This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Excessive engine noise when cold - when the wife notices this problem, it is pass time to report it ! I have noticed it for years ! just getting worst.
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Avalon. While driving at approximately 5 mph an explosion occurred in the engine and smoke began to come from under the hood. The vehicle was pulled over and the highway patrol appeared on the scene. A police report was filed but no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to an insurance company garage where an independent mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 142,000.
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Avalon. The contact was traveling at speeds of 5 mph, attempting to make a left turn when he heard an unusual noise coming in the engine area. Immediately, the vehicle began hesitating and within seconds, resumed normal operation. On a separate occasion while driving in reverse, there was an unusual increase in the rpms. The vehicle then accelerated with a loud sound coming from the engine. The failure would occur whenever the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on five separate occasions for the identical failures. The dealer was unable to duplicate or diagnose the failures. The failure mileage was 500. Updated 06/04/10. The consumer stated he difficulty starting the vehicle, the engine had a high idle, the transmission would hesitate into gear at 10-15 mph and then catch would catch up and disengage and the drivers door wouldn't open. Updated 10/14/10
When slowing my 2006 Avalon for turn, speed bump, etc. And then accelerating there is often a lag in the transmission engaging and when it does the car lurches. I have complained many times to 2 different dealers about this since the car was new. After a year or so 1 dealer said that Toyota had issued an adjustment procedure which they performed. The problem went away for a while but has returned. In light of the recent recalls and stories about possible electronic problems with these cars I wanted to add my story to the list. I consider this a serious safety issue since the lag in transmission engagement could cause an accident when making a left turn, especially if it worsens. Further, the only way I know about this latest recall is through the news - Toyota has not notified me directly. This makes the third recall on this car - floor mats, vvt-I oil hose and now accelerator! needles to say - I am not happy with my purchase and will seriously try to convince my wife to take our business elsewhere in the future!
High pressure oil line broke. Ac light began blinking, then car started leaving oil paths in and out of driveway. Dealer found no ac problem, attributed to oil all over the upper engine compartment. They stated three other lines recently replaced.
- San Bruno, CA, USA
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My wife was parked in a shopping center parking lot. She backed out of the spot the car was in and started to go forward. The car became uncontrollable and went in circles until it finally went up on a curb in the parking lot.
The car A/C stopped functioning and I soon lost most of my oil. I was left on a Sunday without much oil and had to get the car towed to the dealer. The replaced the oil line at no charge and luckily I had aaa towing insurance. I was out on the road without oil in the car!!!
Avalon limited 3.2L V6 * automatic transmission * 72,900 miles well, this is my 3rd Toyota, the car was running fine up until Thursday night when I started the car I heard a cranky fan like noise, I did not know what it was after I drove shopping and came back after 2-3 miles and parked the car on my driveway in the dark. Next morning when I pulled my car out of the driveway the noise continued and I saw a pool of engine oil all over, I called the dealer immediately and surprisingly they offered to repair the car the same day (same day appointments-never happened before even for just oil changes) after taking a look they said the oil line needs to be fixed and cost would be $450 for a half days work. I called back the evening and was told now they called Toyota as they don't know what was wrong but have not heard from Toyota so I wont get my car up until after labor day weekend- (had to get a rental for a week) next week, they told be the gear shaft cracked and gaskets need replacement and a 16 hrs job and would cost approx $6000 to repair "but Toyota will cover 50%" even though I am out of 60,000 miles warranty. I did some research and found this is a manufacturer defect. I walked in to dealer to see my car and the mechanic showed me the broken part and told me Toyota has since redesigned this part so it does not break and cause sudden oil leaks- once the new part is replaced I should not expect more similar problems- I am keeping my fingers crossed. I called Toyota and they made a note of my problem but said I have to get the number of the Toyota regional manager from the dealer who said he cannot let me talk directly due to" business relationship with him". I told them its not fair for the customers to pay for the manufacturing faults of Toyota. Finally the "hidden" Toyota regional manager offered to settle for paying 2/3 rd for my car's repair. I am concerned about others driving the Avalon and a big cover-up by Toyota.
