1996 Toyota Avalon Engine Problems

WHILE DRIVING TO AN APPOINTMENT, I HAD UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD AFTER USING TWO FEET TO SLOW VEHICLE, AND SHUT VEHICLE OFF. AFTER TRYING TO RESTART VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, IT WAS STILL REVVING. AFTER A HALF HOUR, I WAS ABLE TO START IT AND BRING IT HOME. VERY SCARY! IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN, WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING, AND WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF TO SAFETY. WE TOOK IT TO OUR MECHANIC, AND SINCE IT WAS NOT DOING IT WHILE THEY HAD IT, THEY COULDN'T FIND WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM, AND FIX IT. WHILE TRYING TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, WE DISCOVERED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM TO THIS VEHICLE YEAR, AND MOST WERE ON CAMRY'S. WE DO NOT HAVE REPLACEMENT FLOOR MATS, AND THE PEDAL WAS NOT STUCK. WE CALLED TOYOTA TO CHECK ON RECALL INFORMATION. SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON OUR VIN#, AND TOLD IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, DUE TO THE MILEAGE, BUT THEY DOCUMENTED MY REPORT IN THEIR CORPORATE RECORDS, AND TO TAKE IT TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT EVALUATED AND REPAIRED, WHICH WOULD NO DOUBT BE AT OUR EXPENSE SINCE IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. WE ARE SENIOR CITIZENS, AND ARE AFRAID TO EVEN DRIVE THIS CAR NOW, MUCH LESS DRIVE IT ALL THE WAY TO A DEALER OUT OF TOWN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10609281

Incident

Oct 10, 2013

Mileage

220,000 mi

AFTER RECEIVING A JUMP, I WAS TOLD TO DRIVE THE CAR FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO RECHARGE THE BATTERY. AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, THE GAS PEDAL SEEMED TO STICK. THEN WHEN DRIVING THE SPEED BEGAN TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. THE LONGER WE DROVE THE HIGHER THE ENGINE REVVED. I DECIDED TO RETURN TO MY HOME ABOUT 5 MINUTES AWAY THEN THE CAR BRAKE WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR AT A STOP LIGHT AND I HAD TO QUICKLY TURN THE CORNER TO A SIDE STREET UNTIL THE LIGHT CHANGED AND I WAS ABLE TO ENTER MY STREET. I PULLED THE CAR TO THE SIDE TO PARK IT AND IT WOULD NOT STOP WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO THE FLOOR SO I QUICKLY PUT IT IN PARK AND TURNED IT OFF. IT REVVED A FEW SECONDS BEFORE FINALLY TURNING OFF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10501127

Incident

Mar 3, 2013

Mileage

188,000 mi

I HAVE A 1996 TOYOTA AVALON AND THE ENGINE SEEMS TO BE BURNING A LOT OF OIL AND SENDING OFF A LOT OF SMOKE RELATED TO THE SLUDGE PROBLEM KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THE PROBLEM KNOWN ONCE MORE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10173794

Incident

Nov 18, 2006

THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE, AND CONSUMER FOUND THAT THERE WAS SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR AVALONS OF 1997, BUT NOT FOR THIS YEAR.*AK

NHTSA ID

10081650

Incident

Jul 3, 2004

Mileage

117,000 mi

PURCHASED USED 1996 TOYOTA AVALON IN MARCH 2002 WITH 72,000 MILES. AT THAT TIME I ALSO PURCHASED A 2 YEAR/24000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY THROUGH UNIVERSAL UNDERWRITERS. ENGINE FAILED IN EARLY DECEMBER 2003 AT 92000 MILES DUE TO SLUDGE BUILDUP IN OIL PAN. OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES. TOYOTA NOT COVERING ENGINE REPLACEMENT BECAUSE IT IS NOT A 97 MODEL. EXTENDED WARRANTY NOT COVING BECAUSE FAILURE CAUSED BY "FLUID CONTAMINATION". *AK

