JULY 13, 2013 THE LEFT UNDER-ENGINE COVER STARTED DRAGGING ON THE ROAD AND I HAD TO PULL OFF, FORTUNATELY HAVING A TOOL THAT I COULD REMOVE THE ONE REMAINING FASTENER TO REMOVE THE PANEL. AT THE SAME TIME I NOTED THAT SEVERAL OF THE FASTENERS ON THE RIGHT SIDE PANEL WERE ALSO MISSING ENTIRELY OR LOOSE. THESE PANELS ARE LIGHT WEIGHT PLASTIC AND ARE NOT LIKELY TO DAMAGE ANY OTHER CAR THAT WOULD RUN INTO THEM. HOWEVER, IT THEY FLY OUT FROM UNDER THE CAR THEY MAY CAUSE THE FOLLOWING DRIVER OR AN ON-COMING VEHICLE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO SWERVE TO AVOID IT AND PRECIPITATE AN ACCIDENT. ALTHOUGH THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT PANELS AND FASTENERS LASTED FOR ABOUT 36,000 MILES THE FASTENING SYSTEM IS SUBJECT TO ABUSE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE CURBS IN MY CITY ARE ABOUT THE SAME HEIGHT AS THE CLEARANCE OF THE FRONT SKIRT OF THE CAR SO THE FASTENERS MAY BE SUBJECT TO ABUSE AND COULD BE EXPECTED TO FAIL DUE TO THIS SORT OF UNINTENDED ABUSE. THE SAME SORT OF THING MAY HAPPEN IN WITHER WHEN CHUNKS OF SNOW OR ICE MAY SCRAPE THAT AREA. SO, I THINK THERE IS A DESIGN ISSUE WITH THEM BEING SECURE OVER THE LIFE OF THE CAR. *TR

1/7/12-12:30 AM I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. SUDDENLY THE MOTOR BEGAN TO RACE. I STOOD ON THE BRAKE PUT THE SHIFT INTO PARK AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD ( ABOUT 30 SECONDS) I TURNED THE IGNITION ON AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. 1/10/12- I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY GAVE ME AN APPOINTMENT . BUT THE EARLIEST WAS AT 8.30 ON 1/17/12 FOR WHICH THEY CONFIRMED BY E-MAIL. ON 1/12/12, (5:15 PM), MY WIFE PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE IN A SHOPPING AREA. SHE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP THEN APPLIED THE BRAKE AND SHIFTED INTO PARK. SUDDENLY,THE MOTOR RACED AND THE CAR BOLTED FORWARD. IT JUMPED A 6" CURB OVER PAVING STONES, WHICH WERE THROWN ABOUT AND SMASHED A WOODEN FENCE. A 4" STEEL COLUMN WHICH BACKS UP THE FENCE STOPPED THE CAR. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE POLICE WERE CALLED AND THE AUTO WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE IS $3257.00. PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. WE SAY AFTER ONLY A 5 MILE ROAD TEST THIS IS NOT ENOUGH FOR A CAR THAT WAS DRIVEN 3,733 MILES AND HAD TWO INCIDENTS. MY WIFE AND I, WILL NEVER DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN. WE VALUE OUR LIVES AND THAT OF OTHERS THAT COULD BECOME VICTIMS OF ANOTHER INCIDENT. *TR