2004 Toyota Avalon

LETTER FORWARDED FROM NTSB FROM SENATOR CASEY ON BEHALF OF CONSUMER REGARDING CONCERNS ABOUT THE DASHBOARD AIRBAG LIGHT IN HIS 2004 TOYOTA AVALON XLS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AND THEN GO OUT. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT EVERY TIME THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THAT MEANT THE AIR BAG WERE INOPERATIVE. *JB

AT APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES STEERING FELT STIFF. WHEN TURNING, STEERING WHEEL DID NOT RETURN TO POSITION PROPERLY. STEERING WHEEL FEEDBACK DID NOT PROVIDE A SMOOTH MOTION WHEN MAKING TURNS. STEERING EFFORT WAS INTERMITTENT. THIS CONDITION WAS DANGEROUS BECAUSE SINCE STEERING SHOULD BE A SMOOTH PRECISE MANEUVER, ANY UNEXPECTED STEERING RESPONSE IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. BECAUSE THE CAR HAD LOW MILEAGE BUT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, TOYOTA, CORP. PAID FOR PARTS AND I PAID FOR LABOR. TOYOTA DEALER FOUND STEERING SHAFT JOINT BINDING AND REPLACED PART. PROBLEM RETURNED AT APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES. THIS TIME DEALER REPLACED STEERING MAIN SHAFT ASSY. TILT R&R. AND SHAFT SUB-ASSEMBLY. *TR

MY 2004 AVALON XLS HAS ISSUES WITH BOTH FRONT INNER DOOR HANDLES CHROME PEELING AND LEAVING RAZOR SHARP EDGES AND LEAVING LACERATIONS TO HANDS WHEN PULLING TO OPEN DOORS AT TIMES. THE REAR INNER DOOR PULL HANDLES ARE BEGINNING TO BUBBLE AND WILL BEGIN TO PEEL AS WELL. I PAID A VISIT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY STATED THERE WAS NOT A RECALL OR ASSISTANCE FOR THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM IN MY EYES AND DO NOT THINK I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS. PLEASE HELP ME IN MY NEXT STEP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING TWICE AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT ON EACH OCCASION. THE REPAIRS DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

1. I WAS AT NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE PERFORMING A CEREMONY. AFTER THE CEREMONY I ENTERED THE VEHICLE WITH WIFE TO GO TO THE BASE SHOPPING AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING SPACE WITH A CONCRETE TIRE STOP, AND WALL IN FRONT. ENTERED THE VEHICLE TO BACK OUT. IT CAME OUT QUICKER THAN NORMAL OFF AXIS AND THE REAR BUMPER IMPACTED THE CONCRETE PROTECTOR TO A POLE WITH VERY LITTLE DAMAGE. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND FELT NO OUT OF THE ORDINARY INDICATIONS. 2. I PUT IT INTO DRIVE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO PULL FORWARD THEN BACK OUT. THE CAR ACCELERATED AT FULL POWER SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO KICK OUT THE CONCRETE TIRE STOP BEHIND THE VEHICLE, AND TOTAL THE FRONT END OF THE 2003 TOYOTA AVALON X LS TO THE TUNE OF 17684 DOLLARS.. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN DECEMBER OF 2008 AND HAD NO PRIOR PROBLEMS, AND NOT BEING A RECALLED AVALON NO WARNING. I WENT THROUGH THE NHTSA DATABASE FOR AVALON FROM 2000--2010 AND FOUND I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OTHERS REPORTED. 3. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. WHEN I CALLED CORPORATE LATER IN THE MONTH THEY DID NOT EVEN HAVE THE VEHICLE IN MY NAME. I ASKED FOR AN INSPECTOR AND THEY SENT ONE HIS NAME EMAIL ETC IS ON FILE. WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE AGAIN THEY SAID I WOULD GET A LETTER FROM THEIR CLAIMS DEPARTMENT. ABOUT THE FINDINGS.IN 2-4 WEEKS. THEY DID NOT OFFER TO PICK UP THE RENTAL OR TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE.. NOTE: I PUT IN SPEED CONTROL AND AIR BAGS FOR I HAD TO PUT IN SOMETHING TO MAKE THE MENU WORK. IT ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE EXACT CAUSE IS TO BE DETERMINED, I COULD NOT CONTROL THE SPEED SO THAT FIT CLOSEST. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY FOR IT HIT ON AN ANGLE, A FLAW IN THE DESIGN. IF YOU ACCELERATE AT FULL POWER INTO A BRICK WALL THEY SHOULD DEPLOY. PARKING SPACE SPEED UNKNOWN PUT IN 30 MPH TO MAKE THE FORM WORK. FORM NEEDS UPDATING THIS SHOULD BE OPTIONAL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 40 MPH THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE. IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT HAD TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL GEAR AND APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE; HOWEVER, WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP THE ENGINE WAS STILL SURGING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77000.

2004 TOYOTA AVALON XLS- WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY ONE DAY LAST WEEK, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN. TOOK THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TO THE TOYOTA DEALER THE SAME DAY. WAS TOLD THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE NEXT DAY THE SAME PROBLEM, TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DEALER AND ASKED FOR SOMEONE TO TEST DRIVE THE CAR WITH ME. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITHOUT STRONG FORCE. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 6 DAYS. *TR