1998 Toyota Avalon Visibility Problems

1998 TOYOTA AVALON - WITHOUT WARNING, THE AIR CONDITIONER/HEATER & FANS QUIT WORKING. THIS IS INTERMITTENT. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT IS GOING TO GO OUT. THIS CAN BE A SAFETY ISSUE IF WE ARE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, OR ANYWHERE FOR THAT MATTER, DURING A COLD SPELL AND THE DEFROSTER SUDDENLY GOES OFF. SEARCHING THE INTERNET THERE ARE NUMEROUS PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.....AND WHAT IS TROUBLING IS THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF IT AND HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN BUT EVEN THAT YOU HAVE TO PULL TEETH TO GET A COPY. IN FACT TO GET THEM TO TELL ME THERE WAS AN ISSUE I HAD TO TELL THEM THE TSA NUMBER I HAD FOUND. THEY ORIGINALLY TOLD ME THEY HAD NO INFORMATION. THEY ARE NOT MAKING THIS KNOWN TO THEIR CUSTOMERS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10200637

Incident

Jul 1, 2007

ON A 98 TOYOTA AVALON XLS: THE A/C AND HEATING SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN COMPLETELY OCCASIONALLY. THE FRONT AND REAR DEFOGGERS FAIL ALSO. WHEN THE SHUT DOWN OCCURS, THE AIR VENTS EMIT VERY HOT AIR, EVEN THOUGH THE THERMOSTAT IS SET FOR A/C. I ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT WHEN IT STARTED RAINING AND THE DEFOGGERS FAILED TO OPERATE. IT APPEARS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL WIRING DEFECT FOR WHICH I HAVE APPEALED TO TOYOTA TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY,BUT WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS

NHTSA ID

10133740

Incident

Apr 1, 2004

Mileage

75,000 mi

THE ENTIRE HVAC SYSTEM OF THE CAR SHUTS DOWN. BLOWER, HEATER, DEFROSTER, A/C ARE ALL INOPERATIVE. CANNOT BE ACTIVATED MANUALLY. WINDSHIED QUICKLY FOGS. HOURS OR DAYS LATER, OPERATION RETURNS TO NORMAL. PROBLEM RECURS WITHOUT PATTERN.*AK

NHTSA ID

10116651

Incident

Apr 6, 2005

Mileage

32,000 mi

INTERMITTENT OPERATION OF AUTOMATIC CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM. NO AIR CONDITIONING, HEATER OR FAN OPERATION. COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF SYSTEM. WILL SOMETIMES WORK AFTER THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THIS BECOMES VERY SERIOUS BECAUSE FRONT WINDSHIELD WILL NOT DEFOG. TOYOTA RELEASED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON DEC. 3, 1999. BULLETIN AC005-99 THEY KNEW THAT THE SYSTEM HAD A FLAW SO THEY REDESIGNED AND UPDATED THE (ECU) A/C AMPLIFIER. ITS THE BRAIN FOR THE COMPLETE HEATING AND A/C SYSTEM. I PLEAD MY CASE WITH THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THEY CALLED TOYOTA AND TOYOTA REFUSED MY REQUEST TO HAVE THE PARTS AND LABOR COVERED BECAUSE OF A BAD DESIGN. *NM

NHTSA ID

10106438

Incident

Dec 23, 2004

Mileage

80,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENTIRE CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

NHTSA ID

10064901

Incident

Mar 17, 2004

Mileage

72,000 mi

1998 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CLIMATE CONTROL RANDOMLY QUITS WORKING. NO HEAT,NO AIR, NO DEFROST NO BLOWER. CAUSES A DANGROUS SITUATION IS YOU NEED THE DEFROSTER AND IT DOESN'T WORK

NHTSA ID

10051336

Incident

Dec 4, 2003

Mileage

46,705 mi

AN ALLDATA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED 12/03/1999: "A/C - ATC SYSTEM INTERMITTENTLY FAILS/BECOMES INOPERATIVE. AUTO A/C SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT. INTRODUCTION: A PRODUCTION CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE FOR THE 1998-1999 AVALON A/C AMPLIFIER. THE INTERNAL LOCIC HAS BEEN CORRECTED TO ELIMINATE EXCESSIVE AIR INLET SERVO MOTOR TRAVEL, WHICH MAY EFFECT THE MOTOR AND/OR THE SERVO LINK. VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC A/C MAY INTERMITTENTLY EXPERIENCE ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: 1)THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE DISPLAY MAY GO BLANK; 2)FRESH/RECIRC INDICATOR LIGHT INOPERATIVE; 3)MODE INDICATOR LIGHT INOPERATIVE; 4)BLOWER INDICATIOR INOPERATIVE. NOTE: A/C SYSTEM MAY RESTORE TO NORMAL CONDITION UPON CYCLING THE IGNITION SWITCH. ALL APPLICABLE VEHICLES: ALL 1998 MODEL YEAR AVALON XLS PRODUCED BEFORE VIN:4T1BF18B*WU273780." I FIRST EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM IN SUMMER OF 2003. A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER DENIED KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM. EVENTUALLY ISOLATED THE PROBLEM AND ALLDATA BULLETIN WITH THROUGH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. NOTIFIED TOYOTA CORPORATE, WHO IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND UNWILLING TO COVER THE COSTS TO CORRECT: $800 PER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC & $1,000 PER LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. DURING THE SUMMER, THE ATC FAILURES CREATED POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS AS WINDOWS QUICKLY FOGGED AND VISIBILITY DROPPED TO ZERO. CURRENTLY, THE ATC SYSTEM HAS FAILED AND HAS NOT RESTORED BY ALLOWING THE CAR TO SIT AND CYCLING THE IGNITION SWITCH, CREATING INABILITY TO DE-ICE AND DE-FOG THE CAR WINDOWS. ALL EVIDENCE INDICATES: 1)PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY INCORRECT INTERNAL LOGIC OF THE A/C AMPLIFIER, NOT NORMAL USE/WEAR OF THE VEHICLE; 2)TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IS UNWILLING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE; 3)THE PROBLEM QUICKLY AND UNPREDICABLY HAS CREATED DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR THIS AND OTHERS DRIVERS, AS INDICATED BY THEIR NHTSA COMPLAINTS. PLEASE INITIATE AN INVESTIGATION AND RECALL, HOLDING TOYOTA ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DEFECTIVE NATURE AND FAILURE OF THIS PRODUCT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10049565

