1995 Toyota Avalon Problems

MY DAD'S OLD TOYOTA AVALON USED TO UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATE ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES BETWEEN THE END OF 2005 AND 2007. I WOULD SAY THAT BY THE END OF 2007 IT WOULD HAPPEN EVERY TIME I DROVE ON THE INTERSTATE!! WHEN THIS FIRST HAPPENED I WOULD HIT THE BRAKES AND USUALLY AFTER A FEW MOMENTS THE CAR WOULD DECELERATE (OBVIOUSLY CROSSING MY FINGERS AND PRAYING AT THIS MOMENT) HOWEVER THIS GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AS TIME WENT ON. I AM EXTREMELY LUCKY I NEVER HIT ANYONE OR CRASHED. I BECAME SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR AND IT EVENTUALLY FELL APART ANYWAY... *TR

WHILE TRAVELING IN STOP AND GO FREEWAY TRAFFIC, I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES (BOTH I AND MY WIFE THOUGHT THERE WAS PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP) BUT RATHER THAN STOPPING THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES LOCKED AND WE SLID INTO A STOPPED CAR. THE AIR BAGS ALSO FAILED TO OPEN.*AK

1)WAS RECENTLY ABLE TO SHUT OFF AND REMOVE THE KEY WHILE STILL IN DRIVE. DID THIS INADVERTENTLY WHEN I FORGOT TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK. FORTUNATELY VEHICLE DID NOT ROLL AWAY AS I WAS IN THE GARAGE AT HOME. 2) FAILURE ALWAYS HAPPENS WHEN I TRY SHUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF WHILE IN DRIVE. THE KEY SIMPLY COMES OUT. KEY SHOULD NOT COME OUT IN DRIVE. 3) AM IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. HAD IT DIAGNOSED. AFTER AN HOUR AND A HALF, THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT NEEDS A NEW SHIFT SOLENOID ECU, WHICH THEY MUST ORDER. *TR

PARKED MY AVALON IN MY APARTMENT PARKING LOT FOR APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR. WHEN I RETURNED THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD HAD MELTED COMPLETELY AROUND THE FUSE BOX AND STEERING WHEEL. ALL OF THE DASH AND SURROUNDING AREA WAS BURNED OR MELTED. ALSO I MIGHT MENTION THAT I AM AWARE OF NO CHANGES OF THE FUSES BY MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE, AND THE CAR HASN'T HAD ANY MAJOR REPAIRS (OUTSIDE OF FLUID CHANGES, TIRE ALIGNMENTS) SINCE I'VE OWNED IT. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 TOYOTA AVALON. WHEN DRIVING HE NOTICED A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE BOLTS TIGHTENED ON THE STEERING SHAFT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107000.

RIGHT SIDE STEERING RACK SEAL WAS LEAKING, DEALER REPLACED STEERING RACK. *SLC

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING EAST ON MAIN STREET TRAVELING AT 40MPH REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. *AK

CONSUMER STATED GLUE RAN DOWN ALL 4 DOORS. GLUE WAS COMING FROM DOOR PANELS INSIDE OF CAR. CONSUMER CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY OF GLUE FUMES. TS *TT

INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF POWER DOOR LOCKS - ALLOWING DOORS TO BE UNLOCKED FROM THE INSIDE RESULTS IN INABILITY TO EXIT CAR THRU DOOR(S) AFFECTED; PROB REPORTED TO TOYOTA DEALER; THEY UNABLE TO RE-CREATE NOR REPAIR ; HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE; THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM ; HOW CAN I GET TOYOTA'S ATTENTION ?*AK

1995 TOYOTA AVALON ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING. *KB A PASSERBY INFORMED THE CONSUMER A ROD MAY HAVE WENT THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED AN OIL LEAK, WHICH THEN DRIPPED ON THE MUFFLER. OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0043-91. *JB

OIL SLUDGE IN ENGINE VALVE COVERS RESULTED IN OIL BEING PULLED INTO THE AIR INTAKE THROUGH THE PCV VALVE. THE BAFFLE SYSTEM ON BOTH COVERS WERE REMOVED TO REVEAL NEAR TOTAL BLOCKAGE OF BAKED SLUDGE. THE CAMSHAFT VALLEYS IN THE CYLINDER HEADS WERE COATED WITH UP TO 1/2 OF SLUDGE. THE THROTTLE BODY, AIR CHAMBER, AIR CHAMBER CONTROL VALVE, AND INTAKE PLENUM WERE COATED WITH OILY SLUDGE AS WELL. AIR INTAKE AND CAMSHAFT CHAMBERS REQUIRED MANY HOUR OF CLEANING.

