2003 Toyota Avalon

2003 TOYOTA AVALON XLS. STALLED WHILE DRIVING. HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR IN STREET AND WALK HOME. WOULD NOT RESTART FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES. ALSO WOULD START, THEN STALL AND NOT RESTART FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES ON OTHER OCCASIONS INTERMITTENTLY. THIS WAS VERY CONCERNING BECAUSE THE ENGINE WOULD JUST TURN OFF DURING DRIVING AND NOT RESTART. TOOK TO B&D AUTO REPAIR, WHO COULD NOT REPLICATE PROBLEM AND THEN CALLED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN CARLSBAD WHO TOLD THEM WAS PROBABLY THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE AS THEY HAD BEEN FINDING THIS AN ISSUE WITH AVALONS. SO B&D AUTO REPLACED THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE AND THE PROBLEM NEVER RECURRED. THIS COST US $500. I HAVE THE RECEIPT FOR THE DATE OF 5-5-2006 REPAIR. OUR FRIENDS HAVE THE SAME VEHICLE, SAME YEAR AND THEY BEGAN TO HAVE THE SAME DIFFICULTY WITH THEIR 2003 AVALON A FEW WEEKS LATER AND HAD TO HAVE THE SAME REPAIR DONE AND THEIR PROBLEM THEN WENT AWAY AS WELL. TODAY, I PHONED B&D AUTO AND BERNIE ( THE MAN WHO TOOK CARE OF MY CAR IN 2006) INFORMED ME THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH APPROXIMATELY ONE TOYOTA VEHICLE PER WEEK, AND THEY ARE REPLACING THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVES. HE STATED THAT THIS INCLUDES RAV 4, TACOMA, CAMRY, AVALON, AND FORERUNNERS. I AM LETTING YOU KNOW THIS INFORMATION BECAUSE TODAY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL HAD AN ARTICLE THAT STATES THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH 2006 TOYOTA COROLLAS AND MATRIX VEHICLES. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY MUCH FARTHER REACHING THAN THIS ARTICLE STATES AND I HOPE IT WILL BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER BECAUSE OF THE DANGER OF THIS DIFFICULTY TO ALL OF THOSE DRIVING OR OCCUPYING A VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. I AM WONDERING IF THERE HAVE BEEN ACCIDENTS OR DEATHS DUE TO THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM? I WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT MY CAR WOULD TURN OFF ON THE HIGH SPEED LANE OF THE FREEWAY. I WAS SO RELIEVED WHEN THIS WAS REPAIRED AND I WASN'T AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR AGAIN. *TR