2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

bobwiley · August 2006

retired7: I read, in this Forum I think, that the NHTSA or some other Federal bureaucratic agency changed the way they figured HP---anyway, the 268 HP Avy still outruns almost all other sports sedans, G35, TL,etc.--including the BMW 525-530 Series. With all that power and 30+MPG at 75 MPH--I ani't complaining about losing 12 HP!
Bob

captain2 · August 2006

by your moniker then I'm guessing you rememeber the 427/425 HP Chevys, 426/425 HP Chryslers, 390 HP Fords etc etc.. SAE gross ratings about 40% higher than today's 'net' ratings. Were they ripping you off then, when all those engines magically lost 150 hp or more?
The Avalon, as bobwiley notes, one of the most powerful and economical cars of its type - what more could you ask?

Karen_S · August 2006

A reporter seeks to interview current and former Texans with opinions about the recent Toyota recalls. Please reply to jfallon@edmunds.com by Tuesday, August 8, 2006 with your daytime contact info, a description of your Texas connection and a few words about whether you think the Toyota recalls will affect the Toyota brand.

topgear · August 2006

As others have already mentioned, there must be something wrong with your tranny (and a handful of others perhaps). Mine, an '06 Limited with 6100 miles, (...knock on wood), appears to work fine. I drive fast, I drive slow -no problem. And always the car shifts fine. In fact, this car kicks a**! What you describe with yours is NOT normal, as not all Avalons seem to be problematic.

Sorry about your problems! Good luck!

P

gartmacd · August 2006

We are now in Digby Neck NS, near the bottom of the NS peninsula. "The Olde Salt Cod" B&B has internet, so here's another installment. Sorry to disappoint the doomsday clairvoyants, but all is very much unchanged. Still no signs of anything amiss with the transmission, or anything else for that matter. Our two travelling companions (he and she)are impressed with this car.
An interesting aside...We stopped in a larger urban center (Yarmouth) and dropped into the local Toyota dealer for a quick look around at the new models on display. I asked about the transmission complaints and showed the service mgr this forum, which he perused. His surprise was very clearly evident. They apparently haven't experienced any of the sort of issues being reported here. While I was there he also looked at the "Camry Woes" topic and saw a recent post showing pictures of a Camry rear bumper which was touted to be a 4cyl bumper wrongly installed on a 6cyl model. A lot of criticism had resulted from that picture. He chuckled at that and showed me how it was really a picture of a rear bumper damaged by impact. Made me wonder about some of the stories in these forums.
On last comment (for now). No I don't intend to offer Toyota the opportunity to buy back our Avalon!!
Will add more about our Avalon experiences tomorrow as we are planning a couple of days at this stop.

allavalons · August 2006

I enjoy reading all the notes from people and their experiences with their Avy, although I seldom post. Mine is a 2005 built in May 2005 and it's been great from day 1. The only maintenance I've had beyond scheduled O/F/L and tire rotations was a bad Oxygen/Pass Through Sensor.
I just returned from a trip to Florida about 2,150 miles down and back and the car performed like a champ, power when I asked for it and unbelievable mileage. The trip is 949 miles door to door each way and I was able to make the trip with one fill-up at around 485 miles and then not again until I reached my destination. All highway driving, 70 to 80 MPH and averaged a little over 31 MPG (on the computer, I didn't bother to use a calculator). On the way down I drove through South Carolina and the outside temperature was 103 and it was all cool and quiet in the car. Also made the trip door to door in around 14 hours and 40 minutes elapsed time, best time I've ever made and we make the trip every summer.

I sympathize with the folks that are having tranny trouble, however like several others I have none of the hesitation or lurching. It's smooth and even, slowing then moving forward, or almost stopping then flooring it, it works perfectly. As for wind and road noise, there was none at these speeds, I even heard a rattle in the trunk from a bag that had a loose latch I fixed at the gas stop. I have the Michelin's and am meticulous at maintaining 32 psi when cold, I would imagine over inflating would make a harsher and noisier ride.

