2007 Toyota Avalon

The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that the dashboard had cracked. The contact stated that the vehicle was garage kept. The contact also stated there were three recalls on the vehicle related to the floorboard and front assembly heater and accelerator that were already repaired. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed with a defective dashboard. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

REAR WINDOW SHADE WENT UP AND NOW WON'T GO DOWN. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER A FEW MONTHS AGO AND THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN.WHEN THEY TOLD ME THE COST OF REPAIRING/REPLACING, I OPTED TO JUST NOT USE IT. A FEW WEEKS AGO, IT WENT UP AGAIN AND I AM NOT ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING AT NIGHT, TOOK TO THE DEALER AGAIN TO SEE IF THEY COULD PUT IT DOWN AGAIN AND I WAS TOLD I NEED TO CHANGE THE MOTOR ( ALMOST $1000) SO I WAS NOT ABLE TO DO IT. I TOLD THEM I CANT SEE AT NIGHT AND THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I FEEL THEY NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE YOUR REAR WINDOW.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD CRACKED WITHOUT WARNING OR IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER (HYANNIS TOYOTA, 1020 IYANNOUGH RD, ROUTE 132, HYANNIS, MA 02601, 508-775-1230) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000.

COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN. DRIVER'S UPPER AND LOWER (KNEE) AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. DRIVER INCURRED SEVERE CUTS TO BOTH LEGS BELOW THE KNEE APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY DOWN TO ANKLE. CAUSE OF INJURIES HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED BUT INSPECTION OF VEHICLE DISCLOSED THAT THE KNEE AIRBAG CONTAINMENT COMPARTMENT IN THE LOW PART OF THE DASH HAS A FLAP/DOOR THAT OPENS IN DEPLOYMENT, IS VERY EXTREMELY SHARP AND MAY HAVE BEEN THE SOURCE OF THE INJURIES.

THE DASHBOARD HAS DEVELOPED SEVERAL CRACKS ALL ACROSS IT. AND THE TAPE BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD AND DASHBOARD HAS ALSO COME LOOSE AND IS PEELING AWAY FROM THE INTERIOR BASE OF THE GLASS. AT THE TIME I MADE A COMPLAINT TO THE DEALER BUT THEY TOLD ME TO CALL TOYOTA BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR FIXING IT MYSELF AS THEY COULD DO NOTHING. *TR

CRACKS IN DASHBOARD STARTED APPEARING. FIRST SMALL, THEN EXTENDING ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE DASH. NOW MULTIPLE CRACKS IN DASH, AIRBAG COVER, GLOVE BOX SURROUND. DASH STARTED GETTING STICKY. I SPOKE TO THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN OCTOBER 2006. SINCE IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE IS NO SERVICE BULLETIN OR RECALL, THEY WON'T HELP. ESTIMATED $2100 TO REPAIR/REPLACE. SAID REPLACEMENT WOULD BE ORIGINAL FACTORY MATERIAL, SO I WOULD EXPECT IT TO BE DEFECTIVE AS WELL. HE SAID THEY SEE AT LEAST 2 CARS A WEEK WITH THIS PROBLEM. CALLED THE MANUFACTURER 800 NUMBER. THEY SAID DUE TO THE EXPENSE, OUT OF WARRANTY, NO SERVICE BULLETIN OR RECALL, THEY WOULD NOT HELP. SAID THE ONLY THING I COULD DO WAS REPORT IT, AND THAT THE MANAGER REVIEWS ALL COMPLAINTS. THIS WAS A $35,000 CAR WHICH NOW HAS 68,000 MILES AND IT HAS LOST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN RESALE VALUE. I'VE HAD CARS LAST 20 YEARS WITHOUT ANY CRACKS IN THE DASH, AND CERTAINLY THE TACKINESS/STICKINESS IS NOT NATURAL. I WORRY THAT IT MIGHT EMIT SOME TOXIC FUMES IN THE SUMMER. *TR