2008 Toyota Avalon Transmission Problems

DRIVER WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE CAR HAD UNEXPECTED, SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND HIT A CONCRETE WALL. DRIVER WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT; AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE PERSON WAS UNINJURED EXCEPT FOR CHEST BRUISES. THE CAR HAD BEEN TAKEN IN WHEN IT WAS RECALLED AND WAS " FIXED" IN RESPONSE TO 2 RECALL NOTICES BY THE DEALER ON MARCH 4, 2010. THE FRONT OF THE CAR IS BASHED IN, HOOD IS BENT UPWARD, RADIATOR DAMAGED AND THE FRONT DOORS JAMMED. MEN HAD TO FORCE THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPEN TO GET THE DRIVER FROM THE CAR. TOYOTA AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BUT NEITHER HAVE HAD TIME TO EXAMINE THE CAR. *KB

NHTSA ID

10446611

Incident

Feb 2, 2012

Mileage

30,000 mi

06/12/10-I STARTED MY CAR AS USUAL WITH MY BRAKE DEPRESSED AND ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE---IT WIGGLED BUT WOULD NOT MOVE FROM THE PARK POSITION TO THE REVERSE POSITION. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS I WAS ABLE TO DO SO AND TAKE CARE OF MY SHOPPING TRIP. UPON COMPLETING MY ERRANDS THE SAME EVENT OCCURRED WITH THE SHIFT LEVER ONCE AGAIN. SEVERAL WEEKS BACK THIS HAPPENED ONE TIME AND I DID NOT GIVE IT THE ATTENTION I SHOULD HAVE. WITH TODAY'S HAPPENING OF TWICE IN LESS THAN AN HOUR I AM REALLY CONCERNED. ON MONDAY 06/14/10 I WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP (DAVE EDWARDS TOYOTA) TO SEEK A REPAIR REMEDY TO THIS PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10336000

Incident

Jun 12, 2010

Mileage

31,377 mi

CANNOT EXPRESS MY COMPLETE AND UTTER DISGUST WITH MY RECENT EXPERIENCE AND OVERALL EXPERIENCE SINCE BUYING MY 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. I EXPECTED "QUALITY FROM THE PRODUCT" AS THE TOYOTA WEBSITE STATES..HOWEVER, SINCE I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE THE 300 DOLLAR A PIECE DRIVERS SIDE HEAD LIGHT BLEW OUT ALONG WITH BOTH HIGH BEAM LIGHTS. HERE IS MY CURRENT ISSUE. MY AREA RECENTLY WENT THROUGH A TERRIBLE WINTER BLIZZARD. DURING THIS SNOW STORM, DRIVING CONDITIONS WERE TERRIBLE. WE WERE ALL TRAPPED IN THE HOUSE FOR DAYS ON END. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I FOUND OUT MY WHEELS ARE NO LONGER SPINNING AND MY 2008 TOYOTA WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE WITH ONLY 48000 MILES ON IT. THE COMPREHENSIVE WARRANTY THAT SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS WILL NOT SUFFICE AS THE DEALERSHIPS SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED. ACCORDING TO A COMPUTER READ OUT, OUTSIDE INFLUENCES MADE THE TRANSMISSION FAIL. COULD THAT MEAN SNOW? DOES TOYOTA PROVIDE ANYTHING THAT SAYS TRANSMISSION WILL FAIL IF DRIVEN ON SNOW....I AM UTTERLY DISGUSTED WITH THIS SITUATION AND CURRENTLY WITHOUT A VEHICLE. I PLAN ON CAMPAIGNING VERY LOUDLY AGAINST TOYOTA AND BROADCASTING THIS DEPLORABLE SITUATION IF THIS ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT MEAN ME BUYING A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR A 2008 AVALON. *TR

