2000 Toyota Avalon

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON. THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH. UNEXPECTEDLY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO INCREASE EXCESSIVE ACCELERATION. THE DRIVER APPLIED BOTH FEET TO THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH GREAT FORCE. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A STUMP TO AVOID ENTERING INTO A RIVER. THE SPEED RATE INCREASED TO 35 MPH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. THE POLICE WAS NOT CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED WAS THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON. LOOKED THIS UP IN THE MANUAL AND IT SAID TO TAKE THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER - WHICH I DID. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEAL SAID THAT THEY RAN A CHECK AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THEIR EXPLANATION WAS THAT A LED LIGHT IN THE DASH WAS MALFUNCTIONING. MY HORN WAS NOT WORKING EITHER - SO THEY WIGGLED THE WIRES UNDER THE HOOD AND SAID THAT IT WOULD BE FINE. THE HORN LASTED UNTIL I WAS OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAY. THIS FALL I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR TO A LOCAL GARAGE TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPLACED. AND ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD CHECK ON MY HORN, SINCE IT DIDN'T WORK. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS ODD FOR A HORN TO GO OUT - BUT THEY WOULD REPLACE IT IF NEEDED. BEFORE THEY DID ANYTHING TO THE HORN THEY CALLED ME TO LET ME KNOW THAT NOT ONLY DID I NOT HAVE A HORN BUT - I DIDN'T HAVE THE DRIVER AIR BAG OR CRUISE CONTROL. THE PROBLEM IS THAT A SPRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN IS BROKEN. IT IS CALLED THE CABLE HUB ASSEMBLY. PRESENTLY I CAN NOT GET A CLEAN INSPECTION ON MY CAR - BECAUSE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD ISSUE. USED PARTS ARE NOT SAFE TO USE AND NEW PARTS MUST BE ORDERED FROM TOYOTA - AND ARE COSTLY. THE LABOR FOR INSTALLATION IS COSTLY AS WELL. *CN

IT WAS A CLEAR DAY DRY ROAD, ABOUT 5:30 PM ON AUG. 16, 2005. I WAS WESTBOUND ON STATE RT 9, IN LOUDOUN COUNTY VA TRAVELING AT ABOUT 30 MPH. A 2005 HONDA CRV, SUV, CROSSED MY LANE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS SO CLOSE THAT THERE WAS NO TIME TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT, NO TIME TO SLOW DOWN. I PUSHED THE SUV SIDEWAYS ABOUT 30 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. DURING THE ACCIDENT MY TOYOTA AVALON AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, (OPERATE). DURING THE ACCIDENT I COULD SEE THE SIDE AIR BAGS ON THE HONDA OPERATE. AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT I WAS INJURED BY THE SEAT BELT AND MY CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. NO CORRECTIVE ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY TOYOTA WITH RESPECT TO THIS ACCIDENT. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND THE CONSUMER IS WAITING FOR A REPLY. THE DEALER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. *AK THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISES TO HER STERNUM, ABDOMEN AND LEFT SIDE FROM THE SEAT BELT. *NM THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN A HAIL STORM HIT AND INSTANTLY CHANGED THE ROAD INTO ICE. THE CONSUMER SWERVED FROM THE OUTER LANE ACROSS THE HIGHWAY AND INTO THE MEDIAN WHERE THE VEHICLE STRUCK TWO VEHICLES. THE TRACTION CONTROL DID NOT ACTIVATE AND THE STEERING HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE. *SC THE TRACTION CONTROL WAS NON-EXISTENT ON ALL 4 WHEELS. *JB

WHILE MAKING A LEFT-HAND TURN TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 5 MPH, ANOTHER CAR TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH IMPACTED PASSENGER'S SIDE OF CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. NO DETERMINATION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PASSENGER WAS INJURED, SUSTAINING LEG/HIP/BACK, AND CHEST INJURIES. VEHICLE HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS A TOTAL LOSS BY INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT RESPONDED BACK. *JB