2005 Toyota Avalon

TL* THE CONTACT HAD A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT THE END OF A LONG ROAD , WHICH HE TAKES EVERYDAY, THERE IS A TIGHT SPOT WERE PEOPLE SLOW DOWN TO MAKE WHAT IS A VERY TIGHT CURVE THAT THEN GOES UP HILL. THE CONTACT TRIED SLOW DOWN BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SPEED UP AS THE CONTACT TRIED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE LARGE ROCKS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING AT 55 MPH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46000 MILES AT THE FAILURE AND CURRENTLY HAD 46000 MILES.

I HAVE OWNED AND DRIVEN A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON SINCE MAY 20, 2005. NOW IT HAS ABOUT 35,000 MILES ON IT. FROM TIME TO TIME, ESTIMATED AT SEVEN OR SO INSTANCES, I NOTED A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN ENGINE RPM WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. THIS HAPPENED ONLY DURING BRAKE APPLICATION, NOT AT OTHER TIMES. IN EACH INSTANCE OF UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION, I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR WITH A FIRM, STEADY APPLICATION OF PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. AFTER THE FIRST RECALL FOR THE FLOOR MAT, I REMOVED THE MAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. I WAS SKEPTICAL THAT THE MAT WAS A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS A HEAVY, OEM, FITTED MAT WHICH WAS ANCHORED WITH TWO FACTORY INSTALLED HOOKS ON THE FLOOR. THEY ENGAGE THE MAT THROUGH EYELETS NEAR THE MAT'S TRAILING EDGE. WITH THE MAT REMOVED, I EXPERIENCED ANOTHER SUDDEN ACCELERATION INCIDENT IN THE GARAGE OF HARTFORD HOSPITAL. IT WAS CLOSE TO A DISASTER BUT THE APPLICATION OF HEAVY, STEADY PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL STOPPED THE CAR. I CONSIDERED THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS ARE CONFIGURED OR POSITIONED SO THAT BOTH ARE ACTIVATED AT THE SAME TIME. ON CLOSE EXAMINATION I CONCLUDED THAT WAS UNLIKELY. I NOW CONCLUDE THESE FAILURES HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A DEFECT IN THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM IN THE CAR. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO CTDOT. A REPRESENTATIVE(?) PHONED TO REFER MY CORRESPONDENCE TO FEDERAL DOT. *TR

TOYOTA AVALON 2005. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN POWER SURGE OR RUNAWAY CAR, I DO BELIEVE THERE IS A LINK BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR AND THE ELECTRONICS. EVER SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE CAR, BRAND NEW, IN THE TWILIGHT HOURS OF DRIVING, THE DASHBOARD PANEL LIGHTS WILL DIM AND GO BRIGHT WHEN I STEP ON OR LET OFF THE GAS PEDAL. I REPORTED THIS TO TOYOTA WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR, BUT BECAUSE IT DIDN'T REACT WHEN THE SUPERVISOR WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME HE COULDN'T REPORT IT OR SAY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. *TR

MY WIFE DROVE OUR 2005 TOYOTA AVALON INTO THE PARKING LOT AT THE TARZANA, CA POST OFFICE. SHE PULLED INTO A PARKING SPOT FACING THE POST OFFICE, TOOK HER FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND STARTED APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE CAR SURGED FORWARD, CROSSING A WALKWAY AND RAN INTO A CONCRETE BLOCK PLANTER IN FRONT OF THE POST OFFICE. THE CAR SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL BODY AND RADIATOR DAMAGE AND IS NOW BEING REPAIRED AT A COST OF OVER $8000. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND MY WIFE WAS NOT INJURED. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAS BEEN SERVICED ON A REGULAR BASIS AND WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE CAR IS KEPT GARAGED AND IS UNLIKELY TO HAVE HAD CONDENSATION IN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SYSTEM. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CLEAR AND SUNNY WITH THE TEMPERATURE IN THE 70'S. THE CAR IS STILL UNDERGOING REPAIR AND WE ANTICIPATE RECEIVING IT SOMETIME THIS WEEK (2/2/10). WE HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY SENT AN INSPECTOR TO LOOK AT THE CAR ON 1/27/10. WE HAVE HAD NO REPORT BACK FROM TOYOTA AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE FLOOR MAT WAS CHECKED THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND IT WAS FIRMLY IN PLACE WITH THE FLOORBOARD CLIPS HOLDING THE MAT TO THE FLOOR. I CHECKED THE FLOOR MAT AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND IT HAD NOT MOVED OR INTERFERED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. MY WIFE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MOVING FORWARD AT MORE THAN 5 MILES/HOUR AS SHE WAS JUST MOVING INTO THE PARKING SPOT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. OBVIOUSLY, THE CAR MUST HAVE ACCELERATED TO AT LEAST 15-20 MILES/HOUR IN THE SPACE OF APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET BEFORE RUNNING INTO THE PLANTER. IT IS BEYOND BELIEF THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A STICKING ACCELERATOR PEDAL. *TR

MY COMPLAINT IS THE QUICK SO CALLED FIX OF THE ACCELERATION PEDAL THAT TOYOTA SAYS IS THE PROBLEM. THE ACCELERATION PEDAL IS NOT THE PROBLEM. FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THIS PROBLEM WITH OUR 2005 TOYOTA AVALON OCCURRED AFTER STARTING THE CAR WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, AND SHIFTING THE GEAR INTO REVERSE. I HAD NOT TOUCHED THE ACCELERATION PEDAL SO THEREFORE IT ISN'T JUST THE PEDAL EVEN IF THE PEDAL IS FAULTY. *TR

65 MPH INTERSTATE 64 E EXITING TO FORT EUSTIS BLVD VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. WHILE TRYING TO CONTROL WITH BRAKES (STANDING ON THE BRAKES) AND STEERING, THE PASSENGER MOVED THE GEAR SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. OCCURRENCE: ONCE REPORTED TO DEALER: ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. NOTHING ELSE WAS SUGGESTED BUT TO WAIT UNTIL TOYOTA ISSUES A NOTICE. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS, I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH EXTREME ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR ALTHOUGH I WAS APPLYING THE BRAKES. THIS WAS EXTREMELY FRIGHTENING TO ME AND CAUSED MY BOLD PRESSURE TO RISE SEVERELY...THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS REPORTED DIRECTLY TO THE SAFETY DEPARTMENT OF TOYOTA..ON DECEMBER 28TH ,2009. NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM... *TR

SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN MY 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. THE MAT DID NOT INTERFERE WITH THE ACCELERATOR. WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE TOYOTA HAS MAINTAINED THAT THE MAT IS THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THAT ABOUT WHAT TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND IS NOT BEING CANDID WITH THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION WHEN INFORMING THEM OF THE ISSUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE GOING UP A RAMP THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO WALL. THE CONTACT THOUGHT AT THE TIME HER FOOT SLIPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT WAS NOT HURT AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. ONE YEAR AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY THE VEHICLE SURGED AGAIN. THIS TIME THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO BREAK AND STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ALWAYS CRASHING INTO THE GARAGE. CONTACT FEELS THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND REFUSES TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000. UPDATED 1/11/09 *CN UPDATED 01/15/10.*JB