2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

jlsexton

I travelled for years prior to my first FWD through every snowfall the Northeast threw at me. I had cars with positraction and studded snows and went through it all. RWD is most certainly a superior drive system, the weight is more balanced over the vehicle rather than concentrated on the front tires. That said FWD is here to stay, it probably costs less to manufacture but the true driving cars, which I could care less about (high test), like the Beemers still prefer to use it.

retired7

Something to be said for having the engine weight over the drive wheel for max traction. My old 1300 VW had engine in rear over drive wheel and it was hard to stick in the snow. Of course the manual transmission and it being underpowered (50 hp) had something to do with it!

jlsexton

True, good snow traction for the 2 or 3 times you might need it, also for extra strut wear, front tire wear, hitting potholes, some cars, oversteering and last but not least, increased brake wear. But I still like my Avalon, at least till July 2010 and then we'll see if I replace it with another one or something a little more manuverable in my garage.

obafunque1

To all gurus of this forum: I am a very busy person and do not have the time to read all posted issues. To make my point clear: I love the Avalon, I had a 2000 XLS and sold it because of problems with Oxygen sensors. I would like to get a used one preferably 2005 or newer but I don't have enough money for a new one. What it will be your recommendation? I am presently looking for a low mileage one probably

9119911

From an ex Avalon owner (2006)

I have a 2008 Cadillac CTS with 8,000 mi. for sale, and it will put the Avalon to shame (reason for selling, I am 71 years old and have developed bad hips, wife is 68 and has developed bad knees) The cost is far less than you will pay for an Avalon and there's no taxes.This car was Motor Trend's, car of the year.

Cj

jlsexton

If the price is right I might buy it for a spare, should fit it the trunk.

Comparing apple's & oranges, the Avalon is a large comfortable touring vehicle, my wife with her knee problem constanly comments how COMFORTABLE she is with all the room. Perhaps you should go back to a larger car that glides not bounces. A sports sedan was not built for comfort having had a 3 series Beemer, a Starion etc. As my wife says, bigger is better. Just busting about the trunk thing.

weavercity

I noticed in a recent Toyota ad that all of their product line was featured with the exception of the Avalon. I also read on this site a posting by someone within the past month the statement that Toyota has no plans for the Avalon past 2009. Is there anyone out there who might address this question with some reputable sources?

Given the relative small volume of Avalon sales compared to the RAV-4, the Camry, and the Corrola etc., I can see why the Avalon might be considered a step-child to a product line that has bigger numbers to contend bring home the bacon

Furthermore, it seems that after a shaky start in 2005 -06-07 with quality control issues, the kinks have pretty well been ironed out. That said, it would seem if that the Avalon could carry on for some years to come with no further changes to speak of. Comparing the 2005 to the 2009 model it is pretty clear that very little has changed (not necessarily a bad thing) As a matter of fact none of the automotive magazines even bother to review the 2009 Avalon as it is has pretty much been a repeat of the previous 3 years.

So the question Toyota needs to answer is "Is it worth keeping arround?"

nvbanker

So the question Toyota needs to answer is "Is it worth keeping arround?"

The business case has been done, and the conclusion at this time is, it's not worth keeping around, or at least not worth a redesign. They're going to replace it with a stretched version of the Camry, called a Camry XL.

I can only speak for myself, who has loved the Avalon since 1999. A long Camry would not satisfy me. I would have to look for something else, and if I didn't want or couldn't afford a Lexus, I'd be left to look elsewhere.

I mourn the loss of the Avalon tremendously, but they don't sell well, and Toyota can't make the mistakes GM makes, to continue to produce low volume models.

9119911

I lemon Lawed the 06 Avalon a won my case. Me thinks you may not know how to use a rule or tape. Oh well, I'll make you a bet. If your Avalon will hold this CTS in the trunk, I'll give you the Caddy.Check the ratings on the Caddy ...much higher.Why, it's a better car and looks a lot better, if looks means anything to you.The Avalon was a fair performer but had a lousy transmission.

Cj
,

wwest

The latest Porsche 911 version uses an electric motor to supply engine lubricating oil/pressure and improve FE. Might this be a soon to come solution for Toyota's ATF pressure/flow problem..??

jlsexton

Just busting about the trunk thing.