MY DAD'S OLD TOYOTA AVALON USED TO UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATE ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES BETWEEN THE END OF 2005 AND 2007. I WOULD SAY THAT BY THE END OF 2007 IT WOULD HAPPEN EVERY TIME I DROVE ON THE INTERSTATE!! WHEN THIS FIRST HAPPENED I WOULD HIT THE BRAKES AND USUALLY AFTER A FEW MOMENTS THE CAR WOULD DECELERATE (OBVIOUSLY CROSSING MY FINGERS AND PRAYING AT THIS MOMENT) HOWEVER THIS GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AS TIME WENT ON. I AM EXTREMELY LUCKY I NEVER HIT ANYONE OR CRASHED. I BECAME SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR AND IT EVENTUALLY FELL APART ANYWAY... *TR

WHILE DRIVING FOOT SLIPPED FROM BRAKES PEDAL TO GAS PEDAL ONLY TOUCHING GAS PEDAL LIGHTLY, AND VEHICLE SPED UNCONTROLLABLY IN REVERSE. VEHICLE STILL WAS ACCELERATING AFTER STOPPING. *AK

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT AFTER THE RELEASE BUTTON HAS BEEN PRESSED. *AK

DRIVERS SEAT BELT FAILED. *TT

FRONT LEFT COIL SPRING BROKE IN TWO RESULTING IN PUNCTURED TIRE AND THE COST OF REPLACING BOTH SIDES WITH NEW STRUTS & SPRINGS. *NLM

FRONT LEFT COIL SPRING BROKE IN THREE PLACES, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE STRUT, WHICH IN TURN, CUT A HOLE IN THE TIRE.. CAN NHTSA PROVIDE INFORMATION IN THIS MATTER.

REAR POWER WINDOWS SPORADICALLY FAIL. CAR HAS 48,000 MILES. TECHNICIAN SAYS "REGULATOR CABLES" ARE DEFECTIVE.

DEFOGGER INOPERATIVE, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.

TRANSMISSION WOULD MAKE CLUNKING NOISES WHENEVER SHIFTING INTO REVERSE. ALSO, HAVE A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTOR. WHILE AT DEALERSHIP HAD INFORMED MECHANIC OF TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. WAS INFORMED THAT TRANSMISSION WAS SUPPOSE TO WORK LIKE THAT. THE PROBLEM WAS GETTING LOUDER & WORSE.*AK

WHILE PARKING WITH ENGINE RUNNING, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL BACKWARDS, RESULTING IN VEHICLE BEING WEDGED BETWEEN A TREE AND A FENCE. *AK

IN JULY OF 95 OWNER HAD THE TURN SIGNAL FIXED BECAUSE THE TURN SIGNAL DID NOT WORK. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WHOLE TURN SIGNAL CONSOLE. NOW, SINCE THE DEALER REPLACED THE TURN SIGNAL IT WORKS OFF AND ON. *AK

HEADLIGHTS DO NOT COME ON EARLY ENOUGH WHEN SET IN AUTOMATIC POSITION/AUTOMATIC POSITION ONLY WORKS IN DARK, NOT AT DUSK. *AK

SEAT CUSHION DEVELOPS LUMPS, CAUSING DISCOMFORT FOR DRIVER.

DRIVERS SEAT BELT FAILED. *TT

FLUID LEAKS AT A FAST RATE COMPROMISING THE DRIVER'S ABILITY TO TURN; MULTIPLE OCCURRENCES IN THE MODELS BUILT BETWEEN 1995-1998; PLEASE CONTACT ME AT X64026. *AK

GASOLINE ENTERING INSIDE THE VEHICLE, DUE TO A FUEL INJECTOR LEAKING SAID SECOND HAND MECHANIC, DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. TT CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT DUE TO HAVING TO RENT A CAR, GET A HOTEL ROOM, AND PAY FOR A MECHANICE TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. *SLC

VEHICLE HAD THREE CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH RECAPS ON THE ROADWAY; ONE RESULTED IN $1000 DAMAGE. *AK

TWO GENERAL TIRES WORN.

STRONG ODOR FROM AIR CONDITIONER.

WHENDRIVING THROW SHALLOW/DEEP PUDDLE OF WATER, THE AIR CONDITIONING AUTOMATICALLY COMES OFF DUE TO A WET COMPRESSOR, CAUSING WINDSHIELD TO BECOME FOGGY, IMPAIRING VISIBILITY. *AK

SIX BOLTS ON THE DRIVETRAIN WHERE IT ENTERS THE ENGINE CAME LOOSE. ALL FELL OUT EXCEPT ABOUT TWO. MECHANIC WHO CHECKED IT SAID IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC IF IT FELL OFF AT HIGHWAY SPEED. TOYOTA REPLACED IT FOR FREE, ONLY AFTER INTENSE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND WHO SHOULD PAY FOR REPAIR.*AK

FROM 60,000 MILES TO THE PRESENT TEN STUDS BROKE OFF ON VARIOUS WHEELS. DEALER CONTACTED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK