2002 Toyota Avalon Brakes Problems

Bosch ABS anti skid, anti lock brake moduled failed. No brakes. Toyota US has no replacements parts available. Bosch no longer produces. Called Toyota Customer Service three times. Got to the management end and Senior Advisor told me, warranty expired, norhing we can do. I said, there are a bunch of 2000 to 2004 Toyota Avalons/Lexus 300 vehicles out there (same car except nameplates) with the same problem! Same answer: Toyota, LLC has no further interest in those models and warranty has expired. So, I have limited options: 1. Junk the car (funs and drives like new), 2. Start a legal proceeding (costs prohibitive), 3. notify NHTSA. So, I (and X# of others that own this model) have a seroius safety problem. What Can the NHTSA do?

NHTSA ID

11517521

Incident

Feb 7, 2023

I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED BY ITSELF, BRAKES DID NOT WORK. THE CAR PUT ITSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF TWO LANES, THEN ACCELERATED TURN HALF ,I THINK, CRASHED (THE FRONT OF THE CAR)WITH A SMALL HILL SOME HOW DID NOT STOP AND ENDED UP SOMEHOW TURNING BACK AND CRASHED AGAIN THIS TIME THE BACK OF THE CAR CRASHED AGAINST THE HILL AND STOPPED. THE CAR SUFFERED SEVERAL BREAKS IN AND A TRANSMISION REPAIR. THIS IS MY THIRD TOYOTA. IT WAS PERFECT BEFORE THE INCIDENT. IT WAS VERY SCARY. JUST A FEW MIN BEFORE THE CRASH I WAS PASSING A TOLL AT ABOUT 28 MPH. AFTER PASSING THE TOOL I WAS FASTER THAN THAT BUT I DO NOT LIKE TO SPEED.

NHTSA ID

11191620

Incident

Jan 24, 2019

Mileage

213,830 mi

MY 2002 TOYOTA AVALON CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDDLE AND DEPRESSED THE BRAKE. I TRIED USING THE BRAKE AND EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR, BUT I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR'S ACCELERATION. MY CAR ENDED UP SLAMMING INTO A HOUSE. IT WAS INVESTIGATED BY SHELBY TOWNSHIP MICHIGAN POLICE AND CONFIRMED THE ACCELERATED WAS STUCK. I RECEIVED SEVERE INJURIES IN THIS ACCIDENT INCLUDING A HEAD INJURY, AND NECK & BACK INJURIES. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OTHER PEOPLE DRIVING A SIMILAR CAR. PLEASE INVESTIGATE.

NHTSA ID

10726018

Incident

Jun 5, 2015

Mileage

155,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE CONTACT APPLIED EXCESSIVE FORCE TO THE BRAKES AGAIN BUT THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED STERNUM AND HEART BRUISES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,000.

NHTSA ID

10676990

Incident

Jan 16, 2015

Mileage

162,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TURNING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND TO DECELERATION ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 215,000. UPDATED 6/27/14*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT.

NHTSA ID

10584942

Incident

Apr 20, 2014

Mileage

215,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE (ROUTE 90) MY TOYOTA AVALON SUDDENLY TURNED TO THE LEFT (DRIVER'S SIDE) AND STRUCK THE HIGHWAY MEDIAN. I HAD NO CONTROL OF MY AVALON AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNRESPONSIVE TO TURNING THE WHEEL AND TO BRAKING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10312681

Incident

Dec 22, 2009

Mileage

122,000 mi

CAR HAD BEEN PARKED IN GARAGE FOR 2 DAYS. DROVE VEHICLE ABOUT 1/4 MILE AND STOPPED FOR STOP LIGHT. WHEN ENTERING INTERSECTION, HEARD A LOUD CLUNK. CAR WAS VERY SLUGGISH AND NOTICED SMOKE THROUGH REAR WINDOW. STOPPED AND FOUND BRAKES LOCKED AND ABS/VSC INDICATORS ON DASH LIT. HAD CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER WHO FOUND "MASTER CYLINDER SEIZED CODE C1246 PRESSURE SENSOR MALFUNCTION". THEY REPLACED MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER. TOLD THEM I WANTED PART BACK BUT THEY SAID TOYOTA HAD PRIORITY OVER PART AND KEPT IT. VEHICLE HAD 65,614 MILES ON IT AT TIME OF INCIDENT. ALSO, BRAKE SYSTEM FLUSH HAD BEEN PERFORMED BY TOYOTA DEALER 4000 MILES AND 4 MONTHS PREVIOUS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10297868

