2008 Toyota Avalon

I OWN A 2008 TOYOTA LIMITED AVALON. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCE EXTERIOR LIGHTING PROBLEMS THAT WHILE DRIVING MY HEADLAMPS GO OUT. I DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM WHEN I NOTICED MY HIGHBEAMS WERE OUT. WHEN REPLACING THE LAMPS I WAS TOLD BOTH HIGHBEAMS EXPLODED. NOW MY LOW BEAMS CONTINUE TO GO OUT AND ONLY WHEN I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON DO THEY COME BACK. WENT TO TOYOTA DIRECTLY AND THEY TOLD ME THEY KNOW OF THE PROBLEM BUT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO RECALL. BASED ON NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OVER THE INTERNET, THIS IS NOT A ONE TIME FAILURE. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE. MY CAR STARTED THIS ISSUE WITH APPROX 48K MILES. IN ADDITION, I DO NOT HAVE THE AMOUNT OF DISPOSABLE FUNDS IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE BULBS. IN ADDITION, IT APPEARS CHANGING OF THE BULBS IS NOT THE PROBLEM AND IT IS THE HOUSING BASED ON OTHER CAR OWNERS DOCUMENTATION ON THE INTERNET. WITH THAT SAID, IT IS IMPERATIVE TOYOTA TAKES RESPONSIBILITY AND ACTION. NUMEROUS CAR OWNERS OF THE 2008 AVALON ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE SAFETY IS NOT BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY TOYOTA. ARE THEY WILLING TO LET A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE TAKES THEM TO COURT? THEY MUST HAVE GREAT LAWYERS!! *TR

THE LEVER TO ADJUST THE TELESCOPING STEERING WHEEL ON MY 2008 TOYOTA AVALON DOES NOT STAY IN THE LOCKED POSITION. IT DISENGAGES (FALLS DOWN), RELEASING THE STEERING WHEEL AND ENABLES IT TO SLIDE IN AND OUT WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL INSTANCES IN THE TWO YEARS I HAVE HAD THE CAR. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. I HAVE SEEN OTHER INTERNET SITES THAT OWNERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT HAVE TRIED TO OBTAIN A REMEDY WITH NO LUCK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLES HIGH INTENSITY LIGHT BULB WORKED INTERMITTENTLY AND WOULD SHUT OFF RANDOMLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED TOYOTA DEALER WHO REPLACED THE RIGHT SIDE HID LIGHT TWICE AND THE LEFT SIDE ONCE; HOWEVER, THE LIGHTS CONTINUED TO SHUT OFF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60,032. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000. UPDATED 06/0611 *BF UPDATED 06/10/11

VEHICLE IS 2008 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED. BOTH HID HEADLIGHT BULBS GO OUT AND COME ON INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT ANY PATTERN AS TO WHEN THEY WILL GO OUT. THE DEALER SAID THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND WITH SOME PRIUS MODELS. SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THE DEALER SAID THE BULB HAD BEEN REDUCED TO "ONLY" $140.00 AND THEY COULD PUT ONE BULB IN FOR ABOUT $350.00. ASIDE FROM THE OUTRAGEOUS PRICE FOR A HEADLIGHT BULB, THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED AND ONE THAT RECURS AFTER THE REPAIR. IT IS CLEARLY THE ASSEMBLY THAT IS DEFECTIVE. THE DANGER IN YOUR HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT UNEXPECTEDLY AND REGULARLY IS OBVIOUS. THE DEALER SAID IT COULDN'T HELP, BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. I WROTE TO TOYOTA. THEY GAVE ME A REPORT OR INCIDENT NUMBER, BUT AFTER MANY MONTHS HAVE OFFERED NO RELIEF. BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS THAT I SEE FOR THIS SAME ISSUE,I FEEL THAT TOYOTA SHOULD BEAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECT. *TR

THIS IS MY 2ND POSTING. MY FIRST WAS MARCH 11, 2011 FROM WESTERVILLE, OHIO. ENCLOSED BELOW IS THE REPLY FROM TOYOTA TO THE OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE. "PLEASE ACCEPT OUR APOLOGIES FOR THIS SITUATION AND FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THAT MR. X MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED. PLEASE ADVISE MR. X THAT HIS VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY IN WHICH REPAIR WOULD BE COVERED BY TOYOTA AND NO ASSISTANCE WILL BE PROVIDED". THIS RESPONSE TO THE OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE CLEARLY INDICATES TOYOTA WILL PAY FOR THIS IF YOUR VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. SHOULD YOU NEED A COPY OF THIS - EMAIL ME AT: [XXX] I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SEND YOUR COMPLAINT TO YOUR STATE'S ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OR INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE. WE ARE GETTING SCREWED BY TOYOTA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