Did you read all the way down. I wanted a larger car, tried to buy American, looked at Buicks, Lincolns, no Caddilacs as it would have been the DTS, I wanted a top of the line, it is my only vice, gave up drinking, smoking, chasing women and capping people. All the American cars were V8's, the car stores were only interested in their on lot sales, my Avalon, although purchased in 06 is probably an 07, it was built late, as they say change for no purpose is unnecessary as the Lincoln Town Car shows. Mine has had a couple of quirks, in my opinion due the to the keyless ignition which I could do without. Other than that it is a GREAT car. But on your advice I will try out a CTS in 2010, G-D willing. When & if it screws up I will most definitely address it. Good for you on the lemon law, would that be NYS's lemon law ?

mikes.

I bought an 08 only because I got a great deal. I would have waited a few months for an 09. I love Avalons.

I'm in Memphis for the week. Drove my TAcoma down here because the wife wanted to have wheels available. I sure missed the Avvy.

sean35

I've heard that the Avalon will be dropped after this generation...anyone know if this is true??? :confuse: :confuse:

pat

Try here: kenb757, "No More Toyota Avalon?" #1, 14 Jul 2008 5:31 pm.

gotthawantz

don't know if i;m speling it correctly, but ever since i bought my Avvy, in 2007, when i get down on it, or pass someone, the C Converter stinks sooo bad.. are their any cheap fixes to his.. it is a tiny bit better when i use the higher octane gas,, but with gas so high, i don't do that often.. and gas treatments, etc to help this??

gotthawantz

i know that their is one, only 1 in the console compartment.. but that's a LONG way from the windshield.. no radar detector cord would reach.. i finally bought a cordless radar detector.. my question is.. is tat the only AC outlet??? it seems so crazy, that their is not one nearer the front of the car, near the windshield, like in the heat/air controls, etc..

tjc78

There are actually 2 one in the large center console and one in the smaller center console ahead of the larger one. It hard to see as it is placed vertically toward the front of the vehicle hidden by a little cover that swings down. If you can't find it let me know and I will post a quick pic for you.

rpfingsten

Tjc... are there 2 in the 07 avy's.. I have an 2007 xls and i've only been able to locate one, the one in the small compartment between the seats, below the "moveable" arm rest. Is there a 2nd one?

Roland

tjc78

Hey, here are some pics of the two in my '06 XLS. I don't see why Yota would have made any changes in the '07. Nevertheless I find them both poorly placed, but they do the job. Please excuse the mess in the consoles!

See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

rpfingsten

Tjc... thanks for the pics on the outlets, but I'm still alittle confused... I recognize the first pic... found that one in my car day one... but not sure where the second pic comes from. Is that in the "same" compartment that the first outlet is in or is it located elsewhere?

Roland

algee

Its in the rear compartment . Can't see how you could miss it.

nimimi

I don't think he realizes that there IS a large, rear compartment underneath the sliding arm rest.

tjc78

Nimimi.. I think you hit it on the head.

Roland: The sliding armrest has a large bin underneath it. You can only open it if the armrest is slid all the way to the back of the car. That is where you will find the outlet.

rpfingsten

Tjc.... thanks for the reply... I knew about the "compartment" under the arm rest, but when you said "under" the arm rest, I thought you meant under the entire arm rest assembly. To me, that's "inside" the arm rest. anyway pulled all my "stuff" out of the compartment and I'll be darned if there isn't another outlet there... but I gotta tell you, what a useless place to put an outlet. About the only thing I think "that" outlet would be good for is charging your phone / while leaving your phone inside the arm rest. I don't think the Toyota brain trust had their thinking caps on when they designed that. You know, instead of a "cassett player" in the dash, I would have much preferred an electrical outlet there + maybe a bluetooth connection.. At least there you wouldnt have cords stretched out from the radar detector to halfway across the front half of the car....nope, don't think they thought this one thru. and thank you again for the help finding the outlet.

Roland

tjc78

No problem. IMO the single biggest ergonomic flaw in this generation Avalon is the power ports. My '03 had one in the dash that was very convenient. Anyway... I'll take this one little gripe in an otherwise excellent vehicle. Mine is at the shop this week getting some bodywork done and although I like my little S-10 pickup I miss my Avalon!

doobre

Hope this may be of interest to you..

thought I would let you know that I have installed the USA-SPEC PA15 ipod interface along with a 6th generation ipod classic. The install is very easy as long as you are not rough on the plastic fascia pieces. The sound is good quality but lower level than the internal CD. The charging works well, but the CD text does not (not too much of an issue). The only real bummer is that the ipod starts at the same place in the same file everytime it is used, not even an MP3 file, an audiobook..!?

