2007 Toyota Avalon

MY CAR IS A 2007 AVALON TOYOTA AND WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED IT I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR ACCELERATING, BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER AND NO PROBLEM WAS EVER FOUND. THIS HAPPENED A MINIMUM OF 3 TIMES. THEN THE CAR SEEMED TO BE OK, AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO. I DID NOT BRING IT TO THE DEALER. THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE, BUT I HAVE BEEN WATCHFUL OF IT. AND IWAS TOLD JUST TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND TURN OFF THE MOTOR. BUT IT DID NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. WHILE IN FLORIDA THIS PAST WINTER I DID HAVE MY CAR SERVICED FOR ALL 3 RECALLS WITH MUCH HESITATION SINCE, AS I SAID, THE CAR SEEMED TO BE OK. IT HAS BEEN APPROX. 3 WEEKS SINCE I HAD ALL THE RECALL WORK DONE AND WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM FLA. I WENT INTO A GAS STATION TO PUT AIR IN MY TIRES AND THEN ALL [XXX] BROKE LOOSE. I WAS DRIVING SLOW LOOKING FOR THE AIR PUMP AND THE CARWENT CRAZY ACCELERATING. I YELLED, PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES AND TURNED OFF THE MOTOR. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FLOOR MAT, PEDAL ETC. NOTHING WAS NOTICEABLE STUCK. I LOVE THIS CAR, BUT THERE IS A DEVIL INSIDE THE MOTOR. SINCE THE RECALL DID NOT TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM WHAT SHOULD I DO? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DRIVING AT SPEED ON INTERSTATE. A/C WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TURNED OFF A/C. AT DESTINATION, PARKED CAR FOR SEVERAL HOURS. DID NOT TURN ON A/C WHEN DRIVING FROM PARKING LOT. SOON CHECK ENGINE LIGHT VSC AND TRAC LIGHTS CAME ON. DROVE AT LOW SPEED DIRECTLY TO TOYOTA DEALER TO CHECK PROBLEM. DEALER FOUND OIL LEVEL 1 QT. LOW AND OIL LEAKING FROM VVTI LINE. TECH USED TOYOTA SCAN TOOL FOUND CODES P0024 P0012 FOR VVTI TIMING MALFUNCTIONS.TTECH REPLACED BOTH VVTI CAMS AND CAM HOUSINGS, CAM GEARS, INTAKE GASKETS, OIL PUMP GASKET, OIL PAN GASKET, HEAD GASKETS, TIMING COVER GASKET. INITIAL ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR WAS @ $6400 AS CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO MILEAGE. AFTER DISCUSSION, THE DEALER GOT TOYOTA TO PICK UP THE COST OF MOST OF THE PARTS. I PAID $2527 FOR LABOR AND $28.57 FOR PARTS. SUBSEQUENTLY THE DEALER ADVISED ME THAT THE PROBLEM HAD OCCASIONED A TOYOTA RECALL. I SUBMITTED A CLAIM A MONTH AGO TO TOYOTA FOR A REFUND, BUT HAVE HAD NO REPLY FROM THE COMPANY.

DASH INDICATOR ON MY 2007 TOYOTA AVALON SIGNALED THAT WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID WAS LOW. I FILLED THE TANK WITH FLUID. THE NEXT DAY A POOL OF WASHER FLUID WAS ON MY GARAGE FLOOR. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER FOR SERVICE ON 2/14/2009. I WAS TOLD LEAKING WAS A COMMON PROBLEM BECAUSE THE OE LINE USED TO CARRY FLUID THROUGH THE SYSTEM WAS THE WRONG SIZE. THE DEALER REMOVED THE INCORRECT LINE AND REPLACED IT WITH THE RECOMMENDED CORRECT SIZED LINE. I WAS CHARGED $78.26 FOR PARTS AND SERVICE. WHEN I COMPLAINED THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE OE WAS NOT THE RIGHT SIZE, I WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT TOYOTA CORPORATE FOR RELIEF. MY COMPLAINT ELICITED A $47.50 "GOODWILL REIMBURSEMENT" ( WHICH WAS THE COST OF THE PARTS) ON 7/8/2009. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. ON DEC 3, 2009, THE CONTACT PULLED INTO DRIVEWAY. WHEN HE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD. SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE HIT THE CORNER POST OF A FENCE FOLLOWED BY A TREE AND FINALLY STOPPED. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS BEFORE OR AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST PRODUCED NO ERROR CODES. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. LATER, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, FLOOR MAT AND OIL HOSE RECALLS (RECALLS 09V388000 & 10V017000). THE TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP ALSO PERFORMED AN OVERRIDE ON THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000. UPDATED 6/19/10 *CN THE CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION FOR A SECOND TIME ON APRIL 23, 2010 AFTER THE RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED. UPDATED 09/01/10