I was running my air conditioner when suddenly it stopped working and I received a check air conditioner. I also heard a clicking under the hood. I took the car in to Toyota and the service advisor immediately new the problem, the vvt, an oil valve, ruptured and this is one of the common problems with the Avalon. I didn't know at the time, but apparently this will dump most of the oil from the vehicle. No warning lights came on to indicate that the oil pressure was low or that there was a problem with the engine. The vvt was fixed and I drove off only to return due to an unfamiliar noise under the hood. Come to find out due to the vvt valve rupture and the dumping of oil, the cam was destroyed and needs to be replaced at a cost of $ $5600. Toyota is the only place this car has been serviced. If the service advisor knows the problem before the tech person looks at your car, sounds like a very all too familiar problem for there not to be a recall on this part.
2006 Toyota Avalon complete loss of engine oil with no warning light. Dealer technician advises that this is a problem for this vehicle year. The dealer and the company know this is a problem. No advisory of any kind. This car has been serviced regularly per dealer/Toyota specs. Any problem with the oil and engine in a car is a potentially serious problem. See websites for similar complaints for example, at www.carcomplaints.com site lists 43 complaints for Avalon model that I am reporting to you. Advised corporate office and dealer. Neither seem concerned about possibilities of this kind of danger. Thank you.
I was traveling on the I-85 in my 2006 Toyota Avalon for approximately 1.5 hours when the air conditioning indicator light started blinking. Shortly thereafter the A/C shut off and the "check engine" light illuminated. Within a minute or so, the "check oil" light started blinking slowly at first, then after about 30 seconds it was on continuously. By this time I had pulled off into a gas station. As I was pulling into the station the engine was making a loud clicking noise. After it was parked, I checked the dipstick and there was no oil whatsoever in the car. As well, the right side of the engine compartment was coated with oil. The underside of the car, including the inside of the wheels and brakes was completely coated with oil as well. The back of the trunk also had a light coat of oil on it, presumably from the spray underneath while traveling @ 65-70mph. I then purchased a quart of oil, put it in the engine and it drained onto the ground. I had the car towed to Town & Country Toyota, a charlotte dealer, who said the cause of the problem was rupture of the oil bypass hose. As I had noticed the previous night, this hose is 1) very close to the ground and subject to hits from road debris, etc. And 2) very close to the hot exhaust pipe. The use of a rubber hose for a pressurized flammable liquid system in this location is absolutely reckless. At a minimum, it should be some sort of armored or shielded hose. I'm amazed the car didn't start on fire from being doused with five quarts of oil leaking from the ruptured hose and suspect the wind from interstate speeds prevented this from happening. The service person at the dealership indicated this is a common problem with 2006 Avalons and he couldn't understand why there hasn't been a recall issued. The only the engine wasn't destroyed (with 39,000 miles on it) was because I was lucky to be in a good position to pull off. Today I found the same issue documented on carcomplaints.com.
My 2006 Avalon experienced a severe oil leak while my wife was driving it. Fortunately, she was close to home and stopped it in front of the house where it deposited several quarts of oil. I had the car towed to the dealer who quickly recognized the problem as a well-known failure of the hose-to-tubing connection on an external lube oil line to the vvt mechanism. I had 51K miles, so the repair was covered by warranty. I have since purchased a new solid metal tube as is used on the 2009 models to replace the one the dealer installed which still had the rubber hose portion. I have purchased Toyota since the mid '80's and this is my first serious disappointment in both the quality of the product and the conduct of the company for not recalling this vehicle for this problem.
March 18, 2009 I was traveling 300 miles from home in houston to covington la. About 20 miles from my destination I heard a clicking noise from engine, A/C stopped working & check engine light on. The next morning I checked the oil level & it was completely dry. Put 4-5 qts of oil in and as soon as I turned on the car, all the oil came pouring out onto the parking lot. Drove the car into Toyota dealership & left it. Was told the next day it would need a complete engine rebuilt. Left the car in covington la & returned to houston. The car was delivered back to me in houston in a few weeks. On June 30, 2009 I was on another drive about 90 miles from home & A/C stopped working. Took into local dealership - told freon was totally empty. They refilled & could find no leaks. While in for this issue, they discovered that a valve cover was leaking & replaced it.