NHTSA ID

10067947

Incident

Dec 4, 2003

Mileage

92,000 mi

THE ENGINE CUT OUT/STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EXPRESSWAY WITH NO WARNING. PULLED TO THE EMERGENCY LANE, TURNED OFF ENGINE, WAITED A WHILE, TURNED ENGINE BACK ON AND ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON FOR FIRST TIME. TOWED CAR TO DEALERSHIP, WHO INDICATES IT IS OIL SLUDGE DUE TO FAILURE TO CHANGE OIL FREQUENTLY ENOUGH. OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED EVERY 4000 MILES. GETTING NO SATISFACTION FROM DEALER, WHO INDICATES MINIMUM REPAIR COST WILL BE $3300 - $3500 FOR REBUILT ENGINE. MADE COMPLAINT TO TOYOTA CORPORATE, WHO ALSO ARE NOT PROVIDING ASSISTANCE AT THIS TIME. GETTING RUN AROUND AS COMPLAINT WAS FILED, WHICH IS BEING SENT BACK TO REGIONAL OFFICE FOR HANDLING. REGIONAL OFFICE ALREADY INDICATED THAT THEY PROBABLY AREN'T GOING TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THE 1996 MODEL ISN'T INCLUDED IN THE OIL SLUDGE RECALL ON 1997 - 2002 MODELS. ENGINE HAS JUST OVER 63,000 MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE ONE YEAR OLD WITH 29,000 MILES ON IT. ONLY 34,000-35,000 MILES HAS BEEN PUT ON THE CAR IN THE LAST SIX YEARS OF MY OWNERSHIP. I FEEL VERY TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF, AND PLACED NOT ONLY IN HARMS WAY BY A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT, BUT WITH A FINANCIAL BURDEN NOW AS WELL.

NHTSA ID

10070440

Incident

Feb 15, 2003

Mileage

63,000 mi

I HAVE A 1996 TOYOTA AVALON THAT HAS THE OIL SLUDGLE PROBLEM. I HAVE FILED A CLAIM WITH CORPORATE OFFICE OF TOYOTA AND THEY CONTACTED LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHO ASKED FOR RECEIPTS OF OIL CHANGES AND SAID THEY WILL REVIEW CASE, RECEIPTS WERE PROVIDED AND AFTER BEING REVIEWED THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO HELP. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER WHO HAS TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND I NEED RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION AND I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE 5000.00 TO REPAIR WHEN I OWE 5020.00 ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED! THANKS, CHERYL FOLEY

NHTSA ID

10070266

Incident

Sep 15, 2003

Mileage

95,000 mi

ENGINE: ENGINE SLUDGE BUILDUP HAS RUINED THE ENGINE DESPITE REASONABLE MAINTENENCE. ENGINE MUST NOW BE REBUILT OR REPLACED. ENGINE HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC FOR THE LAST YEAR OR TWO. DEALERSHIP HAS INFORMED ME THAT MY ENGINE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE CURRENT TOYOTA LETTER DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN MAY OF 1996 AND TOYOTA HAS AN AUGUST OF 1996 MANUFACTUING CUT-OFF DATE. I ALSO OWN A 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA WHICH IS BEGINING TO HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. FROM ALL I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RESEARCH AT LEAST PART OF THIS PROBLEM IS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW IN THE HEAD. I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF CARS IN THE LAST TWN YEARS WHICH I HAVE DRIVEN WELL INTO HIGH MILES WITH THE SAME MAINTENECE ATTENTION AS THIS ONE BUT HAVE NOT HAD THE SLUDGE PROBLEM BEFORE. I WOULD LIKE TOYOTA TO PICK UP AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE REPAIR COST.

NHTSA ID

10069929

Incident

Dec 15, 2002

1996 TOYOTA AVALON ENGINE FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

10069351

Incident

May 15, 2002

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. VEHICLE STALLED. THEN, VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS, AND MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE CAM HEAD BROKE OFF. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE WAS REQUIRED.*AK THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE MECHANIC WAS NOTIFIED. WHEN PULLING INTO THE PARKING LOT, THE ENGINE DIED. THE OIL WAS CHECKED AND IT WAS FINE. HE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE CAM HEAD BLEW OFF. CONSUMER NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AND THE DEALERSHIP WOULDN'T HELP SINCE THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CONSUMER NOTED WHEN THE ENGINE GET REPAIRED, SHE WILL SELL THE VEHICLE AND NEVER RECOMMEND IT TO NO ONE ELSE. HER MECHANIC STATED THE CAM HAD NO OIL IN IT, YET THE VEHICLE WAS FULL OF OIL. THE OIL PUMP FAILED COSTING THE CONSUMER $6000. DOLLARS. SHE WAS INFORMED SINCE SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE VEHICLE ROUTINELY MAINTAINED AT THE DEALERSHIP. *PH