Happy motoring folks :shades: .
AllAvalons

pat · August 2006

Please post about your own Avalon experiences instead of speculating about others' experiences. Keep in mind that if you don't have problems, you don't know what it's like for someone who does. And if you do have problems, well, you don't know what it's like not to have them, of course. To try to tell someone in the opposite circumstance what is going on with that person and that person's car just doesn't make sense.

We also need to keep in mind that a post on any subject you find unhelpful or uninteresting should just be skipped. There's no need to tell people the subject shouldn't be discussed here. One more thing - please be civil. If you have a problem with a post, email the host or skip it. Please do not take the poster to task.

Thank you for your cooperation.

mem4 · August 2006

Sorry, you're right.

In the future I'll read the posts, ignore what I want and pay attention to what I think is valuable.

yotaowner · August 2006

Kudos to your concern about merging into traffic. As stated in my earlier post I had a near miss while attempting merge due to my hesitant/lurching transmission. I use my car for family outings. Now, when I have all 3 kids in the back seat, I am overly cautious about leaving myself enough space to merge...to the point where people behind me start to beep their horns. I personally thank Toyota for helping me to sharpen my defensive driving skills by making it a survival tactic. ...Oh what a feeling.

yotaowner · August 2006

For a problem that reportedly does not exist or is due to our inexperienced driving technique(s), there are roughly 3x the amount of postings on the 2005 Avalon board vs. the 2007 Toyota Camry board. And yes, the 2007 Camry was recalled....VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER.....

captain2 · August 2006

if odd transmission behavior is confirmed by Toyota's own spokesman, and foot position importance is confirmed in Toyota's own TSB - what are we 'speculating' about - maybe a logical reason why this happens to some and not others?

don't know about you, but explanations (call them speculations if you will) can be a valuable way to solve or avoid problems. which is what I thought these forums were supposed to be all about. if all we're 'allowed' to talk about is how great (or not so great) our cars are, it will make for a whole lot less valuable venue.

please delete this message after you have had a chance to read it!

pat · August 2006

Telling people what they are experiencing makes no sense. You don't know.

If you want to discuss this further, please email me. Thanks.

exploder750 · August 2006

Perhaps the moderators could consider splitting this topic out to a new one that covers "2005+ Avalon Woes"? It appears to have worked extremely well for the "2007 Camry Woes" topic.

bobwiley · August 2006

I have no problem with "friendly" verbal jabbing--I do have a problem with sarcastic remarks just because someone has not experienced the same problem(s) with their car!! I know i was skeptical about the "quirky" tranny issue--then it happened to me after I'd had the car over 5 months. The Forum is supposed to be just that----an open menas of communication whether to vent, inform or ask questions.
Bob

pat · August 2006

And you have described exactly what it is - so let's get past the bickering and get back to the conversations.

bluesman3 · August 2006

Yea, this place has been rather foul as of late.... Glad we're moving on!

I recently ordered an 07' Touring and it's due to be built next week.

The wait is excruciating.....

1D4 - Titanium metallic
SR - Sunroof
VS - Trac, VSC & heated seat
EJ - JBL stereo
TV - Touring package
FE - 50 state emission

I paid $3,213 under list for the car.

The dealer threw in a set of all weather mats and mud guards (I don't think I'll put those on). I also ordered a set of factory shop manuals, an all weather trunk mat and an extra set of carpeted floor mats since the all weather mats were free.

Once it's delivered it's going in for a remote start, 32% tint on the back half, ClearShield package on the front, and XM w/ Ipod interface. :shades:

My only bummer is that I bought a new set of 06' LTD wheels for the car BEFORE I knew about the new TPM system.....So either I disconnect the TPMS or I sell these rims and wait to buy a set of 07's. :sick:

Anyone care to join me in the new positive direction here?

lzc · August 2006

Congratulations! How long before delivery? And of interest to me, what significant changes, if any, come with the new model? Thanks.

bobwiley · August 2006

bluesman3: Good luck--the Avy is one great car! Think about the Body Side Moldings approx $150---they're WORTH it!!!
Bob

bluesman3 · August 2006

Delivery is approx. (2) weeks from the build date, perhaps less but they don't want to overpromise. So I might take deilvery either late this month or the first week of Sept.