I have tried setting the dip switches to every combination but no change. And sometimes the text will work for one 'switch on' of the stereo, then not again. I have found a dip switch setting that works well for quick control of switching between songs or playlists etc... (not one shown in the install instructions) but I cannot get the ipod to startup in the place that it stopped at when it was last used.

cheers
Doobre

neil5

My HL on driver side does not auto balance anymore but illuminates OK. Had the dealership adjust once it worked OK then stopped Auto balance. Anyone have this?

tjc78

The charging works well, but the CD text does not

I have the same problem with the Peripheral Electronics interface. It wiped out the CD text and doesn't display text from the IPOD. Not a deal breaker at all. I like being able to control the Ipod from the steering wheel and the sound quality is great but as yours a little lower than the CD player. The PE interface leaves the IPOD wherever you left it playing, not sure what could be causing yours to start in the same place all the time.

ed4741

Had a check engine light this morning on my 05 Avalon, left it at home. Pulled the engine cover off tonight and found a large mouse nest sitting on top of one of the cylinder coils/spark plugs. They chewed through the wiring harness right at the connector so I cannot splice the wires. Does anyone happen to know where I could buy one of the connectors/wires that I could splice in? Thanks much.

xxagon

Doobre:
I am interested in the ipod interface. Can you reply where you picked it up an any caveats to the installation?

Thanks, XXagon

doninil1

I have a loud clunk when I let off the accelerator. When I start the engine from cold I hear it like something is loose and vibrating. Toyota Service checked it out today. "The noise is common in Toyotas". Go figure. It just started doing this at 83,000 miles. Any suggestions?

fishavenue

2007 avalon limited - passenger seat gets hot when it shouldn't and the control seems to be erratic. Sometimes setting to cold makes it hot, and sometimes setting it to hot makes it go off. Where is the fuse for the seat heaters, and how can I fix this problem. For the short run, I really would like to find the fuse location. For the fuse panel under the hood, I could not see which one controlled the seat heaters. Any help would be mucho appreciated.

Thanks - fish :surprise:

jlsexton

This is my suggestion. take your Avalon to a private repair shop that specializes in either Toyotas or foreign vehicles, I have 2 in my area, I trust 1.

All cars have quirks but it seems to me that either they don't know how to find it or can't be bothered. Bob the guy I trust told me all the problems in my old Camry, all the quirks and he was right as it aged they showed up. I only have 10,000 on my 06 & probably won't reach 25,000 before I sell it so hopefully the quirks won't show up. GOOD LUCK............

rpfingsten

Hello all.. I have a hypothetical question for you. I have a 2007 XLS.. so far, great car. but earlier tonight my wife and I were talking about whether I would keep it or trade it in for a new one when this one's paid for. well I'm currently 24 payments in to a 60 payment term, basically 3 years left. Given the following info:, an 07XLS in if not perfect condition, damn near it with i'm guessing at that time approx. 60K miles on it. Car has just about everything with the exception of heated and cooled seats and does not have navigation. My question is what kind of trade in value could I reasonably expect. I ask because in the past, I've never traded a car in before it was 10 years old at the earliest and of course by then, trade in value is next to nothing. Thought I could help lower my note on my next car by getting some trade in value from my current. I know it's a hypothetical question but just curious what you guys think. I appreciate your input.

Roland

winifred2

I purchased a new Toyota Avalon (touring) in July 2006. In Sept. 2007, the trunk hinge
snapped, the heavy trunk fell and hit my friend in the head. It was repaired by the dealer.
In Sept. 2008, my car had 22,000 miles' The brake warning light was flashing occasionally, but the brakes felt fine. The dealer checked the brakes and said that they put in a little brake fluid but there was no leak, The brakes continued to feel fine'.
About a week after the dealer looked at the car the warning light flashed one time.
A month later, the brakes failed when I slowed down for a red light. I could have been killed. Now the dealer says there is nothing wrong with the car; the brake fluid levels are fine, the pads are good, maybe 50% worn, no fluid leaks and that there is nothing to fix.
I notified the manufacturer and they said that there is nothing that they can do for me, that they have to go along with the dealer. The brakes are acting fine now but who is to know when they will suddenly fail again with no defect identified. I am stuck with a lemon.
The car is still under warranty. I have to transport my grandchildren around. I feel unsafe.

wwest

If your vehicle has ABS there are several back-flow prevention check valves that can cause intermittent brake failure such as you describe.

jlsexton

I use Edmunds & Kelly Bluebook, there are 3 prices, BUT dealers have their own source. I have a near perfect 06 Limited with 10,000 miles, I will be dumping it in July 2010, haven't picked out a replacement yet.

mikes.

