2008 Toyota Avalon

MY 2008 TOYOTA AVALON HAS A DEFECTIVE HIGH BEAM / LOW BEAM HEADLAMP. THE HIGH BEAM BULB BURST WHILE IN USE ONE NIGHT. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 43,000 MILES, BUT THE 60 MONTH WARRANTY EXPIRED IN JULY 2013. I NOTICED THE PROBLEM IN AUGUST, JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. MY VEHICLE WAS DUE FOR A SAFETY INSPECTION IN OCTOBER, SO I RESEARCHED INFORMATION TO REPAIR THE HEADLAMP AND DISCOVERED THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR 2008 TOYOTA AVALONS. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN SEPTEMBER TO DETERMINE THE REPAIR COST. WHEN THE SERVICE REP. SAW LOW MILEAGE, HE THOUGHT THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND ESTIMATED THE REPAIR TO BE APPROX. $1000 TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY. WHEN HE REALIZED THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, HE SUGGESTED REPLACING THE $65 BULB. I'M CONCERNED THAT A $1500 REPAIR WAS INSTANTLY REDUCED TO $65 BECAUSE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. IF THE PROBLEM IS REPORTED WITHIN THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY PERIOD THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY IS REPLACED AT NO CHARGE AND THE WARRANTY IS EXTENDED ANOTHER 12 MONTHS OR 12,000 MILES. NOW I AM CONCERNED THAT THE BULB WILL BLOW OUT AGAIN AT SOME INCONVENIENT TIME. HIGH AND LOW BEAMS ARE REQUIRED IN MA AS AN ANNUAL SAFETY INSPECTION ITEM. OBVIOUSLY, THEY ARE CRITICAL FOR SAFE DRIVING AT NIGHT. WHY ISN'T A REPAIR FOR A COMMON PROBLEM / SAFETY HAZARD LIKE THIS A RECALL ISSUE? *TR

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT STOPPED ILLUMINATING INDEPENDENTLY. THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER RECALL FOR THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,500. DA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS AND HEADLIGHTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE THE HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. INITIALLY WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE RIGHT BULB BUT SOMETIMES ITS THE LEFT BULB. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALERSHIP, WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WILL BE ABOUT 1500.00 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND OUT THAT THE PROBLEM WILL NOT BE SOLVED AND MANY OWNERS OF THE CARS ARE SPENDING IN EXCESS OF 2500.00 AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. ITS A SAFETY HAZARD. I CONTACTED TOYOTA CO AND THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED WAS "THE HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE BULB HAS AN ENHANCED LIGHT OUTPUT FOR A BETTER FIELD OF VISION AND THUS SAFETY. THE BULBS WILL TURN OFF IF THE BULB IS STARTING TO OVERHEAT IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT. THERE ARE TIMES BY SIMPLY TURNING OFF THE HEADLIGHTS AND THEN BACK ON THE HID WILL TURN BACK ON." THE LIGHTS CAN BE ON FOR 5 MINUTES AND THEY WILL TURN OFF. AFTER DOING FURTHER RESEARCH I LEARNED THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT BUT WIDESPREAD WITH 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. ITS DANGEROUS AND A SAFETY HAZARD. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE. *TR

BOTH HIGH BEAM LAMPS WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON A HILLY ROAD WITHOUT ANY OTHER LIGHTS ON ROAD -- BOTH BULBS WENT BAD. DEALER AT SERVICE JUST WANTED TO REPLACE THEM. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER I CAME ACROSS BULLETIN ONLINE THAT STATED TOYOTA WOULD REPLACE HOUSING FOR LAMPS WITH NEW ONE PROVIDED CAR WAS UNDER 72,000 MILES AND 5 YEARS. ALTHOUGH MY CAR WAS AT 4.5 YEARS AT TIME OF INCIDENT, WHEN I CALLED INTO TOYOTA, I WAS AT 5 YEARS 1 MONTH, ALTHOUGH STILL UNDER MILEAGE. I WAS TOLD TO HAVE DEALER CALL TOYOTA, WHICH THEY DID NOT DO, DESPITE ME REPEATEDLY ASKING THEM TO DO SO OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. IN THE END, I CALLED TOYOTA AGAIN AND AFTER THEY WERE ABLE TO REACH THE DEALER, THEY SAID THAT SINCE IT WAS OUT OF THE WARRANTY, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIRS OR REPLACEMENT OF HOUSING TO THEIR NEW DESIGN. I HAD REPLACED THE HIGH BEAM BULBS OF COURSE, AT SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE SINCE THEY ARE NOT STANDARD BULBS AVAILABLE AT AUTO PARTS STORES, BUT I FEAR THEY WILL AGAIN FAIL ME AT NIGHT WHILE ON A DARK HILLY ROAD. PLUS NOW, RIGHT AFTER FINISHING ANOTHER DEALER SERVICE, ONE LOW BEAM HID LAMP IS NOT STAYING ON AND GOES OFF. CHECKING ONLINE, I DO NOT SEEM TO BE THE ONLY ONE WITH HEADLAMP ISSUES ON THIS MODEL, HIGH BEAM OR LOW BEAM. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR

LOW BEAM LIGHT FLICKERED ON AND OFF, TRIED THE HIGH BEAM LIGHTS OF WHICH NEITHER WOULD COME ON. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY. THE DEALER TRIED NEW BULBS WHICH IMMEDIATELY BLEW OUT. THE DEALER SAID THAT BOTH LIGHT ASSEMBLIES WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $ 1400.00 EACH. WAS ADVISED THAT TOYOTA KNEW THAT THESE LIGHTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND ISSUED THE SERVICE BULLETIN TBS #0044-10 REV 1 EXTENDING THEIR WARRANTY FROM 36,000 MILES TO 72,000 MILES BUT WOULD NOT RECALL THEM. THIS CAR WAS 1600 MILES PAST THE WARRANTY SO WAS NOT COVERED. IF TOYOTA THINKS THAT LIGHTS GOING OUT WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS. *TR

BOUGHT USED IN FEB 2013. USED LITTLE UNTIL MAY. HEADLIGHTS OFF AND ON WITHOUT WARNING. GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY HAD TO INSTALL NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AS PER TOYOTASERVICE BULLETIN 0044-10 AT A COST TO ME OF $2600. CALLS TO TOYOTA CORPORATE AND TOYOTA EXTRA CARE RESULTED IN THERE MAINTAINING THAT THOUGH THEY KNEW THE PROBLEM EXISTED (THEY EVEN DESIGNED A NEW SYSTEM) BUT MAINTAINED IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY AND AT MY COST. FOR SURE MOST MANUFACTURERS WOULD HAVE ISSUED A RECALL. *TR

WHEN DRIVING, MY CAR HAS THE DRL OPTION THAT UTILIZES THE HIGH BEAMS AT A LOWER VOLTAGE DURING THE DAY. ABOUT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO I NOTICED THAT MY HIGH BEAMS SEEMED TO NOT BE WORKING WHICH IS VERY ODD FOR BOTH BULBS TO BE OUT AT THE EXACT SAME TIME. SOMETIMES, I NEED MY HIGH BEAMS ON DARK CURVY ROADS IN THE AREA THAT I LIVE IN. I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP(CAPITAL TOYOTA) ABOUT IT AND OF COURSE THEY SWEPT IT UNDER THE RUG OF: "WE HAVENT HEARD OF THAT BEFORE" THE SERVICE WRITER WAS GRATIOUS ENOUGHT TO GIVE ME A TOYOTA CORP. NUMBER 18003314331. SO I CALLED AND THROUGH A COUPLE HOLDS THEY PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT DUE TO "LEGAL" (YOU WOULD THINK THAT THEY WOULD BE CONCERNED "LEGALLY" THAT OWNERS ARE HAVING ISSUES SEEING AT NIGHT DUE TO AN SUBSTANDARD PARTS)RESONSIBILITIES THEY WOULD NOT COVER MY CAR IN WHAT THEY ARE CALLING AN EXTENDED WARRANTY SOLEY FOR THE HEADLIGHT ISSUE THEY ARE FULLY AWARE OF. THEY SAID THE WARRANTY WAS FOR 5 YEARS FROM THE DATE THE VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO SERVICE. MY CAR IS ONE MONTH PAST SAID DATE. KEEP IN MIND THAT I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN EARLY JUNE '13. SO I WAS NOT AWARE NOR DID I RECEIVE ANY SORT OF NOTIFICATION THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE OR IT WOULD HAVE. IN FACT WHEN I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF IT NEEDED TO BE CAUGHT UP ON ANY RECALL'S/TSB'S AND THEY SAID "NO". THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO THE NATIONAL RECALL LEVEL OF SERVICE IF TOYOTA DOES NOT SEE THE NEED IN FIXING SOMETHING BEYOND MY CONTROL. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE ISSUE, SIMPLY REPLACING THE HIGHBEAM/DRL'S WILL NOT FIX THE ISSUE. NOT TO METION THE FACT THAT I COULD RECEIVE A TICKET BY THE POLICE FOR MY HIGH BEAMS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. PLEASE KEEP ME INFORMED OF ANY FORTHCOMING INFORMATION. *TR