1999 Toyota Avalon

IT HAS HAPPENED ON LEVEL SURFACES AS WELL AS INCLINES. WHEN YOU STEP ON THE BRAKE, THEY FIRST MAKE A GRINDING SOUND. THEN, IMMEDIATELY AFTER, THEY MAKE A SOUND LIKE A METAL SPRING UNCOILING (LIKE A CLICKING, OTHERWISE). AFTER THAT, YOU ARE FREE SAILING AS YOU HAVE NO BRAKES! THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE EITHER TRYING TO BRAKE OR EVEN AFTER BRAKING SUCCESSFULLY AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY LET LOOSE WHILE AT A STOP CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE FORWARD. I HAVE THANKFULLY BEEN ABLE TO AVOID ANY SERIOUS INJURY OR ACCIDENTS, HOWEVER HAVE HAD A MINOR ISSUE WITH HITTING A FENCE DUE TO THE BRAKE FAILURE. WE HAVE HAD THE BRAKE SYSTEM CHECKED FOR ANY REPAIRS NEEDED ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM. ALSO NOTE THAT THE ABS LIGHT AND TRACTION LITE OFTEN COMES ON DASH EVEN ON DRY SURFACES. THIS BRAKING PROBLEM IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE SIENNA, BUT IN OTHER MODEL TOYOTAS AS WELL. CURRENTLY, IT IS ONLY THE PRIUS BRAKING SYSTEM THAT IS GETTING PUBLIC ATTENTION, HOWEVER. *TR

AT ABOUT 5:00 P.M. MARCH 18, 2007, AS I WENT TO PICK UP MY 96 YEAR OLD MOTHER AT THE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY, I STOPPED MY 1999 TOYOTA AVALON UNDERNEATH THE DRIVE-THROUGH CANOPY TO WAIT FOR HER. AS I WAITED THERE, I NOTICED THAT A CAR HAD PULLED UP BEHIND ME AND WAS PREPARING TO DISCHARGE AN ELDERLY PASSENGER SO I PROCEEDED AROUND THE CIRCULAR DRIVE TO GET OUT OF THEIR WAY. AS I SLOWLY CIRCLED AROUND THE DRIVE BACK TOWARD THE ENTRANCE I NOTED THE OTHER CAR HAD CLEARED OUT. AS I COASTED TOWARD THE ENTRANCE I NOTED A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE ON THE SIDEWALK WALKING TOWARD THE ENTRANCE IN FRONT OF ME. AS I CONTINUED SLOWLY BACK TOWARD THE ENTRANCE, I FELT MY VEHICLE ACCELERATE VIOLENTLY TOWARD THE GROUP OF PEDESTRIANS. ENGAGING THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH BOTH FEET, I GRADUALLY BROUGHT MY VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AND CONTINUED TO A SAFE STOP WHERE I SHUT OFF THE IGNITION. IT WAS A TERRIFYING FEELING TO FEEL THE SURGE OF POWER THAT I WAS BARELY ABLE TO CONTROL AND TO REALIZE THAT WITH THE PEOPLE WALKING IN FRONT OF ME I COULD HAVE INJURED OR KILLED SOMEONE. THE PEOPLE WERE ONLY ABOUT 30 FEET IN FRONT OF ME. I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO COME PICK UP MY MOTHER AND ME AS I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO MY TOYOTA DEALER WHO SCHEDULED AN INSPECTION. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AFTER CLASSIFYING THE INCIDENT AS 'UNINTENDED ACCELERATION', PROCEEDED TO CLEAN THE THROTTLE BODY, CLEAN THE FUEL INJECTORS, AND DE-CARBON THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS. THE THROTTLE BODY HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SERVICED AT 45,900 MILES, (AN INTERVAL OF 43,240 MILES). A SERVICE INTERVAL OF 50,000 MILES IS RECOMMENDED BY THE TOYOTA DEALER. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS POTENTIAL FOR GREAT HARM TO PEDESTRIANS, THIS WAS THE ONLY INCIDENT OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION THAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH THIS CAR DURING THE FOUR YEARS THAT I OWNED IT. ON FEB 13, 2008, I SOLD THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND TRYING TO CHANGE LANES, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE OUT OF CONTROL. IT BEGAN SWAYING FROM ONE LANE TO THE NEXT. SHE TRIED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE WAS UNRESPONSIVE. SHE HIT THE CENTER DIVIDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE BECAUSE SHE HAD NO CONTROL AND COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. WHEN INSPECTED, THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN 2007. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 27,000. UPDATED 03/10/10 *BF UPDATED 06/14/10.*JB