Significant changes? Well there isn't much change for 2007 and most of it is an option package on the Touring model.

All trims get the tire pressure monitor system.
The Touring gets a NAV option package which also includes heated mirrors w/ driver's dimming feature.

bluesman3 · August 2006

I'll pass on the side moldings. I think they break up the lines and they don't really offer protection where you need it. My current car has them but guess where all the door dings are? About 6 inches above the side moldings.....

bobwiley · August 2006

Good Luck!!! Let me know in about 6 month's---I'm glad I got them---their placement is just right and-----they do work!! BTW--I also got the pin stripes on our Silver Pine Mica Ltd---they certainly add a touch and help with the streamlined look!
Bob

bluesman3 · August 2006

My plan is to park off in the corner and walk the distance to avoid the door dings.

I'm not a fan of pin stripes either, the ones on my current car have almost all rubbed off over the years.

dan41 · August 2006

Welcome and good luck with your new Avalon. There is one after market product I purchased for my 05 Limited that I have benefited from a number of times. It is the back-up sensor system I purchased from Awel ( based on feedback from members of this site ). Although some members installed it themselves, I decided to have to have it installed by a local professional. If I had to do it over again, I would have also installed the sensor system on the front bumper, too.

Enjoy! Dan

bailboy · August 2006

good luck, i park in the spots furthest from anyone...and what do you know? Some moron has to park right next to my car. Had the car 2 days and had 2 new dings.... Although i still park far away from anyone else because the odds of getting more dings is reduced.....them door moldings do nothing...especially with all the SUV's..

limiteddriver · August 2006

The mud flaps don't look bad and they really protect the side of the car. I like mine.

limiteddriver · August 2006

Pin stripes here cost about $25 and can easily be replaced. I had some on a Miata that didn't wear off in 9 years.

limiteddriver · August 2006

My mouldings have savred my doors twice. I guess they are in the correct position some times.

bluesman3 · August 2006

I'll have to see how the flaps look before I put them on permanently, I'm just not sure without seeing it in the flesh. Therefore I didn't want the dealer installing them.

I guess I wanted them for a reason, we'll find out if my thoughts were correct.

nimimi · August 2006

I installed (myself; it was easy) the color-keyed, blue mirage metallic mud flaps and they look GREAT!

lnt · August 2006

Good luck on parking far off and walking!! My car is always the farthest out away from all others but then people aim their shopping carts at them, give them a shove and see how hard they can hit the car! I went again today to see about getting my little dent fixed - $619! It was creased a little too much for the paintless dent repair. They said since it was on the door close to the front fender that the door and the fender would have to be painted in order for it to blend. Another shop said he'd do it for $225 but he was just going to fill and paint that one spot. My son had that "Spot" type done on his metallic mustang and you can tell the difference in the paint. I'll just let it go for awhile and wait until I get a couple of more so it will be worth it. I refuse to go to WalMart anymore in my car, though.

bluesman3 · August 2006

I didn't realize the mud flaps were color keyed. That might change my mind, I thought they were all dark grey or black.

bluesman3 · August 2006

My thoughts are correct, the mud guards only come in dark charcoal. Yours must have been painted to match the car, which is an interesting thought.

nimimi · August 2006

No. It depends upon where you get them. It seems as if the dealers in the Texas area have them and here (Pacific NW) they don't. Contact anythingtoyota.com (a dealer somewhere in Texas) and order them color matched - they match perfectly.

bluesman3 · August 2006

Interesting. The dealer is throwing in the set for free and they're the plain charcoal color. I'm sure I could get them painted to match for a small price. I'm won't know which way I want to go until I get the car....