Incident

Dec 10, 2003

A/C CLIMATE CONTROL SHUTS ITSELF OFF AUTOMATICALLY AFTER A SHORT PERIOD USAGE. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATUR EINDICATOR,FAN SPEED,VENTILATION DIRECTION, AND OUTSIDE AIR RECIRCULATION CONTROLS ALL GO OUT. ALMOST GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE WINDSHIELD A/C DEFROST DID NOT WORK DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. STILL UNDER THE MILAGE WARRANTY(>36000), AND WENT TO TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS QUOATED $900 TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED. WILL CONTACT TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE NEXT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10029135

Incident

Jun 17, 2002

Mileage

20,000 mi

A/C CLIMATE CONTROL SHUTS ITSELF OFF AUTOMATICALLY AFTER A SHORT PERIOD USAGE. THE OUTSIDE TEMP.INDICATOR,FAN SPEED,VENTILATION DIRECTION, AND OUTSIDE AIR RECIRCULATION CONTROLS ALL GO OUT. ALMOST GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE WINDSHIELD A/C DEFROST DID NOT WORK DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. STILL UNDER THE MILAGE WARRANTY(>36000), AND WENT TO TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS QUOATED $900 TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED. WILL CONTACT TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE NEXT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10029134

Incident

Jun 17, 2002

Mileage

20,000 mi

THE HEAT DEFROSTER BLOWER HAD CUT COMPLETELY OFF AND DID NOT TURN BACK ON. SCC

NHTSA ID

10006208

Incident

Nov 26, 2002

Mileage

71,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED CONSUMER NOTICE A LOUD NOISE FLOWING WITH GLASS IN REAR SEAT OF VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY INDICATION REAR WINDOW BLEW OUT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

NHTSA ID

8023167

PROBLEM WITH VENTILATION SYSTEM--BURNTOUT WIRES IN THE AUTOMATIC CLIMATE CONTROL MODULE CAUSED TOTAL FAILURE OF THE ENTIRE VENTILATION SYSTEM

NHTSA ID

9005231

NO, SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

755472

Incident

Dec 6, 2001

THIS SYSTEM MALFUNCTION IS A SERIOUS HARZARD. WHEN THE ELECTRONIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM FAILS, THE DEFROSTER ALSO FAILS. THE LOSS OF DEFROSTER HAS PUT ME IN JEOPARDY MANY TIMES DURING POOR WEATHER. BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE FAILURE WILL OCCUR, AND ONLY OWN ONE CAR, I CAN'T CHOOSE NOT TO DRIVE WHEN THE POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS OCCUR.

NHTSA ID

750287

Incident

Jan 15, 1999

THE COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF THE ENTIRE AIR CIRCULATING SYSTEM INCLUDING FRONT DEFROST/DEFOG, HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONING IS DOCUMENTED IN A SERVICE BULLETIN TO TOYOTA DEALERS FROM TOYOTA, YET TOYOTA REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR THE VEHICLE IF IT IS PAST THE WARRANTY PERIOD. EVEN THOUGH IT CREATES A DANGEROUS CONDITION IN NOT BEING ABLE TO DEFOG OR DEFROST THE FRONT WINDSHIELD.*AK

NHTSA ID

747215

Incident

Jun 12, 2001

ELECTRONIC CLIMATE CONTROL AND DASH LIGHTS/WARNINGS CUT OFF WITHOUT NOTICE AND CANNOT BE RESTARTED UNLESS IGNITION TURNED OFF AND ALLOWED TO SIT >1MIN, DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY SPECIFIC PROBLEM RECOMMENDS TRYING TO REPLACE MODULE FOR $1200 ALTHOUGH THAT MAY OR MAY NOT FIX PROBLEM, MORE FREQUENT FAILURE IN SUMMER MONTHS

NHTSA ID

714628

Incident

Jul 1, 1999

WINDSHIELD GLASS FLAWED DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION. YH

NHTSA ID

608762

Incident

Feb 1, 1998

DRIVERS SIDE POWER WINDOW RELAY FAILED. NLM

NHTSA ID

607810

Incident

Dec 1, 1998

FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED.

NHTSA ID

528733

Incident

Jan 9, 1998