DRIVER'S EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF. TOOK CAR TO DEALER, AND COMMENTS WERE THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME ON TOYOTAS (FROM MORE THAN ONE PERSON IN SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON DIFFERENT DATES. BEING ABLE TO OPEN DOOR QUICKLY CAN BE A SAFETY ISSUE. IF THIS IS OCCURRING AS FREQUENTLY AS TOYOTA SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES LED TO BELIEVE, WHY HASN'T TOYOTA DOES SOMETHING TO CORRECT? THE GRASPING PORTION OF HANDLE IS ALL PLASTIC. PROBLEM COULD MOST LIKELY BE SOLVED EASILY WITH A LITTLE REINFORCEMENT WITH A DURABLE MATERIAL. *TR

I ENTERED THE FREEWAY AND SUDDENLY MY CAR ACCELERATED AND I HAD NO CONTROL OVER IT. I WAS SCARED TO DEATH. ALL I COULD DO WAS STEER. I STAYED IN THE RIGHT LANE AND STEERED UP THE EXIT RAMP. I PUSHED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, STAYED ON THE BRAKE, AND IT COASTED TO A STOP AT THE TOP OF THE RAMP, JUST BEFORE IT ENTERED THE INTERSECTION. I PUT IT BACK INTO DRIVE, AND IT TOOK OFF AGAIN. I PUSHED IT BACK INTO NEUTRAL AND STEERED INTO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT. I PUT IT IN DRIVE AGAIN AND IT WAS FINE. I DROVE AROUND THE PARKING LOT. FINALLY, I DECIDED IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE HOME, BUT NOT ON THE FREEWAY. WHEN I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC, HE DETERMINED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. BY CHANCE, HE DISCOVERED THAT THE TIP OF THE MAT HAD APPARENTLY BEEN RESTING AGAINST THE BOTTOM TIP OF THE ACCELERATOR. HE CUT OFF THE TIP OF THE MAT. I REMEMBERED THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED ABOUT TWO YEARS PRIOR, ON A BUSY STREET, AS I DROVE OUT OF A CAR WASH. I HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME. ANOTHER MECHANIC FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. IT WAS PROBABLY THE MAT THAT FIRST TIME, TOO. BOTH INCIDENTS, ESPECIALLY THE SECOND ONE, WERE EXTREMELY FRIGHTENING. ALL I COULD WAS THANK GOD THAT THERE WAS NO COLLISION. *TR

SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT: I HAD SHOULDER SURGERY AND HAD TO PUT THE SHOULDER STRAP ACROSS MY BACK SO THAT IT WOULDN'T CROSS MY BAD SHOULDER. SO, WE GET TO OUR DESTINATION AND I START TO GET OUT OF THE CAR AND FORGET I STILL HAVE THE SEATBELT ON. MY WIFE GETS BACK IN AND RELEASES IT, AND I GO TO GET OUT AND THE DAMNED THING WON'T PULL OUT/LOOSE. SINCE THE IDIOT THING THINKS IT'S PROTECTING ME, I PUSH A LITTLE OF IT BACK INTO THE SLOT ASSUMING IT WILL THEN RELEASE. NOOOOO! IT JUST GETS TIGHTER. WE START THE CAR TO SEE IF THAT RELEASES IT. NOOOOO! EVERY TIME I MOVE IT JUST GETS TIGHTER. A FREAKING BOA CONSTRICTOR COULD TAKE LESSONS FROM THIS THING. AFTER IT'S ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT THE SEATBELT HAS WON, AND I'M BOUND UP LIKE A THANKSGIVING TURKEY, WE GET THE SCISSORS AND CUT IT LOOSE. THE TOYOTA ENGINEERS REALLY BLEW THIS DESIGN. SEVERAL FOLKS HAVE SAID THEY'VE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WITH KIDS IN CAR SEATS. ACTUALLY, THIS PROBLEM COULD BE KIND OF DANGEROUS IF YOU'RE IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, A VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE MIDDLE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS AND WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED FOUR FRACTURED RIBS, A FRACTURED PELVIS, AND A FRACTURED COXAE. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A CONTUSION UNDER HIS RIGHT SIDE RIB. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,600. UPDATED 01-11-08. *KB UPDATED 12/31/07