HID HEADLIGHTS ON TOYOTA AVALON TOURING INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT. YOU HAVE TO RESET THEM BY TURNING OFF YOUR HEADLIGHTS. THIS IS SCARY WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED BUT AT HIGHWAY SPEED IS DOWNRIGHT RIDICULOUS. IT HAS HAPPENED OVER AND OVER. IF YOU DO RESEARCH ONLINE YOU WILL FIND THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH BOTH THE TOURING AND THE LIMITED (THE AVALON VERSIONS WITH HID HEADLIGHTS) AND NOT THE XL OR XLS VERSIONS WITH HALOGENS. THIS IS A HEADLIGHT SYSTEM PROBLEM ($2500 AT DEALER) NOT A BULB PROBLEM! EVERYONE IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH THESE MODELS OF THE AVALON. NHTSA PLEASE FACTOR THIS IN TO YOUR RESEARCH IF YOU ARE DOING A % OF COMPLAINTS TO CAR MODELS BUILT NOT TO FACTOR IN THE AVALONS BUILT WITH HALOGENS. THIS PROBLEM IS ABUNDANT ONLINE AND SOME SIMPLE RESEARCH WILL LET YOU SEE THAT TOYOTA HAS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN ON THEIR HANDS. I KNOW THEY HAD A RECALL ON THE PRIUS FOR THE SAME ISSUE. YES I HAVE 2 KIDS IN THE BACK SEAT IN CAR SEATS. PLEASE KEEP THEM SAFE AND MAKE TOYOTA FIX THIS ISSUE BEFORE I AM CHECKING THE DEATHS BOX ON THE ABOVE FORM! THANK YOU! *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT OF MY 2008 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED DIMMED FOR 3 DAYS AND THEN WENT OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THE DEALER REPLACED AT NO CHARGE. 4,000 MILES LATER (OUT OF WARRANTY) THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT DIMMED FOR 2 DAYS AND NOW IT IS OUT. DURING EACH INSTANCE, I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND ON AND EACH TIME THE HEADLIGHT WOULD WORK PROPERLY BUT AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE HEADLIGHT WOULD DIM AND THEN GO OUT COMPLETELY. *TR

I OWN A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON WITH HID HEADLIGHTS. I WAS ON A VACATION WITH MY WIFE AND 2 MONTH OLD DRIVING AT NIGHT IN A STORM WHEN I DECIDED TO USE MY HIGH BEAMS. THIS WAS APPROXIMATELY MARCH 25TH 2010, WHILE DRIVING THE HIGH BEAM BULBS EXPLODED. THERE IS A TSB ON THE HEADLIGHTS BEING DESIGNED DEFECTIVE. WHEN THE HIGH BEAMS EXPLODED IT RUINED THE INTEGRITY OF THE LOW BEAMS. WHEN I CAME TO A STOP BOTH LOW BEAMS SHUT OFF. I TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON AND THEY CAME BACK ON BUT ANYTIME I SIT FOR A MINUTE OR SO THEY TURN BACK OFF. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY BOTH TOLD ME SINCE I WASN'T IN BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY ANY MORE THAT IT WOULD COST ME $1,088.00 A SIDE FOR PARTS PLUS LABOR TO INSTALL THEM. I WAS ALSO TOLD TO FIX THE LOW BEAM PROBLEM I WOULD HAVE TO BUY NEW BULBS AT $175.00 A PIECE. I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE SO THEY DID NOT HAVE TO ISSUE A RECALL, AND THAT THERE ISN'T EVEN ANYTHING ON FILE ABOUT THEM LOOKING INTO IT. HOW IS YOUR HEADLIGHTS SHUTTING OFF NOT A SAFETY ISSUE? WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY TO GET HEADLIGHTS THAT AREN'T DEFECTIVE. I UNDERSTAND IF THEY WERE CRACKED OR DAMAGED IN SOME WAY BUT A DESIGN DEFECT??? PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. I ONLY HAD 48K MILES ON THE CAR AT THE TIME. I DROVE THE CAR THE 1400 MILES BACK TO MY HOME AND IT HAS BEEN PARKED SINCE BUT ON THE DRIVE THE HEADLIGHTS STARTED CUTTING OUT WHILE DRIVING. *TR