1999 Toyota Avalon

1999 TOYOTA AVALON. UNINTENDED ACCELERATION CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS AT A CAR WASH WHICH WAS NEARING THE END OF THE WAS ON THE CONVEYOR BELT WITH THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL GEAR AS REQUIRED. AT THE END OF THE WASH CYCLE, THE GREEN LIGHT CAME ON WHICH WAS HER SIGNAL TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND EASE OFF THE BELT ONTO THE LOT. AT THE GREEN LIGHT, THE CONSUMER PUT HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO CHANGE THE GEAR FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE. ONCE IN DRIVE GEAR, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND INSTANTLY ACCELERATED AT A TREMENDOUSLY HIGH SPEED. THE CONSUMER STOMPED ON THE BRAKES CONTINUOUSLY WITH NO RESULT. THE VEHICLE CROSSED THE EAST SIDEWALK AND THREE EMPTY SOUTHBOUND LANES. IT THEN COLLIDED INTO THE THREE NORTHBOUND-LANE CARS; CROSSED THE WEST SIDEWALK AND CRASHED THROUGH A SIX FOOT COMMERCIAL CHAIN LINK FENCE; HIT A PARKED PICK UP TRUCK AND CRASHED INTO A WALL. THE WALL WAS THE FINAL OBJECT THAT STOPPED THE VEHICLE WHICH HAD MAINTAINED EXCESSIVE SPEED. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER ABOUT A STRONG SMELL OF GAS. *JB

VEHICLE HAD A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH, FOLLOWED BY ENGINE CHECK" LIGHT COMING ON. DEALER DETERMINED THERE WAS A BAD FUEL INJECTOR AND SAID TOYOTA RECOMMENDED REPLACING ALL SIX INJECTORS TO REPAIR. I ASKED IF THESE WERE DEFECTIVE INJECTORS AND WAS TOLD NO. CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD SAME THING. IF THERE IS NO DEFECT, WHY WOULD I REPLACE ALL SIX INJECTORS? THIS WOULD COST ME NEARLY 5 TIMES AS MUCH. EITHER THERE IS A KNOWN DEFECT REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF ALL INJECTORS OR THIS IS A RUSE TO GET UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMERS TO PAY MORE FOR SERVICE. THE CUSTOMER DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO MAKE A DECISION ON THE APPROPRIATE REPAIR. I WAS NOT TOLD AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE THAT THIS CAR MAY CONTAIN DEFECTIVE PARTS. IF TOYOTA KNOWS OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THESE INJECTORS THEY SHOULD REPLACE THEM WHEN A FAILURE OCCURS, NOT THE CUSTOMER. *AK

MY AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON 1 OR 2 TIMES A MONTH, WHILE DRIVING. IT STAYS ON FOR 15-30 SECONDS. MY NEXT PROBLEM IS THAT MY ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I STARTED MY CAR IN 11/99. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND IT WAS A FAULTY FUEL INJECTOR. THIS WAS REPAIRED BUT I DON'T FEEL THIS SHOULD HAVE HAPPEN TO A NEW CAR AT SUCH AN EARLY AGE. ALSO AROUND 16,000 MILES THEY HAD TO REPLACE MY ROTORS. THIS ALSO SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPEN AT THIS EARLY AGE. *AK