Oil leak 2006 Avalon XLS 65,857 miles after driving home about 45 miles and parked car smelled the odor of burning oil. I inspected the engine compartment and saw oil on the upper portion of the engine after looking under the car saw oil was dripping. Took in to Toyota the next day. Before I could tell the service person everything he told me that problem was a hose and that it would be about $400 to repair as my car was out of warranty.
On Wednesday, April 8th noticed that my car was leaking oil so I went to the service station and filled it with two quarts of oil. I realized there was a serious problem so I put another two quarts in my car and contacted a Toyota dealership in lancaster Pennsylvania because I was out of town. They informed me that my oil cooling line also known as the vvti line had ruptured and Toyota has a new replacement part that is on national back order. Lancaster Toyota didn't have the new replacement part however they could put the same defective part that is a known problem back on my car at a cost of $307.09 which would allow me to get home. After getting my car from pa I drove it directly to Toyota of bowie and asked them to check my engine for damage. They said he didn't see any damage to my engine. I picked my car up and drove it approximately 3 miles away from Toyota of bowie put the car in park & smelled something burning and heard the engine knocking. I lifted the hood and saw oil spurting out and dripping everywhere'..the oil cooling line (vvti line part no. 1570731012) had ruptured again! I had the car towed back to Toyota of bowie and as of today 4/28 it is still there. No one will claim responsibility for this defect. Not Toyota headquarters, or lancaster Toyota.
On Wednesday, April 8th I was in the state of New Jersey and noticed that my car was leaking oil so I went to the service station and filled it with two quarts of oil. I was on my way home to Maryland and had to stop for gas in Pennsylvania so I checked the oil level in my car and found that it was very low. At this point I realized there was a serious problem so I put another two quarts in my car and contacted lancaster Toyota in lancaster Pennsylvania (717-569-7373). I explained my situation to them and they told me to bring my car in for service. My service advisor's name at lancaster Toyota was Ms. Sharon eshelman. Ms. Eshelman informed me that my oil cooling line also known as the vvti line had ruptured and Toyota has a new replacement part that is on national back order. Lancaster Toyota didn't have the new replacement part however they could put the same defective part that is a known problem back on my car at a cost of $307.09 which would allow me to get home. I picked my car up from lancaster Toyota Thursday, April 9th and drove it to Toyota of bowie to check my engine for damage. On Friday they called and said he didn't see any damage to my engine and pick the car up. I drove it directly to my son's doctor's office in crofton, md approximately 3 miles away from Toyota of bowie. Put the car in park and smelled something burning and heard the engine knocking. I lifted the hood and saw oil spurting out and dripping everywhere, the oil cooling line (vvti line part no. 1570731012) had ruptured again! I called Toyota and informed them of the events and they told me to tow the car back to them. Toyota headquarters in California should recall this part because it is not safe. This part can rupture at any point and time and the oil light does not come on. Please see links www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Avalon/2006/engine/complete_loss_of_engine_oil_with_no_warning_light.shtmlwww.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2006/Toyota/Avalon.
I had driven about 3 miles at 40 mph in my '06 Avalon with 40,000 mile. There was no warning. My car began smoking from the hood. Oil was leaking, large amount of oil. No oil light came on. No dashboard lights or notification of a problem was indicated. My dipstick show that I have no oil in the car. I just had an oil change recently. I am waiting for my Toyota dealer to call me back. I have left 2 messages.
2006 Avalon, 70K miles. A hose carrying oil from one part of the engine to another ruptured without warning. The result was a complete loss of engine oil and potentially the destruction of the engine.
Car started leaking large amount of oil and had to be towed to dealer. No oil light came on. Oil line on engine leaking. Oil covered other parts that had to be replaced. Toyota had no manufacture replacement parts in usa and stated they would have to be manufactured. Manufacture of parts could take 60-90 days. Dealer replaced part with substitute oil line recommended by Toyota in order to repair car in a timely manner. Car was covered in oil under car and was not cleaned. Motor could have been ruined had oil leak not been discovered when parking the car. Notice this has been a problem nationally and there has been no recall. Price of non Toyota part and repairs was $683. This should have been covered in a recall, with all the problems this part is causing.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Arden Hills, MN, USA