NHTSA ID

10046698

Incident

Oct 2, 2003

Mileage

117,417 mi

I OWN A 1996 TOYOTA AVALON. MY CAR HAS BEEN PUTTING OUT A WHITE SMOKE DURING COLD START-UPS. I AM ADDING TWO QUARTS OF OIL A WEEK. I CHANGE MY OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES. I EVEN REPLACE SOME SEALS, BELIEVING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. NOW THE PROBLEM HAS COME TO A-HEAD. MY CAR STALLED ON THE INTERSTATE GOING TO WORK ON JULY 13, 2003. THE CAR ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER IT STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO PARK THE CAR AND IT WILL BE MY MECHANIC. I HAVE READ ON THIS SITE THAT THERE HAS BEEN OTHERS COMPLAIN OF THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP US IN NOT ONLY FINDING THE PROBLEM BUT FIXING IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND HAVE A BLESSED DAY, MICHAEL T. MARCHAND.*AK

NHTSA ID

10026077

Incident

Jul 12, 2003

Mileage

180,000 mi

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1996 TOYOTA AVALON AND NEED A NEW ENGINE DUE TO OIL SLUDGE PROBLEMS. MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER TOYOTA'S CSP PROGRAM ALTHOUGH IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THE ENGINES COVERED UNDER THIS PROGRAM. THIS HAS CAUSED MY FAMILY EMOTIONAL AND FINANCIAL STRESS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10010272

Incident

Jan 25, 2003

Mileage

116,000 mi

ENGINE CUT OUT/STALLED IN MIDDLE OF EXPRESSWAY WITH NO WARNING. PULLED TO EMERGENCY LANE, TURNED OFF ENGINE, WAITED A WHILE, TURNED ENGINE BACK ON, ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP, WHO INDICATES IT IS OIL SLUDGE DUE TO FAILURE TO CHANGE OIL. OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED EVERY 4000 MILES. GETTING NO SATISFACTION AT THIS POINT FROM DEALER, WHO INDICATES MINIMUM REPAIR COST WILL BE $3300 - $3500 FOR REBUILT ENGINE. MADE COMPLAINT TO TOYOTA CORPORATE, WHO ALSO ARE NOT PROVIDING ASSISTANCE. GETTING RUN AROUND AS COMPLAINT WAS FILED, WHICH THEY ARE SENDING BACK TO REGIONAL OFFICE FOR HANDLING. REGIONAL OFFICE ALREADY INDICATED THAT THEY PROBABLY AREN'T OFFERING ANY ASSISTANCE. ENGINE HAS LESS THAN 65,000 MILES ON IT. BOUGHT IT ONE YEAR OLD WITH 29,000 ON IT. THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS CAR TO HAVE ENGINE TROUBLE WITH LESS THAN 65,000 MILES ON IT. ONLY 35,000 MILES HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE CAR IN LAST 6 YEARS. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STICK BY THEIR PRODUCT, AND MAKE REPAIRS THAT ARE REQUIRED. CONSUMERS AT BEING PLACED IN VERY POOR POSITION, AND WE ARE BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF.

