2005 Toyota Avalon

WE OWN A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON THAT WAS RECALLED AND FIXED..ON 2/15/10 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND NOTHING HAPPENED AND THE CAR ACTUALLY STARTED TO SLOW DOWN...SHE AGAIN PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE CAR PERFORMED NORMALLY. WE REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO OUR DEALER...HOPEFULLY IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT HAD A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT THE END OF A LONG ROAD , WHICH HE TAKES EVERYDAY, THERE IS A TIGHT SPOT WERE PEOPLE SLOW DOWN TO MAKE WHAT IS A VERY TIGHT CURVE THAT THEN GOES UP HILL. THE CONTACT TRIED SLOW DOWN BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SPEED UP AS THE CONTACT TRIED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE LARGE ROCKS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING AT 55 MPH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46000 MILES AT THE FAILURE AND CURRENTLY HAD 46000 MILES.

ON MY 2005 TOYOTA AVALON I HEARD A NOISE LIKE A LOOSE TIE ROD END WOULD MAKE. MY CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 55,000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK IT IN TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY INSPECTED IT TO SEE WHAT THE NOISE WAS. THEY TOLD ME THE NOISE WAS FROM THE STEERING COLUMN FROM NOT ENOUGH GREASE BEING PUT IT AT THE FACTORY. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THIS WAS COMMON FOR THIS CAR. UPON FURTHER CHECKING I FOUND THIS TO BE TRUE. THIS WOULD BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE IF LEFT GO. PLEASE SEE WHY THEY DID NOT RECALL THIS CAR FOR THE PROBLEM. *TR

VVTI HIGH-PRESSURE OIL RUBBER HOSE LEAKAGE PROBLEM ON 2005 AVALON AT 29,500 MILES: HEARD STRANGE ENGINE NOISE; SAW VERY LITTLE OIL ALTHOUGH I HAD CHANGED OIL ONLY 300 MILES AGO AND NO SIGN ON DASHBOARD. PUT 4-5 QUARTS OF OIL AND DROVE 20 MILES AND PARKED. AFTER STARTING THE CAR, SAW A HUGE OIL PUDDLE UNDER THE ENGINE. NEXT MORNING TOWED TO TOYOTA MECHANIC WHO MENTIONED THE ABOVE VVTI RUBBER HOSE LEAKAGE PROBLEM IN BANK 2 (TOP ONE). THE METAL CLIPS CONNECTING THE RUBBER HOSE TO THE OIL METAL TUBE ON BANK 2 ERODE THE RUBBER PORTION WITH TIME, MAKING A SMALL PINHOLE LEAK AT FIRST WHICH CAN LEAD TO A CRACK SUDDENLY UNDER HIGH PRESSURE. GOOGLING IT I FOUND THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE V6 ENGINES ON 2005 AVALONS AND OTHER TOYOTA CARS, SUCH AS, RAV4. TOYOTA HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON IT, BUT IT NEVER WARNED OWNERS LIKE ME ABOUT IT.THROUGH A PERSONAL LETTER. SOME PEOPLE HAD THEIR ENGINE SEIZED DUE TO IT, MINE DID NOT. BUT WORSE WAS IN STORE FOR ME. AFTER THE RUBBER HOSE WAS REPLACED BY ANOTHER SIMILAR RUBBER HOSE, I STARTED NOTICING IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS THAT THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A GRINDING NOISE WHEN I STARTED IT COLD - AFTER 10-12 HOURS OF OVERNIGHT PARKING, SAY, 75% OF THE TIME, BUT THE NOISE DIED AWAY AFTER 30 SECONDS OR SO; NO NOISE IF WARM. ALSO, A GROWLING NOISE WAS HEARD WHEN GOING UP SMALL INDOOR GRADIENTS LIKE PARKING LOTS. MECHANIC SAID THAT THE BOLTS ON THE TIMING GEAR IN BOTH BANK 2 AND BANK 1 HAD BECOME LOOSE, TWO BOLTS WERE OUT IN THE GEAR BOX WITH ONE BROKEN - ALL CAUSED DURING THE OIL LEAKAGE. I WAS LUCKY MY ENGINE HAD NEVER SEIZED DUE TO IT. HE HAD TO REPLACE ALL PARTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT, NAMELY, TIMING GEARS, CAM-SHAFTS, CAMS, TENSIONER RING, ETC. ALSO, REPLACED THE RUBBER HOSE WITH AN ALL-METAL OIL TUBE, AS THAT WAS WHAT TOYOTA HAD ON ITS LEXUS ES350, BUT THIS ONLY DUE TO MY INSISTENCE. RUBBER HOSE CAN LEAK AGAIN. ALSO, PUT SILICONE ON SOME ENGINE GASKETS (?). TOYOTA NEEDS TO WARN AVALON OWNERS ABOUT GETTING THIS VVTI HOSE REPLACED.

PARKING '05 AVALON WHEN IT ACCELERATED & REAR-ENDED A SUV EVEN THOUGH I WAS BRAKING RESULTING IN ALMOST $3000 IN DAMAGE. IT HAS NOT HAPPENED SINCE. HOPING TO HAVE GAS PEDAL REPAIRED AT TOYOTA DEALER WHEN AVAILABLE. WAS NOT AWARE OF MFG DEFECT THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE UNTIL RECENTLY. INSURANCE PREMIUMS WERE INCREASED DUE TO 'AT FAULT' CLAUSE. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE TELESCOPIC STEERING WHEEL LEVER NOT HOLDING IN PLACE. 6-12 TIMES A YEAR WHEN I STOP MY VEHICLE THE STEERING WHEEL GOES FORWARD TOWARDS THE ENGINE. I LOOK AND THE TELESCOPIC LEVER HAS MOVED DOWN. I AM THE ONLY ONE THAT DRIVES MY CAR AND THE LEVER IS NEVER ADJUSTED AND NOTHING COULD BE GRABBING THE LEVER. I FEEL THIS COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD. *JB

I HAVE OWNED AND DRIVEN A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON SINCE MAY 20, 2005. NOW IT HAS ABOUT 35,000 MILES ON IT. FROM TIME TO TIME, ESTIMATED AT SEVEN OR SO INSTANCES, I NOTED A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN ENGINE RPM WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. THIS HAPPENED ONLY DURING BRAKE APPLICATION, NOT AT OTHER TIMES. IN EACH INSTANCE OF UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION, I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR WITH A FIRM, STEADY APPLICATION OF PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. AFTER THE FIRST RECALL FOR THE FLOOR MAT, I REMOVED THE MAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. I WAS SKEPTICAL THAT THE MAT WAS A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS A HEAVY, OEM, FITTED MAT WHICH WAS ANCHORED WITH TWO FACTORY INSTALLED HOOKS ON THE FLOOR. THEY ENGAGE THE MAT THROUGH EYELETS NEAR THE MAT'S TRAILING EDGE. WITH THE MAT REMOVED, I EXPERIENCED ANOTHER SUDDEN ACCELERATION INCIDENT IN THE GARAGE OF HARTFORD HOSPITAL. IT WAS CLOSE TO A DISASTER BUT THE APPLICATION OF HEAVY, STEADY PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL STOPPED THE CAR. I CONSIDERED THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS ARE CONFIGURED OR POSITIONED SO THAT BOTH ARE ACTIVATED AT THE SAME TIME. ON CLOSE EXAMINATION I CONCLUDED THAT WAS UNLIKELY. I NOW CONCLUDE THESE FAILURES HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A DEFECT IN THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM IN THE CAR. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO CTDOT. A REPRESENTATIVE(?) PHONED TO REFER MY CORRESPONDENCE TO FEDERAL DOT. *TR

TOYOTA AVALON 2005. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN POWER SURGE OR RUNAWAY CAR, I DO BELIEVE THERE IS A LINK BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR AND THE ELECTRONICS. EVER SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE CAR, BRAND NEW, IN THE TWILIGHT HOURS OF DRIVING, THE DASHBOARD PANEL LIGHTS WILL DIM AND GO BRIGHT WHEN I STEP ON OR LET OFF THE GAS PEDAL. I REPORTED THIS TO TOYOTA WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR, BUT BECAUSE IT DIDN'T REACT WHEN THE SUPERVISOR WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME HE COULDN'T REPORT IT OR SAY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. *TR

MY WIFE DROVE OUR 2005 TOYOTA AVALON INTO THE PARKING LOT AT THE TARZANA, CA POST OFFICE. SHE PULLED INTO A PARKING SPOT FACING THE POST OFFICE, TOOK HER FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND STARTED APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE CAR SURGED FORWARD, CROSSING A WALKWAY AND RAN INTO A CONCRETE BLOCK PLANTER IN FRONT OF THE POST OFFICE. THE CAR SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL BODY AND RADIATOR DAMAGE AND IS NOW BEING REPAIRED AT A COST OF OVER $8000. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND MY WIFE WAS NOT INJURED. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAS BEEN SERVICED ON A REGULAR BASIS AND WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE CAR IS KEPT GARAGED AND IS UNLIKELY TO HAVE HAD CONDENSATION IN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SYSTEM. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CLEAR AND SUNNY WITH THE TEMPERATURE IN THE 70'S. THE CAR IS STILL UNDERGOING REPAIR AND WE ANTICIPATE RECEIVING IT SOMETIME THIS WEEK (2/2/10). WE HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY SENT AN INSPECTOR TO LOOK AT THE CAR ON 1/27/10. WE HAVE HAD NO REPORT BACK FROM TOYOTA AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE FLOOR MAT WAS CHECKED THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND IT WAS FIRMLY IN PLACE WITH THE FLOORBOARD CLIPS HOLDING THE MAT TO THE FLOOR. I CHECKED THE FLOOR MAT AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND IT HAD NOT MOVED OR INTERFERED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. MY WIFE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MOVING FORWARD AT MORE THAN 5 MILES/HOUR AS SHE WAS JUST MOVING INTO THE PARKING SPOT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. OBVIOUSLY, THE CAR MUST HAVE ACCELERATED TO AT LEAST 15-20 MILES/HOUR IN THE SPACE OF APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET BEFORE RUNNING INTO THE PLANTER. IT IS BEYOND BELIEF THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A STICKING ACCELERATOR PEDAL. *TR