1999 Toyota Avalon Complaints

DRIVER'S EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF. TOOK CAR TO DEALER, AND COMMENTS WERE THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME ON TOYOTAS (FROM MORE THAN ONE PERSON IN SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON DIFFERENT DATES. BEING ABLE TO OPEN DOOR QUICKLY CAN BE A SAFETY ISSUE. IF THIS IS OCCURRING AS FREQUENTLY AS TOYOTA SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES LED TO BELIEVE, WHY HASN'T TOYOTA DOES SOMETHING TO CORRECT? THE GRASPING PORTION OF HANDLE IS ALL PLASTIC. PROBLEM COULD MOST LIKELY BE SOLVED EASILY WITH A LITTLE REINFORCEMENT WITH A DURABLE MATERIAL. *TR

I ENTERED THE FREEWAY AND SUDDENLY MY CAR ACCELERATED AND I HAD NO CONTROL OVER IT. I WAS SCARED TO DEATH. ALL I COULD DO WAS STEER. I STAYED IN THE RIGHT LANE AND STEERED UP THE EXIT RAMP. I PUSHED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, STAYED ON THE BRAKE, AND IT COASTED TO A STOP AT THE TOP OF THE RAMP, JUST BEFORE IT ENTERED THE INTERSECTION. I PUT IT BACK INTO DRIVE, AND IT TOOK OFF AGAIN. I PUSHED IT BACK INTO NEUTRAL AND STEERED INTO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT. I PUT IT IN DRIVE AGAIN AND IT WAS FINE. I DROVE AROUND THE PARKING LOT. FINALLY, I DECIDED IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE HOME, BUT NOT ON THE FREEWAY. WHEN I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC, HE DETERMINED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. BY CHANCE, HE DISCOVERED THAT THE TIP OF THE MAT HAD APPARENTLY BEEN RESTING AGAINST THE BOTTOM TIP OF THE ACCELERATOR. HE CUT OFF THE TIP OF THE MAT. I REMEMBERED THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED ABOUT TWO YEARS PRIOR, ON A BUSY STREET, AS I DROVE OUT OF A CAR WASH. I HAD THE CAR TOWED HOME. ANOTHER MECHANIC FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH...

SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT: I HAD SHOULDER SURGERY AND HAD TO PUT THE SHOULDER STRAP ACROSS MY BACK SO THAT IT WOULDN'T CROSS MY BAD SHOULDER. SO, WE GET TO OUR DESTINATION AND I START TO GET OUT OF THE CAR AND FORGET I STILL HAVE THE SEATBELT ON. MY WIFE GETS BACK IN AND RELEASES IT, AND I GO TO GET OUT AND THE DAMNED THING WON'T PULL OUT/LOOSE. SINCE THE IDIOT THING THINKS IT'S PROTECTING ME, I PUSH A LITTLE OF IT BACK INTO THE SLOT ASSUMING IT WILL THEN RELEASE. NOOOOO! IT JUST GETS TIGHTER. WE START THE CAR TO SEE IF THAT RELEASES IT. NOOOOO! EVERY TIME I MOVE IT JUST GETS TIGHTER. A FREAKING BOA CONSTRICTOR COULD TAKE LESSONS FROM THIS THING. AFTER IT'S ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT THE SEATBELT HAS WON, AND I'M BOUND UP LIKE A THANKSGIVING TURKEY, WE GET THE SCISSORS AND CUT IT LOOSE. THE TOYOTA ENGINEERS REALLY BLEW THIS DESIGN. SEVERAL FOLKS HAVE SAID THEY'VE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WITH KIDS IN CAR SEATS. ACTUALLY, THIS PROBLEM COULD BE KIND...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, A VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE MIDDLE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS AND WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED FOUR FRACTURED RIBS, A FRACTURED PELVIS, AND A FRACTURED COXAE. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A CONTUSION UNDER HIS RIGHT SIDE RIB. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,600. UPDATED 01-11-08. *KB UPDATED 12/31/07

SIMILAR COMPLAINT TO CASE NUMBER 10192892 FILED 6/11/2007. I PURCHASED 4 TOYO SPECTRUM TIRES FOR 1999 AVALON THAT CONTINUALLY LOST AIR. THEY ERE ALL SLOW LEAKS, BUT REQUIRED FILLING UP ONCE PER MONTH. I CHECKED THEM FOR NAILS, BUT THERE WASV NOTHING EVIDENT.*AK