NHTSA ID

10007640

Incident

Feb 8, 2003

Mileage

63,348 mi

THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.*JB

NHTSA ID

10007422

Incident

Feb 12, 2003

I OWN A 1996 TOYOTA AVALON WITH 53K MILES ON IT. IT STARTED CONSUMING OIL AND BLOWING SMOKE ON COLD STARTS OVER THE WINTER. I HAVE DONE NUMEROUS MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. BEFORE THEN, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON 15MONTHS AGO SO I ASKED MY TOYOTA DEALER TO CHECK THE ENGINE. THEY DID SOME MINOR CHECKS AND TURNED THE LIGHT OFF. CURRENTLY MY CAR HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS "ENGINE INTERNALL DAMAGED NEEDS ENGINE" BOTH THE SERVICE MANAGER MIKE AND THE DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER ACKNOWLEDGED SLUDGE IN ENGINE THAT CAUSED DIAGNOSED ENGINE PROBLEMS. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO RESOLVE WITH TOYOTA CORPORATE PERSONELL AS I BECAME AWARE OF THE 1997-2002 TOYOTA VEHICLES WITH THE SAME ENGINE THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED BY TOYOTA UNDER THE "SPA CAMPAIGN" THAT TOYOTA SAID THEY WORKED OUT WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION. I HAVE BEEN OFFERED 50% REPAIR FROM TOYOTA CORPORATE DESPITE BEING ACCUSED OF NEGLECTING MY VEHICLE(I PROVIDED TOYOTA WITH ALL OF MY SCHEDULED MAINTENEANCE AND OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS AT WELL WITHIN THEIR RECOMMENDED TIME/MILEAGE INTERVALS. I AM AWARE OF MANY OTHER 1996 TOYOTA AVALON OWNERS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HE SAME PROBLEMS/FALSE ACCUSATIONS AN GRIEF FROM TOYOTA. SOME HAVE RECEIVED FULL PAYMENT FOR THEIR ENGINE REPAIRS. TOYOTA NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE OIL GELLING(SLUDGE) PROBLEMS MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES ARE HAVING. I FEEL THAT MY 3 SMALL CHILDREN AND I ARE AT RISK OF SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY DUE TO THE PROBLEM WITH TOYOTAS 6 CYL ENGINE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN GIVE ME AND WHY 1996 AVALONS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE "SPA" PROGRAM WHEN IT IS THE SAME ENGINE AND SAME ENGINE PROBLEMS OCCURRING. PLEASE HELP. MONICA AT TOYOTA SAID IT WAS WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION, GUIDANCE AND APPROVAL THAT THE CURRENT "SPA" CAMPAIGN WAS IMPLEMENTED. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STAND UP TALL AND SUPPORT THEIR LOYAL CUSTOMERS IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD. IT IS WAY TOO EASY TO BE A "FAIR WEATHER FRIEND" . NOW WE ARE "NEGLECTFUL OWNERS" HMMM.*AK

NHTSA ID

765169

ENGINE HAS SLUDGE.TOYTA DOES NOT WANT TO FIX IT.ENGINE WILL CUT OFF GOING DOWN ROADIT COULD POSSIBLTY CAUSE ACCIDENT.IT IS NOT JUST ONE MODEL OF CAR BUT THE SIX CYLINDER IS THE PROBLEM. I HAVE TALKED TO ABOUT 20 PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH ENGINE SLUDGE.THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. TOYOTA SAYS OIL NOT CHANGED PROPERLY BUT PEOPLE HAVE RECORDS.PLEASE LOOK AT THE WEBSITE WWW.THECOMPLAINTSTATION.COM UNDER TOYOTA AND LOOK AT PROBLEMS. THIS IS JUST SOME PEOPLETHAT HAVE FOUND OUT IT AND KNOW ONE PLACE THEY CAN LOG IT.HOW MANY OUT THERE THAT DONT KNOW. I WAS AT TOYOTA DELERSHIP AND WHILE THEY WERE CHECKING MINE ANOTHER CAME IN IT WAS A 98 TOYOTA SINNEA VAN ONLY 38000 MILES TOYTOA TOLD THESE PEOPLE THE SAME THING THING THEY TOLD ME OIL NOT CHANGED AND IT WAS THE WORST THEY EVER SAW.I BELEIVE TOYOTA IS TRYING TO HIDE SOMETHING. I HAVE A TOYTOA WITH 237000 MILES ON IT NO PROBLEM WITHIT. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS. I WAS TOLD BY A TOYOTA TECH. IT WAS POSSIBLE CAUSE OF ENGINE DESIGN .HE SAID THE FRONT HEAD IS FLAT AND THE BACK HEAD IS AT A ANGLE POSSIBLY CAUSING AFLOE PROBLEM. THANKS PAT. *A

NHTSA ID

733163

Incident

Jul 1, 2000

ENGINE GIVING OFF SMOKE AFTER OIL CHANGE. ENTIRE ENGINE HAS BEEN DISMANTLED AND IS BEING REASSEMBLED. OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED AT APPROPRIATE SERVICE INTERVALS. *AK

NHTSA ID

705062

Incident

Mar 1, 1999

ENGINE FIRE.(OHIO TRAFFIC REPORT).

NHTSA ID

539089

Incident

Jul 3, 1998

EMISSION CONTROL VALVE FAILED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.

NHTSA ID

605049

Incident

Dec 1, 1995

CANISTER ASSEMBLY AND VACCUMS FAILED.

NHTSA ID

603581

Incident

Nov 18, 1996

SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

516104

SMOG PARTS FAILED.

NHTSA ID

602712

Incident

Feb 12, 1997