2006 Toyota Avalon Exterior lighting Problems

THE REAR DECK BRAKE LIGHT WORKS WHEN IT WANTS TO. NO EXPLANATION PROVIDED BY DEALER. EXPENSIVE TO TRACE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10535419

Incident

Aug 14, 2013

Mileage

150,000 mi

I AM USING THIS METHOD TO ALERT THE INDUSTRY TO A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH ALL AUTOMOBILES WITH DRIVING LIGHTS. IN LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS- DUSK, FOG, RAIN, SNOW, ETC., THE DRIVING LIGHTS INCREASE THE VEHICLE'S VISIBILITY TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. HOWEVER, THE REAR LIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN ONLY THE DRIVING LIGHTS ARE TURNED. THIS LACK OF TAIL LIGHTS MAKES IT VERY DANGEROUS FOR VEHICLES THAT ARE FOLLOWING A VEHICLE WITH DRIVING LIGHTS ONLY ILLUMINATED. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH MANY DRIVERS WHO FEEL VERY SAFE IN LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TURNED ON THEIR DRIVING LIGHTS- UNAWARE THAT THEIR REAR LIGHTS ARE NOT ILLUMINATED, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE THE AUTOMOBILE FROM THE REAR.. I FEEL THAT THE REAR LIGHTS SHOULD ILLUMINATE WHEN THE DRIVING LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON, INCREASING THE AUTOMOBILE'S VISIBILITY TO BOTH ONCOMING AND FOLLOWING TRAFFIC. *TR

NHTSA ID

10516154

Incident

Feb 1, 2006

BRAKE LIGHT IN REAR WINDOW WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. SAME THING FOR A FRIENDS NEWER AVALON.

NHTSA ID

10444370

Incident

Jun 15, 2011

2006 - TOYOTA AVALON AUTO DIM HEADLIGHTS, NOT SAFE AT NIGHT, DUE TO ONLY SHOWING APPROXIMATELY 2 CAR LENGTHS VISIBILITY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10329942

Incident

May 11, 2010

2006 TOYOTA AVALON. REAR DECK BRAKE LIGHT WORKS ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. SAFETY ISSUE. SUSPECTED ELECTRICAL ISSUE. DEALER WAS INITIALLY UNABLE TO FIX, AND ESTIMATES $400+ TO REPLACE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10319598

Incident

Jan 2, 2010

Mileage

112,000 mi

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OF 2006 TOYOTA AVALON AND HEADLIGHT WENT OFF DURING THE EMERGENCY STOP (NOTE: THE TOYOTA AVALON HAS NOT GONE THROUGH THE RECALL REPAIR BUT RECALL REPAIR HAS BEEN SCHEDULED) I WAS DRIVING ON 101S NEAR MOUNTAIN VIEW DURING EVENING COMMUTE HOUR. I WAS TAPPING THE GAS PEDAL AS 101S WAS IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC CONDITION. I FELT THE AVALON WENT FASTER THAN I WAS EXPECTING AND I DID NOT DEPRESS THE GAS PEDAL MORE THAN LIGHT TAPPING. THE AVALON WAS AT 40MPH. I APPLIED THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR IMMEDIATELY. I MANAGED TO STOP MY CAR IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH A FULLY STOPPED VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I NOTICED MY AUTO HEADLIGHT WAS OFF WHEN I WAS IN COMPLETE STOP. I QUICKLY TURNED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH FROM AUTO POSITION TO ON AND THE HEADLIGHT DID NOT GO ON. I TURNED THE SWITCH TO OFF POSITION AND ON POSITION. THEN, THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. *TR

