2013 Toyota Avalon

TOYOTA CORP CONTINUES TO SELL 2013 TOYOTA AVALONS WITH A KNOWN DEFECT TO THE HEADLINER. THE HEADLINER TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SAGS AND MAY POTENTIALLY OBSTRUCT THE VIEW OF THE DRIVER WHILE DRIVING. IT IS APPARENT AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ONLINE THAT TOYOTA IS FULLY AWARE OF THE DEFECT BUT FAILED TO CONTACT DEALERSHIPS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. PER TOYOTA THERE IS NO KNOWN FIX AT THIS TIME AND MY VEHICLE HAS REMAINED AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE PAST 4 DAYS. *TR

HEADLINER IS FALLING DOWN IN BACK BY REAR WINDOW. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO TOYOTA. I AM TOLD TOYOTA IS WORKING ON A FIX FOR IT BUT IT WILL BE A WHILE BEFORE A RESOLUTION IS FOUND. AS A GOOD WILL GESTURE TOYOTA TACKED UP THE HEADLINER IN THE MIDDLE WHERE IT WAS FALLING DOWN. A FEW DAYS LATER THE HEADLINER BEGAN TO FALL DOWN ON BOTH SIDES WHERE IT WAS TACKED UP BY THE REAR WINDOW. I WAS THEN TOLD, THEY WERE AFRAID THAT WOULD HAPPEN. TOYOTA HAS NO RESOLUTION AND WILL NOT REPLACE THE HEADLINER OR VEHICLE. I AM TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. HOWEVER, AS THEY CANNOT REPAIR THE VEHICLES THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE STILL SELLING VEHICLES WITH THIS DEFECT TO UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMERS. ALTHOUGH YOU CAN STILL SEE OUT THE REAR WINDOW, WHO KNOWS FOR HOW MUCH LONGER BEFORE IT JUST GIVES WAY. AS TOYOTA WILL NOT/OR CAN NOT REPAIR THIS ISSUE, AND WILL NOT REPLACE THE HEADLINER OR THE VEHICLE THEY REALLY AREN'T HONORING THE WARRANTY EITHER. IN AN EFFORT TO TRY TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, I COULD NOT GET PAST THE CLAIM REPRESENTATIVE AT HEADQUARTERS NOR THE FACTORY REP. EVIDENTLY, MANAGEMENT WILL NOT SPEAK WITH CUSTOMERS AND NO ONE WILL RESPOND BY E-MAIL. *TR

MY WIFE WAS IN A PARKING LOT WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKE WITHOUT RESULTS. THE CAR CONTINUED FORWARD ABOUT 10 FEET,AND WAS STOPPED ON IMPACT BY A PICNIC TABLE AND SIDE OF A BUILDING. SHE RECEIVED A WHIPLASH INJURY, RECENTLY DIAGNOSED AS HERNIATED DISKS, AND IS CURRENTLY UNDER MEDICAL CARE.DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO THE GRILL AND CRUMPLE ZONE IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR.THE INSURANCE ASSESSED THE DAMAGE AT $7,000.00, AND HAS BEEN REPAIRED. *TR

THERE IS A GLARE IN THE REAR WINDOW THAT TENDS TO ALWAYS HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON VISIBILITY. I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN MY 40 YEARS OF DRIVING AND OWNING OVER 20 VEHICLES. IT SEEMS THE ANGLE OF THE WINDOW COMBINED WITH THE LIGHT GRAY REAR DECK MATERIAL CREATES THE DISTRACTING REFLECTION/GLARE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS THE PORT INSTALLED TINTING THAT CAUSED THE REFLECTION, BUT NOW I AM BEGINNING TO THINK IT IS A DESIGN FLAW. ALSO, I SEE YOU NEED MY NAME AND PERSONAL INFORMATION ON THIS FORM AND YOU ARE PROMISING TO KEEP IT CONFIDENTIAL AND PRIVATE. NOW HOW CAN ANYONE TRUST ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY THESE DAYS TO PROTECT INFORMATION WHEN ONE OF THE MAIN FUNCTIONS OF OUR GOVERNMENT SEEMS TO BE SPYING ON ALL THE CITIZENS AND ACTING LIKE THE USSR CIRCA 1960? *TR