ON MARCH 19, 2008, MY STEP-SON WAS KILLED IN TAMPA, FLORIDA WHILE DRIVING HIS 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. HE HAD JUST DROPPED MY SISTER-IN-LAW OFF AT THE AIRPORT AND WAS TRAVELING ON THE COURTNEY CAMPBELL PARKWAY WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED. HE EXITED ONTO A SERVICE ROAD, POSTED AT 15 MPH, AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, CRASHING THROUGH A GUARDRAIL AND PLUNGING INTO TAMPA BAY. HE DID NOT GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. WITNESSES SAY HE DID NOT APPEAR TO BRAKE BEFORE HITTING THE GUARDRAIL. NOBODY COULD DETERMINE AT THE TIME WHY THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED; HIS TOXICOLOGY REPORT WAS CLEAR. THE CAR HAS LONG SINCE BEEN SALVAGED SINCE TOYOTA'S ACCELERATION ISSUES WERE NOT PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AT THE TIME TWO YEARS AGO. I RECENTLY RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE ON THE VEHICLE FOR ACCELERATOR PEDAL REINFORCEMENT BAR INSTALLATION. UPDATED 05/10/10 *BF UPDATED 06/17/10. *JB UPDATE 9/27/11*CW

ON MARCH 19, 2008, MY STEP-SON WAS KILLED IN TAMPA, FLORIDA WHILE DRIVING HIS 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. HE HAD JUST DROPPED MY SISTER-IN-LAW OFF AT THE AIRPORT AND WAS TRAVELLING ON THE COURTNEY CAMPBELL PARKWAY WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED. HE EXITED ONTO A SERVICE ROAD, POSTED AT 15 MPH, AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, CRASHING THROUGH A GUARDRAIL AND PLUNGING INTO TAMPA BAY. HE DID NOT GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. WITNESSES SAY HE DID NOT APPEAR TO BRAKE BEFORE HITTING THE GUARDRAIL. NOBODY COULD DETERMINE AT THE TIME WHY THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED; HIS TOXICOLOGY REPORT WAS CLEAR. THE CAR HAS LONG SINCE BEEN SALVAGED SINCE TOYOTA'S UNINTEDNDED ACCELERATION ISSUES WERE NOT PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AT THE TIME TWO YEARS AGO.

STEERING COLUM ADJUSTING CONTROL CONTINUES TO RELEASE. THIS CAUSES THE STEERING WHEEL TO GO INTO THE THE DASH AREA OR UP OR DOWN. THERE IS NO CONTROL OF STEERING. BEFORE THIS INCIDENT, OIL BURST ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND DRAINED OUT OF MY CAR, SPILLED ONTO THE FLOOR OF MY GARAGE. THE OIL LIGHT OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. DEALER MADE REPAIRS AFTER KEEPING MY CAR -NOT A RECALL NOTICE BUT A NOTED PROBLEM. NO POWER WHILE PRESSING ON THE GAS. THERE IS A DELAYED REACTION RESULTING IN SLOW OR NO SPEED FOR PASSING OR JUST DRIVING (DEALER INDICATED POWER TRANS PROBLEM - NOT RECALL KEPT CAR 3+ DAYS FOR REPAIRS). THE GREY PAINT HAS SPOTS ITHAT WILL NOT COME OUT WITH A WASH AND WAX.

WHILE DRIVING ,WITHOUT WARNING, THE "V V T I OIL LINE" BURST, DRAINING ALL THE OIL FROM THE ENGINE. THERE IS LOSS OF POWER WITH POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE. AT TIME OF INCIDENT, LEAVES OIL ON ROAD AND WINDSHIELDS OF ANY CARS FOLLOWING. ( THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ON TOYOTA'S V-6 ENGINES SINCE 2005. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RECALL...IT ONLY "QUIETLY" GETS REPAIRED AS YOU BRING THE CAR IN WITH THIS PROBLEM. TOYOTA HAS CHANGED THIS PART 4 TIMES WITH NO RECALL. THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM ON THE 2009 ENGINES, REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE RUBBER HOSE TO A SOLID METAL OIL LINE. TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS SINCE 2005, AND NOW WITH THE GAS PEDAL PROBLEM, WANT TO HIDE THE "RECALL" AT THE SAME TIME........PROBLEM IS THEY PUT THE SAME RUBBER PART IN . I PAID $240.00 TO CHANGE THE PART TO THE NEW ALL-METAL PART THE 2009 AND NEWER V-6 ENGINES HAVE. INCIDENT DATE AND TIME AND PLACE: MAY 21,2009 10:38 AM HIGHWAY I-15 ...48 MILES WEST OF BAKER,CA ...IN THE MIDDLE OF DESERT ! *TR