NHTSA ID

10317854

Incident

Feb 11, 2010

Mileage

48,500 mi

I HAVE A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON THAT I HAD ONLY 4 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE CAR APPEARED TO BE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION UNTIL MY HUSBAND TOOK IT TO THE DELTA SONIC CARWASH TO HAVE IT CLEAN. AS HE WAS COMING OUT OF THE CAR WASH, HE SHIFT FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE AND THE ACCELERATOR FAILED , STICKING IN FULL THROTTLE,CAUSING HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. TO AVOID COLLISION WITH OTHER VEHICLES COMING OUT OF THE GAS STATION, WHICH IS PART OF THE BUSINESS, AND HITTING PEDESTRIANS AND THE GAS PUMPS, HE STEERED THE CAR HITTING A POLE, GOING OVER EMBANKMENT, THE SIDEWALK AND INTO ONGOING TRAFFIC IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE CAR CAME TO A STOP TWO BUSINESS DOWN FROM WHERE THE ACCIDENT ORIGINATED. DAMAGES WAS DONE TO ALL 4 TIRESWITH BENT RIMS, THE FRONT RIGHT AND LEFT BUMPER AND GRILLE, THE HOOD, THE LAMP GROUND WITH THE HEAD LIGHT KNOCKED OUT. THE DRIVER'S SIDE MIRROR WAS HANGING DOWN. THE EXHAUST SYSTEM (MUFFLER, TAILPIPES) WERE DAMAGED. THE REAR FENDER AND BUMPER WAS DAMAGED. THE BATTERY, OIL PAN, REAR ENGINE CRADLE CUSHION PIPES WERE REPLACED. AT THE TIME, WE THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT HE DID, BUT WE NOW SINCE HAVE FOUND THAT TOYOTA HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKING IN FULL THROTTLE AND HAVE ASKED FOR A RECALL. THE TOTAL DAMAGE WAS TO A SUM OF $12,226.39. THE INSURANCE AND REPAIR COMPANY HAVE FIXED THE CAR AT OUR EXPENSE AND THE OLD OR REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE TO MY KNOWLEDGE. I HAVE ONLY PHOTOS OF THE CAR IN THE DAMAGED STATE. I DID GO TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM AND THEY PLAN TO START REPAIRS FEB. 15. 2010. MY CONCERNS IS HOW DO I GET TOYOTA TO HONOR MY REQUEST FOR A CAR REPLACEMENT BECAUSE MY CAR HAS BEEN DEVALUED BECAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT AND IS NOW PART OF THE CAR FAX REPORT. I RUN THE RISK OF HAVING OTHER PROBLEMS. IF NOT REPLACE THE CAR, PROVIDE ME WITH FREE MAINTENANCE FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR AND REPAY ME FOR OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES DUE TO THE FAILED ACCELERATOR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10311238

Incident

Aug 13, 2009

Mileage

5,278 mi

MY HUSBAND GOT INTO THE CAR THE LATE AFTERNOON OF JAN. 17, 2010. TURNED THE AUTO ON AND I THOUGHT THE ENGINE WAS EXPLODING. I WAS INSIDE THE HOUSE AND RAN OUTDOORS. SOMETHING UNDER THE HOOD WAS MAKING AN EXTREME LOUD RATTLE. IF YOU TOOK AN OLD COW BELL AND SHOOK IT FOR DEAR LIFE, YOU WOULD GET AN IDEAL OF WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT REGARDING THE SOUND. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE VSC LIGHT WAS ON. MY HUSBAND CUT THE ENGINE OFF, CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND FOUND NOTHING. I WAS GOING TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY WANTED TO TOW THE CAR IN. I STARTED THE CAR BACK UP JUST TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AND IT PURRED LIKE A BABY. NO LIGHTS ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CHECKED IT OUT, TEST DROVE IT AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY SAID WHATEVER IT WAS MUST HAVE RESET ITSELF. NOW MY QUESTION IS WHAT CAUSED IT TO ACT LIKE THAT AND WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING. WAS IT IN THE COMPUTER OR WHAT. WILL IT HAPPEN AGAIN? THESE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN ANSWER. *CN

NHTSA ID

10307108

Incident

Jan 17, 2010

Mileage

12,500 mi

WHEN CAR IS IN NEUTRAL AND MOVING FORWARD YOU CAN ACCIDENTALLY MOVE THE GEAR SHIFTER TO REVERSE , WITHOUT STOPPING THE CAR FIRST OR APPLYING THE BRAKES . *TR

NHTSA ID

10241199

Incident

Sep 6, 2008

Mileage

500 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S RPMS RADICALLY INCREASED AND A LOUD REVVING NOISE WAS HEARD. THE FAILURE IS MORE NOTICEABLE AFTER ACCELERATING FROM AN IDLE POSITION. THE FAILURE IS INTERMITTENT AND THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND A REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST. THERE WAS NO CORRELATION BETWEEN THE SPEED AND THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19.

NHTSA ID

10226676

Incident

Jan 19, 2008

Mileage

19 mi

PURCHASED A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED. DISCOVERED THIS CAR'S ENGINE CAN BE SHUT OFF WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NOT IN PARK ALLOWING THE CAR TO ROLL FREELY. IN MY OPINION THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD . THIS PROBLEM IS COMPOUNDED NOW WITH THE NEW PUSH BUTTON ON/OFF SWITCH USED TO CONTROL THE MOTOR. I FOUND THIS TO BE THE CASE WHEN I ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED THE START/STOP ENGINE SWITCH WITH THE TRANSMISSION NOT IN PARK STOPPING THE ENGINE. THE CAR STARTED TO FREE ROLL IN THE GARAGE. THIS IS COMPOUNDED BY THE POOR STEERING AND BRAKING ACTION RESPONSE WHEN THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING. I CAN NOT SEE WHY TOYOTA DID NOT INSTALL AN INTERLOCK SWITCH TO ENSURE THE ENGINE COULD NEITHER BE STARTED NOR STOPPED UNLESS THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS IN PARK? AM I MISSING SOMETHING? THANKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THIS MATTER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10221575

Incident

Feb 28, 2008

Mileage

20 mi