Incident

Dec 26, 2009

Mileage

65,614 mi

DRIVING CAR IN PARKING LOT AT 10 MPH AND SUDDENLY WOULD NOT MOVE ANY MORE WHEN IN GEAR WHILE ENGINE RUNNING NORMALLY. FOLLOWING INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE ON: "VSC ON", "VSC OFF", AND "ABS". WHEELS WERE TOTALLY LOCKED AND WOULD NOT TURN AND TIRES DRUG WHEN VEHICLE PULLED UP FLATBED TOW TRUCK WITH WINCH. DEALER DIAGNOSED AS "FOUND BRAKES ARE LOCKED ON. FOUND MASTER CYLINDER NOT RELEASING. BRAKE FLUID IN BOOSTER". DESCRIBED TO ME BY DEALER ON PHONE THAT PIN IN MASTER CYLINDER FROZE FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON. TOOK ALMOST 2 WEEKS FOR DEALER TO GET PART AS NATIONAL BACKORDER (WHICH COULD INDICATE A SERIOUS, FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THIS PART). THIS COULD HAVE KILLED ME AND MY FAMILY IF OPERATING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN PIN LOCKED. THIS APPEARS TO BE IDENTICAL TO PREVIOUS CONDITION NOTED IN ODI CLAIM 10215967 ON SAME YEAR AND MODEL OF VEHICLE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION, SHOULD NOT NORMALLY OCCUR, BUT APPEARS TO BE HAPPENING TO MORE THAN ONE OWNER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10262835

Incident

Mar 2, 2009

Mileage

110,316 mi

MASTER CYLINDER SEIZED UP AND WAS UNABLE TO MOVE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10216747

Incident

Dec 6, 2007

Mileage

117,836 mi

WHILE DRIVING 10MPH, CAR SUDDENLY STOPS, MOTOR RUNNING NORMALLY. COLLARED PIN IN MASTER CYLINDER FAILED CAUSING BRAKES TO SEIZE WITH ABS AND ASC FAILURE. IF I HAD BEEN ON A FREEWAY, I WOULD SURELY HAVE BEEN BACKENDED OR SKIDDED ON ICE OUT OF CONTROL WITH NO WAY TO RECOVER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10215967

Incident

Jan 22, 2008

Mileage

94,000 mi

TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING THE 2002 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING AT 25 MPH WHEN ALL FOUR WHEELS LOCKED. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE SLIPPERY. THE VEHICLE DID NOT LOSE POWER. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO FORWARD OR IN REVERSE GEAR. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED ON A FLAT BED TRUCK. THE TOYOTA DEALER DETERMINED THE ABS ACTUATOR FAILED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10182102

Incident

Feb 5, 2007

Mileage

95,000 mi

2002 TOYOTA AVALON DEVELOPED REPEAT PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE EQUIPMENT.*MR AFTER 4,000 OR 5,000 MILES, THE CONSUMER HEARD A STRANGE NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES BEFORE THEY FINALLY AGREED THAT THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER STATED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS DUE FOR ITS 30,000 MILE CHECK-UP HE WAS ALWAYS TOLD THE VEHICLE NEEDED BRAKES. *JB

NHTSA ID

10131282

Incident

Jul 1, 2005

ALL FOUR BRAKE ROTORS PREMATURELY WORE OUT AT 46,000 MILES. DEALER WAS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10101257

Incident

Nov 15, 2004

Mileage

46,000 mi

ON 8/9 I TOOK MY CAR TO DARCARS FOR FRONT BRAKE SERVICE USING A COUPON FOR $64.95. AGAINST MY CONSENT I WAS CHARGED 368.27 THE ONLY ADDITIONAL WORK I CONSENTED TO WAS AN OIL CHANGE THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE THAN $7 AS A RESULT OF THE TYPE OF EXTENDED WARRANTY I HAVE.

NHTSA ID

10086699

Incident

Aug 9, 2004

WHILE DRIVING, THE CONSUMER HEARD A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR BRAKES. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BRAKES WORE OUT PREMATURELY. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE BRAKES, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK THE PARKING BRAKES HAD BEEN ADJUSTED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE SERVICE DEALER HAD NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE REAR BRAKES ON THE VEHICLE WORE OUT BEFORE THE FRONT BRAKES. THE CONSUMER HAD SPOKEN TO TWO OTHER AVALANCHE OWNERS WHO EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM, BOTH OF WHICH, STATED THAT THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AROUND 25-31K MILES. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10071754

Incident

Apr 16, 2004

Mileage

24,000 mi