2007 Toyota Avalon

THE DASHBOARD ON MY 07 TOYOTA AVALON HAS BECOME STICKY, ALL CRACKED UP AND EMITTES A STICKY CHEMICAL THAT CREATES A BLINDING GLARE DURING DAYTIME HRS. ESPECIALLY WHEN ITS SUNNY OUTSIDE! I WENT TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE CAR HE SAID THAT HIS DEALERSHIP WOULD SPLIT THE COST WITH ME OF ABOUT $800 EACH TO REPLACE THE DASHBOARD. HE SAID THAT TOYOTA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME BUT REFUSES TO ACKNOLEDGE THAT THE SUBCONTRACT THAT MADE THE DASHBOARDS USED A FAULTY MATERIAL AND SINCE THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I BOUGHT THE TOP OF THE LINE AVALON WITH ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES NEW, GARAGE KEPT IT, WASHED AND WAXED IT MYSELF AND NOW THIS. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT TOYOTA WAS A RELIABLE COMPANY AND WOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS, BUT FOUND OUT JUST THE OPPOSITE. NOT ONLY THE AVALON BUT THE CAMRY, COROLLA AND THE LEXUS 350 WHICH IS MADE BY TOYOTA. I HAVE SEARCHED THE WEB EXTENSIVELY AND THERE SEEMS TO BE NO 'ONE' ANSWER. SOME DEALERS ARE REPLACING THE DASH, SOME ARE OFFERING TO COVER MATERIALS AND SOME ONLY OFFERING 20% DISCOUNTS. CAN YOU CONTACT ME OR REFER ME TO THE PROPER DEPARTMENT TO SUBMIT A CLAIM FOR A REPLACEMENT. AS THIS IS CLEARLY A TOYOTA 'PRODUCT RELATED' PROBLEM, I WOULD EXPECT THAT TOYOTA WOULD HAVE A RESOLUTION TO FIX/REPLACE THE DASH AS NEEDED! SINCE I'M RETIRED AND ON A FIXED INCOME, PAYING OUT OF POCKET FOR TOYOTAS FAULTY, DANGEROUS MATERIAL IS NOT AN OPTION, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT ANYONE THAT I KNOW, AND WITH ALL THE ASSOCIATIONS THAT I BELONG TO THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE, KNOW THAT TOYOTA HAS DROPPED THE BALL ON THIS ONE! THIS HAS BECOME A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD WITH ALL THE GLARE THAT IT'S CAUSING. TOYOTA HAD BETTER HOPE THAT NEITHER MY WIFE OR I HAVE A SERIOUS CAR ACCIDENT DUE TO THEIR MISHANDELING OF ALL THE COMPLAINTS AND TURNING A DEAF EAR TO THE LOYAL TOYOTA OWNERS! *TR

WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN WE HEARD A CRACK NOISE ON THE DASHBOARD. TWO CRACKS APPEARED ALL OF A SUDDEN. SINCE THEN THERE HAVE BEEN 3 MORE CRACKS ON THE DASHBOARD. THEY APPEAR WITHOUT ANY PARTICULAR REASON. THE CRACKS ARE BETWEEN THE GLOVEBOX AND THE AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE CAR IS GARAGED AT ALL TIMES, WHEN NOT DRIVEN. THE CRACKS APPEARED AT 36,000 MILES. WE HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA CO. THEY TOOK OUR COMPLAINT REF# 1308131120. ACCORDING TO THEM THEY DO NOT SHOW A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH CRACKING PLASTIC IN THEIR CARS. THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE CAR (2007). WE ARE CONCERNED THAT SHOULD WE BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE AIRBAGS GET INFLATED, WE MAY SUSTAIN ADDITIONAL INJURIES BY THE PLASTIC PIECES COMING APART FROM THE DASHBOARD AND HITTING US. VEHICLE HAS AROUND 39,0000 AT THIS TIME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVERS SEAT LEANED TO THE LEFT AND THE HINGE FELL OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE HOUSING FOR THE SEAT BROKE IN FOUR DIFFERENT PLACES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPORTED TO TOYOTA. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