NHTSA ID

10316550

Incident

Feb 24, 2010

Mileage

50,785 mi

(1) TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 11:30 PM, JANUARY 16, 2007. I AM DRIVING SOUTHBOUND IN OUTSIDE LANE ON DIVIDED INTERSTATE HIGHWAY APPROXIMATELY 400' BEHIND VEHICLE AHEAD, HEADLIGHTS ON DIM. WEATHER IS CLEAR, ROADS ARE CLEAR, HOWEVER, AREA HAD RECENT ICE AND SLEET BUT MOST HAS BEEN SNOW PLOWED TO THE ROAD SHOULDERS. TRAFFIC IS LIGHT, WITH VEHICLES AHEAD AND TO THE REAR. SPEED IS APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND I AM WATCHING THE ROAD CLOSELY. PASSENGER IN VEHICLE IS WITNESS. (2) I AM IMMEDIATELY UPON A CHUNK OF ICE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A BASKETBALL THAT APPEARED TO HAVE FALLEN FROM THE VEHICLE AHEAD. THERE WAS NO SWERVE BY THE VEHICLE AHEAD TO INDICATE AN ATTEMPT TO DODGE AN OBJECT IN THE ROAD. THE ICE IS SLIDING ON THE ROAD MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE TRAFFIC. I HIT THE ICE WITH MY VEHICLE JUST UNDER THE BUMPER AND INSIDE THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL. THE OBJECT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED BY MY VEHICLES HEADLIGHTS IN TIME FOR ME TO BRAKE OR MANEUVER AROUND IT. THE IMPACT BROKE MY FRONT BUMPER COWLING, UNDER ENGINE SHIELD AND RIGHT FRONT WHEEL MUD GUARD. (3) THE VEHICLE IS MOBILE AND NO PARTS LEFT THE VEHICLE AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT. A FULL INSPECTION HAS NOT YET BEEN CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE IF THERE ARE OTHER DAMAGES. NO ESTIMATE OF COST HAS BEEN SECURED ALTHOUGH MY ESTIMATION IS THEY WILL APPROACH $2500. HAVING HAD THIS EXPERIENCE, I QUESTION THE INTEGRITY OF THE HEADLIGHTS ABILITY TO ILLUMINATE AN OBJECT AHEAD OF THE VEHICLE WHILE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON DIM. THIS IS A NEW 2006 MODEL FULL SIZE CAR HID HEADLIGHTS. THE HEADLIGHTS APPEAR TO DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF LIGHTING THE ROADWAY AT A DISTANCE THAT APPEARS TO BE ABOUT 150'. THIS ILLUMINATED DISTANCE IS A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE (LONGER) FROM A SECOND VEHICLE THAT I HAVE ALTHOUGH THE SECOND VEHICLE IS A PICKUP ABOUT 8 YEARS OLDER WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF HEADLIGHT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10178983

Incident

Jan 16, 2007

Mileage

10,386 mi

WE HAVE FOUND THE AUTO LEVELING HEADLIGHTS (HID) TO BE AIMED MUCH TOO LOW. WE ARE NOT COMFORTABLE USING LOW BEAMS AT 55 MPH AND THE HIGH BEAMS ARE NOT NEARLY AS GOOD AS CONVENTIONAL HEADLIGHTS. *NM

NHTSA ID

10171393

Incident

Oct 5, 2006

Mileage

1 mi

2006 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED HEADLIGHTS HAVE VERY POOR ILLUMINATION BEYOND 2 CAR LENGTHS AHEAD OF VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THERE IS A VERY DISTINCTIVE LINE WHERE THE HEADLIGHTS PROJECT AHEAD OF THE CAR AND FROM THERE IT'S VERY DARK AHEAD. ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR, AT 60 MPH TRYING TO DODGE A DEAR IN THE ROAD THAT WASN'T VISIBLE DUE TO SUCH A POOR HEADLIGHT ILLUMINATION. IT'S A DRIVING SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA TO GET THE HEADLIGHTS ADJUSTED/ALIGNED & THEY SAID THEY WERE PROPERLY ADJUSTED AT THE FACTORY & NO PROBLEMS NOTED! *JB

NHTSA ID

10169664

Incident

Sep 14, 2006

Mileage

3,100 mi

2006 TOYOTA AVALON HEADLIGHTS ARE TO DIM AFTER DARK AND DOES NOT PROJECT FAR ENOUGH TO SEE IN FRONT OF VEHICLE. *KB *JB

NHTSA ID

10164797

Incident

Aug 1, 2006

HID HEADLIGHTS ON THE TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED ARE UNSAFE AT NIGHT ESPECIALLY ON HILLS IN UNLIT COUNTRY AREAS WHEN THE ARC OF LIGHT EXTENDS LESS THAN 2 CAR LENGTHS IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE DVD THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE FOR YOUR VIEWING. *NM

NHTSA ID

10152451

Incident

Mar 1, 2006

Mileage

1,505 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AT NIGHT WITH DIM HEADLIGHTS, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN THROUGH COUNTRY ROADS AND MOUNTAINS, BUT DUE TO THE AUTOMATIC EXTERIOR LEVEL LIGHTING THERE WAS POOR VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY THE DEALER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REALIGNED THE EXTERIOR HEADLIGHTS.

NHTSA ID

10149958

Incident

Feb 6, 2006

Mileage

417 mi