I traded in my 05 LTD back in July for an 08 LTD. I rec'd 16k in trade. It had 60k and some paint chipping.

necro1234

Got my grubby paws on a 2007 XLS, loverly car, quite mind blowing just how much punch the car has. (one hellava motor under the hood).
Cant say for sure if there is a governor or not or what the top end could be, I've got up to just over 125mph before backing off.
Car pulls strong up to about 120mph and then slowly continues forward from there, also has good control up to about 120mph, from there I started to get nervous.

Would love to get my hands on a Limited now :P

Cheers

Sheldon

pcc49

Where can I do this without getting a ticket for speeding?

wwest

Between Cut Bank and Browning MT or Browning and the first 'burg on the most direct way to Great Falls. Quite probably many other places in MT and WY.

But you will need to be careful, watch out, for the drunken indians and/or the wildlife.

fin

You can search the Avalon forums for top speed, etc., but here is summary from prior posts:

The 2005 and newer Avalon top speed is about 140, maybe a little more, if there is no speed limiter. This is based both on the hp/torque curves and the assumed Cd of the body.

In fact, a speed limiter sets the Avalon top speed at something in the 120's for safety.

Top speed, whatever it is, occurs in gear IV and using higher gears above 100 mph may induce automatic shifting attempts that could be dangerous under certain (ex. wind gusts, steep hills, etc.) conditions.

Have taken mine to 100 once. Stable, but you can feel the air pressure building under the car (ex racer, 1960's). By 120 this would be far too exciting to continue, my opinion, except at the Bonneville Flats, maybe. Drive safely, enjoy the Avalon...... Great cars...

necro1234

Hey fin I agree completely.
I was on the highway shooting through the Utah salt flats with no traffic on a sunday and put my foot down for just a little (was at 80mph and you know how it goes that you at 100mph before you know it), it got to 120mph quite easily with plenty of punch, after 120mph it was slow to progress further but I continued to 125mph, anything over 120mph just didn't feel like a good idea as it did not feel stable and got very twitchy so I backed off back to my legal 75mph on the highway.

Incredible car, it does handle pretty well, I find it quite forgiving when you make mistakes on the road (and recovers very well) even though its suspension is so soft.

Cheers

Sheldon

necro1234

Hi everyone

Been looking at the new Toy's for '09 and reading about the Plasmacluster the Camry's have (think they have had it for a few years now).
Am I correct that the Avalon's never got this?, if so anyone have any clue why the so called "flagship model" wouldnt get such a feature (that seems pretty dang cool).

Thanks

Sheldon

nvbanker

It should be governed at 133mph, if you can get it up to that.

Lulu44

I have a 2005 Avalon Touring with 42,000 miles. The other day the check engine light came on so I took it to a mechanic. He told me that the "purge cannister valve" is leaking and that it needs to be replaced immediately at a cost of $600.00. Does anyone know anything about this "purge cannister valve"? I find it totally unacceptable that such a problem would occur with a Toyota high end vehicle that is only three years old and still has relatively low miles for a Toyota. Any advice?

fin

Here is some info, taken from About.com on autos:

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION:
This system controls flow rate of fuel vapor from the EVAP canister. The opening of the vapor by-pass passage in the EVAP canister purge control solenoid valve changes to control the flow rate. The EVAP canister purge control solenoid valve repeats ON/OFF operation according to the signal sent from the ECM. The opening of the valve varies for optimum engine control. The optimum value stored in the ECM is determined by considering various engine conditions. When the engine is operating, the flow rate of fuel vapor from the EVAP canister is regulated as the air flow changes.

The good news is that this is part of the emission control system on the car and should be covered by Toyota under warranty (my opinion). Call a local Toyota dealer and ask. Hope this helps... Enjoy your Avalon... and post your results for others to see when you get an answer...

alan_s

The purge cannister valve is part of the emissions system and may be covered by the emissions warranty: Check your owner's manual.

"Federal Emission Coverage: Components under the federal emission defect warranty are covered for 36 months/36,000 miles and specified major emission control components are covered for 8 years/80,000 miles. Specified major emission control components under emission performance warranty are also covered for 8 years/80,000 miles. In addition, emission performance warranty is applicable for 24 months/24,000 miles in states and local jurisdictions that require a periodic EPA-approved inspection and maintenance program.

California Emission Control Coverage: In California and any other state that adopts California emission warranty provisions, performance warranty and defect warranty coverage is applicable for 36 months/50,000 miles, and specific control devices are covered for 7 years/70,000 miles."

Lulu44

Thanks for the info. I will post any updates.

Lulu44

I live in Kentucky and we did away with emissions testing last year. Will that have any bearing on warranty coverage? How do I know which one of the warranties you mentioned above fits my situation; I want to make sure I am totally armed when I make my final visit to the dealership. Thanks for your help!