MY CAR WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT AND WAS HIT BY SOME TYPE OF VEHICLE. THE DAMAGE WAS EXTENSIVE AND THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND THE SEAT BELT LOCKED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE DAMAGE WAS TO THE RIGHT SIDE. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE CAR AND NO WITNESSES AS TO WHAT HAPPENED BUT IT HAS BEEN 4 WEEKS AND MY INSURANCE IS SUDDENLY REFUSING TO PAY AFTER ISSUING A WORK ORDER TO THE REPAIR PERSON BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE IS A BOAT RAMP ACROSS FROM THE PARKING LOT. I DO NOT KNOW FOR SURE WHAT HIT MY CAR, I JUST DO NOT FEEL IT IS FAIR THAT USAA IS TELLING ME THE AIRBAG CAN NOT DEPLOY WITHOUT THE IGNITION BEING ON. I HAVE NOT HAD A RENTAL AND HAD TO DRIVE MY SON'S HUNTING TRUCK WHICH IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. THEY TRIED TO SAY THERE WAS NO WAY THE CAR COULD HAVE BEEN HIT IN THE PARKING LOT. I HAVE WITNESSES, ONE WHO CONFIRMED THAT WE FOUND MY CAR IN THE PARKING LOT WITH THE DAMAGE DONE AND I WAS VERY UPSET WHEN I SAW IT BECAUSE I WAS SICK AND STRESS ADDS TO MY ILLNESS SO I HAD SOMEONE DRIVE MY CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THE GUY TOLD ME IT DID NOT NEED TO BE DRIVEN AGAIN AND TO CALL IN A REPORT TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE SHOP HAS ALMOST FINISHED THE WORK AND NOW THE TWO INVESTIGATORS WHO CAME AND INTERROGATED ME TODAY AND COMPLETELY SHOCKED ME WITH WHAT THEY WERE SAYING UPSET ME GREATLY. IF THE AIRBAG CAN NOT DEPLOY WHEN IT SHOULD AND HAS COME OUT WHEN NO ACCIDENT THEN WHY IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH MY AIRBAG DEPLOYING WHEN AN OBVIOUSLY LARGE VEHICLE HIT IT AND DID ALMOST 9000 DOLLARS IN DAMAGE? PLEASE HELP ME. I AM A SINGLE MOM WHO JUST MOVED FROM A HOME WITH BLACK MOLD AND MY SISTER WHO FINANCED THE CAR FOR ME HAS STAGE 4 LUNG CANCER. I HAVE SO MANY DIAGNOSIS, I AM ON TOTAL DISABILITY. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO BUY A HOME AFTER MY KIDS AND I HAVE MOVED 5 TIMES SO I DO NOT NEED THIS STRESS. I REALLY NEED MY CAR BACK. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK ON THE DASHBOARD WHERE THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WAS HOUSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE REPAIRS NECESSARY TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

ON 3/3/07 MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A NEW 2007 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED. ON MAY 9 MY WIFE NOTED A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. SHE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THEY FIXED THE CAR, AND SHE PICK THE CAR UP ON MAY 14. THE NEXT DAY, SHE NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS MAKING THE SAME NOISE AS BEFORE, AND TOOK THE CAR RIGHT BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER HAD THE CAR UNTIL MAY 26. DURING THAT TIME, WELDING WAS PERFORMED ON THE FRAME, WHICH MADE THE NOISE WORSE. THE DEALER ULTIMATELY DECIDED TO GIVE US A 2ND TOYOTA AVALON, WHICH WE PICKED UP ON MAY 26, 2007. IN NOVEMBER 2007, MY WIFE BEGAN TO NOTICE A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE 2ND VEHICLE. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE SAME NOISE FROM THE 1ST VEHICLE. SHE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER ON DECEMBER 13, AND THEY SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE PROBLEM. WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME, THE NOISE BEGAN AGAIN. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. SHE CALLED THE DEALER TO INFORM THEM OF THE PROBLEM. WITH THE HOLIDAYS AND OTHER THINGS COMING UP AT WORK (SHE CANNOT KEEP TAKING TIME OFF TO RUN TO THE DEALER ALL THE TIME), SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR BACK RIGHT AWAY (THERE WAS ONLY AROUND 6300 MILES ON THE CAR). BY THE TIME SHE WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR BACK ON MARCH 24, 2008, THE PROBLEM HAD GOTTEN WORSE. THERE WAS LESS THAN 9000 MILES ON THE CAR. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK AND THEY DETERMINED THEY NEEDED TO TAKE OUT THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION AND HAVE SOME WELDING WORK DONE AROUND THE FIREWALL. AS OF TODAY, APRIL 7, MY WIFE STILL DOES NOT HAVE HER CAR. WE BELIEVE THE PROBLEM FROM BOTH CARS IS THE SAME, AND THERE MAY BE A DEFECT IN THIS CAR. WE FOUND A TSB ON THIS CAR FROM FEB. 2003 (EXTERIOR BULLETIN #122), WHICH REFERS TO ALL TOYOTA/LEXUS, THAT STATES THAT WELDING SHOULD NOT BE DONE ON THE CAR, AND IS NOT APPROVED BY TOYOTA OR LEXUS. WE BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM CAN COMPROMISE THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE CAR, AND WE WILL FEEL CONCERNED FOR OUR SAFETY IF WE GET THIS CAR BACK. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT WE FEEL NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR