2009 Toyota Avalon Electrical Problems

DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. , DISCOVERED THAT BOTH LIGHT BULBS HAD SHATTERED INSIDE THE HEAD LAMP HOUSING. DEALER & TOYOTA USA CONFIRMS THAT TOYOTA HAS CHANGED THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING DESIGN THAT ACCOMODATES A DIFFERENT HIGH BEAM BULB THAT WILL NOT SHATTER. TOYOTA REFUSES TO REPLACE THE HOUSING EVEN THOUGH VEHICLE ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ELEVATED TO RECALL STATUS. TOYOTA USED, A NOW EXPIRED, EXTENDED WARRANTY TO AVOID THIS BEING A RECALL AS IT SHOULD BE. HOW MANY AFFECTED VEHICLES HAVE TO LOSE DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND HIGH BEAMS!

NHTSA ID

11430364

Incident

Aug 18, 2021

VSC & ENGINE CHECK LIGHT LIGHT UP INTERMITTENTLY; THIS TIME AT 154K MILES. I'VE HAD ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CHECKED AT A COUPLE OF DEALERSHIPS WITH NO RESOLUTION TO ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11253800

Incident

Sep 5, 2019

Mileage

154,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH IN THE DARK, THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING TURNED OFF. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO VIEW THE ROAD AND INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES. THE CONTACT HAD TO FLIP THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON AND OFF A FEW TIMES IN ORDER FOR THE LIGHTING TO BE RESTORED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HESSER TOYOTA (LOCATED AT 1811 HUMES RD, JANESVILLE, WI 53545, (608) 754-7754) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE REPAIR FEES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: 1809132009. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000.

NHTSA ID

11129360

Incident

Jun 12, 2018

Mileage

111,000 mi

I JUST PURCHASED A 2009 AVALON AND NOTICED THE HIGH BEAMS ARE NOT WORKING. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY LIMITED THE WARRANTY ON THIS KNOWN ISSUE TO ONLY 76K MILES. MY VEHICLE HAS 97K MILES. TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE DONE A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE AND NOT A WARRANTY EXTENSION AS IT CAUSES A POTENTIAL HAZARD. I LIVE IN A RURAL AREA WITH NO STREET LIGHTS. NOT HAVING HIGH BEAMS IMPACTS MY ABILITY TO SEE CLEARLY ON THESE ROADS. REFERENCE NHTSA REFERENCE #10037591 TSB REFERENCE #SB-0044-10 REV 1

NHTSA ID

11050990

Incident

Nov 20, 2017

I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR 2-1/2 YEARS. IN THAT TIME I HAVE REPLACED THE HIGH BEAM LIGHTS TWICE. CURRENTLY, THE RIGHT HAND HIGH BEAM LIGHT IS BURNED OUT AND WILL NEED REPLACED A THIRD TIME. I GOT A RUDE AWAKENING WHEN THE RIGHT HAND LOW BEAM LIGHT BURNED OUT YESTERDAY. I DISCOVERED THAT THE LOCAL AUTO ZONE WANTS $170 FOR THE BULB ... ALONE. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT WILL COST TO HAVE SOMEONE PUT IT IN THE CAR. IN MY OPINION, THE COST OF REPLACING THIS HEADLIGHT IS EXCESSIVE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED BY TOYOTA WHEN THEY USED THIS SYSTEM IN THEIR AUTOMOBILES. THE AVERAGE JOE. IS GOING TO BE RELUCTANT TO REPLACE THE BULB. THIS RENDERS THE CAR UNUSABLE IN THE NON-DAYLIGHT HOURS. HELP.

NHTSA ID

10816287

Incident

Dec 24, 2015

Mileage

115,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEAD LAMPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,920.

NHTSA ID

10759140

Incident

Mar 15, 2013

Mileage

49,920 mi

THE HORN WORKS WHEN IT WANTS TO AND THE STEERING WHEEL SOMETIMES MOVES. THE CAR SITS LOWER THAN IT SHOULD CAUSING THE TIRES TO SCRAPE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10692741

Incident

Feb 28, 2015

Mileage

44,101 mi

MY HIGH BEAM AND DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ARE BOTH NOT WORKING. THE TOYOTA DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND STATED I NEED TO REPLACE THE LIGHT ASSEMBLIES ALONG WITH A NEW TYPE BULB. I SEE WHERE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY TOYOTA CARS AND TOYOTA WILL NOT COVER MY CAR DUE TO IT BEING OVER THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY PERIOD OF 5 YEARS BY JUST OVER A MONTH. I ALSO HAVE A TOYOTA PLATINUM EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT WAS TOLD IT DOES NOT COVER MY PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY TOYOTA AS THEY KNOW OF THE PROBLEM BUT RESTRICT THE TIME FOR REPAIRS FOR WHICH THEY EXTENDED TO 5 YEARS BUT NOT FOR US WHO ARE JUST OVER BY LESS THAN TWO MONTHS OR EVEN LONGER. I BELIEVE AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM THAT MY VEHICLE MAY HAVE MORE LIGHTING PROBLEMS WHICH ARE NOT PRESENT AT THIS TIME. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND TOYOTA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR IT AT THEIR EXPENSE AS THIS IS NOT A CHEAP REPAIR OF MORE THAN $1000 PER LIGHT ASSEMBLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10614689

Incident

Jul 14, 2014

Mileage

51,000 mi

TODAY 16 JUNE 2014 I CANNOT DRIVE AT NIGHT, NO HEADLIGHTS FUNCTIONING. I PURCHASED A 2009 AVALON NEW. HAD SEVERE HEADLIGHT PROBLEMS FROM THE BEGINNING. HEADLIGHTS WERE TOO DIM FOR DRIVE AT NIGHT SAFELY (COME TO FIND OUT I WAS DRIVING ON THE FOG LIGHTS ONLY, THE DIM HEADLIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THEN TURN OFF SO JUST THE FOG LIGHTS WERE ON), AND THE DEALER WOULD NOT ADJUST THEM STATING THAT IT WAS AGAINST THE LAW TO ADJUST THEM MORE THAN THE MANUFACTURER'S SETTINGS, AND THEN THE HEADLIGHT STARTED TURNING OFF COMPLETELY WHEN DRIVING (WHICH WAS MORE THAN TERRIFYING), BUT THE INDICATOR LIGHT INSIDE THE CAR SAID THEY WERE ON. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER MANY TIMES, ALWAYS GOT THE SAME ANSWER: "YOUR CAR IS FINE," "THAT'S JUST THE WAY THEY OPERATE". I AM 71 YEARS OLD AND I GUESS THEY THINK I'M STUPID (NOT). FINALLY AFTER MANY TRIPS AND THE HEADLIGHTS TURNING OFF COMPLETELY, THEY TELL ME THE HEADLIGHTS ARE DEFECTIVE, BUT I HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THEM FIXED. $2600.00 FOR 2 HEADLIGHTS. MY DEALER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA STATING THE HEADLIGHTS WERE DEFECTIVE A LONG TIME AGO, BUT MY DEALER NEVER INFORMED ME AND PUT ME OFF AND WOULD TELL ME THE CAR WAS FINE UNTIL THE OFFER TO FIX THEM HAD EXPIRED. I'M NOT GOING TO JUST LET THIS GO WITHOUT A FIGHT. TOYOTA KNEW THESE 2009 AVALONS HAD DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS AND DID NOT RECALL THEM. I WILL SPREAD THE WORD THAT TOYOTA WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR CARS AND IF PEOPLE ARE SMART THEY WILL GO ELSEWHERE TO BUY THEIR CARS. I AM JOINING WITH CLASS ACTION SUIT TO MAKE TOYOTA FIX ALL THESE DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10598659

Incident

Apr 1, 2011

Mileage

40,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,000.

NHTSA ID

10512565

Incident

Mar 19, 2013

Mileage

18,000 mi

ACCELLERATION OF VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10316343

Incident

Feb 7, 2010

Mileage

7,500 mi