The question is which looks better, plain dark charcoal, color keyed or none at all?

limiteddriver · August 2006

Mine came Titanium color mounted on the car here in the SE. Black matches the tires, but matching colors are fine as long as they aren't white which would really show dirt.

bluesman3 · August 2006

Yea that would be a concern. I wouldn't want the wheel side of the guard painted the car's color. We'll see when it gets here.

This will be an interesting experience for me, I've never owned a Toyota nor bought anything foreign before. Hopefully it will prove to be a long lived addition to my driveway.

bobwiley · August 2006

Black ones while I have the car--saving the Silver Pine Mica color keyed ones for when I sell. I can imagine what the color keyed ones will look like after a few thousand miles of rocks and road debris being thrown against them. Just a hought.
Bob

limiteddriver · August 2006

Road debris hasn't hurt mine in 15 months. The wheel side is of course black.

rodc2 · August 2006

I installed color matched mudguards on my 06 limited when I first got it. Eight thousand miles later I'm still very happy with them. You may want to look at message #11628 where I detailed my source, price paid, and installation ease (very easy). I highly recommend installing them.
Rod

bluesman3 · August 2006

Thanks for that message link, it gave me some insight as to how these mount.

I already have the free mud guards so I won't need to order painted ones. Should I elect to paint them I'll have my local body shop do it. It shouldn't coat that much since I know the owner and he'd do it for a nominal fee.

j_hbrock · August 2006

I have never cared that much about my previous vehicles but really want to put some care and prestige in my Avalon.

How does one go about removing the "AVALON" off the back. I know that sounds funny - not ashamed its an Avalon just trying to so some simple customizing:

i.e. : Billet Grill, Avalon name gone, possibly new wheels, etc...

bluesman3 · August 2006

Those are just stick on letters, you might try some 90% rubbing alcohol to loosen the adhesive, then CAREFULLY use a thin plastic putty knife to get underneath and take them off. Take your time with this and let the fluid soak in.

The other question is what do you do with the big Toyota emblem?

limiteddriver · August 2006

Dental floss works great. Wd40 will get the adhesive off.

bluesman3 · August 2006

Another excellent method! I like the dental floss.

j_hbrock · August 2006

The Toyota emblem is fine. I am not trying to make it look like a Lexus. Just change things a bit.

I like this look.

**From forum member hsakuragi

hsakuragi · August 2006

http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=551380062&se- curity=ZtMvPa

grille, avalon removed, wheels,

Body Kit coming soon! :P

jlsexton · August 2006

Points of interest.

Mudguards come ONLY in black or charcoal. Usually a car paint supplier will make up a spray can of any color. I use Gervic (NY).

Body side moulding HAS to be placed at the high point of the door, not where it looks good.There is a website that sells it in the proper color and it is a Toyota dealer. In my opinion the Avalons door is too big and needs to be broken up.

Buy "ONLY" an after market remote starter, Toyota's, in my opinion is useless, tiny buttons, shuts off when a door or hood or trunk is opened, totally inane. If not installed at the dealers (big markup) Toyota will VOID the warranty (scam).

Good luck, my Limited so far is great but a LOT bigger than my Camry and I'm really not used to it with only 500 miles. Do all the 07's come with the tire pressure monitoring system.

bluesman3 · August 2006

Correct.

I agree except for the part about the door lines needing to be broken up.

I am, and the aftermarket unit is at least warranted.

Yes, all the 07s have the TPMS.

nimimi · August 2006

You are wrong about the mud guards. They are sold in all the colors in the SW by Toyota dealers and made in and painted by the parts manufacturer in Canada.

limiteddriver · August 2006

If you get the door molding from Dawn Interprises, as several of us on this site have, their instructions tell you where to mount it. Mine has saved my doors on more than one occasion. The color match is perfect too.

2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

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