SERIOUS PROBLEM: 2013 TOYOTA AVALON DASHBOARD TRIM CAUSES A DANGEROUS REFLECTION OF SUNLIGHT DIRECTLY INTO DRIVER'S EYES. DURING MID-DAY SUN, BLINDING BEAMS OF SUNLIGHT BOUNCE OFF SEVERAL AREAS OF THE MIRRORED-CHROME-COLORED PLASTIC TRIM THAT SURROUNDS THE DASHBOARD AND WRAPS AROUND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. SUNLIGHT IS REFLECTED OFF CHROME TRIM BENEATH THE TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER. BLINDING SUNLIGHT ALSO REFLECTS OFF TRIM ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STEERING WHEEL, AND OTHER POINTS ACROSS THE TRIM. DEPENDING ON TIME OF DAY AND DIRECTION OF CAR, SUNLIGHT BOUNCES OFF DIFFERENT PLACES ON THE TRIM. BECAUSE THE TRIM IS BEVELED, INSTEAD OF A VERTICAL SURFACE, IT FOCUSES THE SUNLIGHT DIRECTLY BACK INTO THE DRIVER''S EYES. DRIVERS NEED TO REGULARLY GLANCE DOWN AT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND REFLECTED SUNLIGHT FROM THAT AREA AND OTHER SECTIONS ON THE DASH IS DANGEROUSLY DISTRACTING. ACCIDENTS COULD OCCUR AS A RESULT OF DRIVERS BEING MOMENTARILY BLINDED BY THEIR DASHBOARD TRIM. TOYOTA NEEDS TO REPLACE THE MIRRORED SURFACE OF THE TRIM, AS WELL AS OTHER CHROME TRIM ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND AROUND THE AIR CONDITIONING VENTS, WITH A DARK-COLORED TRIM OR MATTE, NON-REFLECTIVE SURFACE. DESPITE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS POSTED AT THE NHTSA AND MY DIRECT CONTACT WITH TOYOTA MOTORS USA, THE COMPANY REFUSED TO OFFER A SOLUTION AND/OR TEMPORARY WORK-AROUND FOR RETRO-FITTING THE TRIM WITH A NON-REFLECTIVE SURFACE. THE COMPANY TOLD ME IT DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH SUNLIGHT REFLECTING INTO DRIVER'S' EYES FROM THE TRIM. THUS, NO PROBLEM MEANS NO NEED FOR A SOLUTION. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA. BECAUSE THE PROBLEM OCCURS IN 2013 MODELS OF TOYOTA AVALON CURRENTLY BEING SOLD IN DEALERSHIPS, THE BUYING PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT IT. FURTHER, TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE PROMPTED TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION TO PREVENT UNNECESSARY INJURIES OR FATALITIES IN THE FUTURE. *TR

HEADLINER OF THE CAR IS PEELING FROM THE REAR. WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP I.E. HOLMAN TOYOTA, MT. LAUREL, NJ, THEY ADVISED THEY WOULD ORDER THE NEW HEADLINER AND REPLACE THE SAME. WENT TODAY JULY 2ND, 2013, HOLMAN TOYOTA ADVISED THE PEELING HEADLINER IS COMMON ISSUE IN THE 2013 AVALON AND TOYOTA HAS INSTRUCTED DEALERS NOT TO REPLACE THE HEADLINER AS REPLACING THE HEADLINER WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. TOYOTA HAS ADVISED IT IS TRYING TO COME UP WITH A PERMANENT FIX VIA A "REPAIR" JOB, NOT ETA ON THE SAME YET. TILL TOYOTA COMES UP WITH A REPAIR I HAVE A PEELING HEADLINE WHICH CAN FALL ON HEAD WHILE I AM DRIVING CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND TOYOTA IS JUST SITTING ON IT. *TR

THIS TOYOTA WAS PURCHASED WITH A SUNROOF TOP. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR TWO WEEKS WE NOTICED THE HEADLINER WAS COMING LOOSE FROM THE ROOF. WE NOTICED THAT WHEN YOU OPENED THE SUNROOF THE AIR ENTERING THE CAR MADE THE ROOF OR HEADLINER SHAKE AND MOVE AS IF TO MUCH AIR WAS GETTING UNDER IT CAUSING THE HEADLINER TO SEPARATE FROM THE ROOF. WE TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND THE DEALERSHIP FINALLY TOLD US THERE WAS A RECALL ON THESE HEADLINERS AND THAT NO PARTS WERE BEING REPLACED AT THIS TIME. I LOOK AT THIS AS A MAJOR FLAW AND THE ROOF COMING LOOSE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THE TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT. WE'VE HAD THE CAR TWO WEEKS SHOULDN'T THEY HAVE SAID O BY THE WAY THE ROOF MAY SEPARATE FROM THE TOP OF THE CAR. NO CALLS ABOUT THE RECALL AND THEY TOLD US TO TAKE OUR CAR THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR IT RIGHT NOW. PLEASE TELL EVERYONE THE ROOF IN THIS CAR HAS PROBLEMS AN TOYOTA IS NOT FIXING IT. IT'S UNFAIR TO THE CONSUMER THAT THINGS LIKE THIS CAN HAPPEN AND PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT AND ARE STILL ALLOWED TO SELL THESE CAR IF YOU WANT TO BUY ONE TODAY. *TR

I DROVE TO BALTIMORE, MD FROM CHERRY HILL, NJ ON 06/16/2013 AT SPEEDS VARYING FROM 45MPH - 75MPH. THE MOMENT I GOT ON TO NJ TURNPIKE, THE WIND AND ROAD NOISE WERE LOUD INSIDE THE CABIN. THE ENTIRE TIME IT SEEMED THE WINDOWS OF THE CAR WERE OPEN EVEN THOUGH THE A/C WAS ON SLOW, WINDOWS AND SUNROOF WERE CLOSED. (I HAVE TWO OLDER CARS I.E. HYUNDAI ELANTRA 2002 AND HONDA ACCORD 2005 WHICH HAVE LESS CABIN NOISE WHEN WINDOWS ARE CLOSED). CONSIDERING, THIS IS A BRAND NEW CAR, HIGH END AND IS SUPPOSED TO BE VERY QUITE, I FIND IT A BIG SAFETY RISK AS THE NOISE IS DISTRACTING, BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO SEE IF THE WINDOWS WERE OPEN, DOORS WERE PROPERLY CLOSED AND SUN ROOF WASN'T OPEN / TILTED, ALL THE WHILE DISTRACTING ME FROM THE ROAD. A LOT OF THE NOISE SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM AROUND THE DOORS AND THE FRONT WINDSHIELD, AT ONE POINT DURING MY JOURNEY THERE WAS A LOUD WHOOSHING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT WIND SHIELD AS IF THERE WAS NO SEAL / INSULATION BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD AND THE BODY OF THE CAR. *TR