2003 Toyota Avalon

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, HE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT QUICKLY REGAINED CONTROL AS HE MOVED THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SUSPENSION ARM FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

2003 TOYOTA AVALON. CONSUMER STATES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED OVER A YEAR AGO, HE WAS DRIVING INTO A GARAGE, WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY, AND HE HIT A BRICK WALL. THE CONSUMER REALIZED HE ACCIDENTALLY, HIT THE ACCELERATOR, INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE. IN 2003, THE STEERING COLUMN DID NOT TELESCOPE AND TALL DRIVERS, SUCH AS HIM HAD A PROBLEM SELECTING THE DEGREE OF TILT ON THE STEERING COLUMN. BECAUSE HE COULD NOT EXTEND THE STEERING COLUMN, ON THAT OCCASION, HE TILTED THE STEERING WHEEL DOWN, BUT FURTHER THAN HE USUALLY DID. THE RESULT, WAS THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BLOCKED HIS RIGHT LEG FROM MOVING TO THE LEFT.

PARKED TOYOTA AVALON WAS STARTED, SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION OCCURRED. BRAKES INEFFECTIVE SO HIT PARKED CAR IN FRONT EXTREMELY HARD. TRIED TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL BUT IT SLIPPED INTO REVERSE AND HIT CAR PARKED BEHIND. FINALLY GOT INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED OFF ENGINE. VERY, VERY SCARY. NO INJURIES, NO POLICE REPORT, NOTIFIED INSURANCE TO COVER DAMAGES TO CARS. WILL HAVE TOWED TO TOYOTA FOR INSPECTION. IF NOTHING FOUND, I WILL NOT DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN. WITNESS SAID CAR "JUMPED UP AND ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLE". *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V354000, STEERING REPAIR PERFORMED IN AUGUST OF 2003 AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE STEERING RECALL REMEDY INCLUDED REPLACING THE STEERING INTERLOCK DEVICE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE AIR BAG ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE CLOCK SPRING. WHENEVER, THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON THE DEALER OFFERED SEVERAL SOLUTIONS, BUT NONE OF THEM HAVE WERE PERFORMED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 171,000.

AIRBAG SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHES INTERMITTENTLY. INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOUND NO CODES STORED DURING VEHICLE CHECK. ILLUMINATION OF WARNING LIGHT IS INCONSISTENT, HAS NO APPARENT CONNECTION TO SPEED OR CONDITIONS, BUT HAS OCCURRED REPEATEDLY. DUE TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILURE, AND THE APPARENT TREND OF COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM ON A RANGE OF TOYOTA AVALON MODEL YEARS, INACTION BY NHTSA AND TOYOTA MUST CEASE. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED A SQUEALING COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS OR REPAIRS. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V539000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) BUT THE RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE THE 2003 MODELS, ONLY 2004. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. UPDATED 01/04/12*LJ THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE 2008. UPDATED 01/09/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE EXHIBITED SLUDGE. THE CONTACT HAD THE DEALER INSPECT THE VEHICLE WHO CONFIRMED THE SLUDGE BUILDUP IN THE ENGINE BUT THE DEALER DID NOT GIVE A REASON FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

AIR BAG SYSTEM LIGHT IS NOW LUMINATED ON DASBORD WHICH INDICATES INDICATES THE SYSTEM IS DISABLED. THIS STARTED ON 8/1/2011 HAD AUTO REPAIR SHOP DO SCAN DOWN ON VEHICLE AND NO CODES ARE APPEARING TO SHOW PROBLEM WITH AIRBAG SYSTEM. THIS VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW IN 2003 FROMTOYOTA DEALERSHIP. CURRENT ODM READING 97,500. ANY BODY ELSE HAVE THIS PROBLEM?WILL BE CALLING TOYOTA MANUFACTURER. *TT

HELLO IM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS. 1. IVE RECEIVED AN RECALL NOTICE FOR MY 2003 TOYOTA AVALON FOR "STEERING PROBLEM UPPER BRACKET". AND HAVE, TRIED TO REMEDY THIS, ONLY TO FIND OUT TOYOTA, OFFERS NO COURTESY VEHICLE?. OR A DEFINITE TIME YOUR VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED?. 2ND THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER DEFECT ON THIS CAR, WHEN GOING OVER "ROUGH" ROADS AND BRAKING, THE CAR FEELS LIKE ITS NOT BRAKING AT ALL. OR LIKE THE BRAKES ARE SLIPPING?. IS THERE A RECALL FOR THIS ON THE 2003 AVALON? THERE HAVE BEEN NO INCIDENTS TO DATE, BUT I AM VERY CONCERNED. *KB