2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

gschultz3 · May 2005

I have read all of the posts on this forum to learn all I can about my black Avalon LTD. I just have to report that so far I my enthusiasm for purchasing the 2005 Avalon has been growing with ever day. I have not had any problems except for a loose piece of trim which the dealer replaced. The car is performing as I expected:

- Above average acceleration .... no hesitation problems.
- Acceptable handling at speeds below 80 mph
- No problems with torque when accelerating rapidly
- Drivers seat with the cushion fully extended is very comfortable
- Keyless starting is a must for any future car purchases( my 2nd keyless car)
- Love the little extras sun shade, LED mirror turn signals, small turning circle, LCD information, rear armrest, pull out door storage, three storage areas,
- Navigation system LCD under the instrument panel cover ..... can't be touch screen but it is protected from damage and the sun
- Interior layout, quality and usefulness ..... all covers work well
- Rear seat size excellent - trunk is adequate
- Audio above average
- Interior noise low ....... no mirror wind issues
- Comfortable ride ....... maybe too comfortable
- Good in the snow with TC and VSC
- Manual shift useful (fun)

Things I miss ....... rear camera (added parking sensors), 18" wheels, folding mirrors, fully chromed grill, LED tail lights and HID lens headlights.

y_althani · May 2005

Wish you had turned it black so I could see how my avvy would look with chrome wheels. Don't beleive my Avvy could beat my 350Z AT but I guess I will never know unless I let somebody race me in my Avvy.

hi gschultz3 well that was my intention 2 c how it will look with chrome rims coz im still wating for my black ltd avvy

the thing is I told a frined to do the color tampring but it seems he didnt done much

y dont you post pics for it so i can c how will it look like

groza · May 2005

"As an ASE master technician and Toyota Master diagnostic technician I don't like "engineers" much. I have very specific reasons such as telling me what they think is wrong and should be done without any actual knowledge of repairs....I have been insulted once too many times by engineers who are incapable of repairing their own vehicle."

If you boys don't stop this bickering right now, your Father is going to stop this car, and he's going to smack both of you!

Groza

groza · May 2005

"I told a frined to do the color tampring but it seems he didnt done much"

If you boys don't stop this butchering right now, your Father is going to stop this car and smack all of you!

Groza

kinzua · May 2005

havalong,
Do you know if it would be possible to refill to, say 16.5 glls. to avoid resetting the mpg function? Sure would like to know overall fuel economy on a long (4000 mi) trip.
kinzua

pmcb48 · May 2005

Just do it manually. A little hassle to record each fillup, but some of us still do that as an old habit. No more hassle than partially refilling the tank to "fool" the computer. Total miles for trip / total gallons for trip = Average mpg for trip. Not too hard!

njny · May 2005

Greetings,
Has anyone noticed pronounced wind noise coming from the SunRoof when it is completely closed. Almost feels like a draft but definitely when the sunroof is closed.
I've got 1800 miles on my Limited and just noticed it today as I drove with the sunroof closed, not raining out and no radio on...

mackabee · May 2005

It was probably not closed all the way.
Mackabee

mackabee · May 2005

We got our first Ltd Black Avalon with Ivory leather today. Beautiful car! Too bad I won't get to see it much since we're trading it out for another color a customer requested. :P Oh well, I'll wait till I hit the lottery to get mine.

Mackabee

havalongavalon · May 2005

kinzua,

I don't know, I haven't ever partially refilled my Avalon's gas tank; I always fill up and enter in a notebook the distance covered and fuel type and amount purchased. For your 4,000 mile trip, I agree with pmcb48's answer. I would fill up just before starting and keep track of all the gas bought, including a top-up when reaching final destination. Then, total miles / total gallons = Average mpg for trip.

havalongavalon

y_althani · May 2005

y dont u take a pic b4 they take it away

kinzua · May 2005

I don't know, I haven't ever partially refilled my Avalon's gas tank; I always fill up and enter in a notebook the distance covered and fuel type and amount purchased. For your 4,000 mile trip, I agree with pmcb48's answer. I would fill up just before starting and keep track of all the gas bought, including a top-up when reaching final destination. Then, total miles / total gallons = Average mpg for trip.

That's exactly what I did before I bought a car with a "Trip" computer. Didn't realize a "Trip" was defined as the distance between refuelings. I'll try the short refill on the trip and report back on the results.

havalongavalon · May 2005

Hi gladiator99, aka "havasmartavalon",

Better hurry up and register your smart new handle, before somebody else takes it!

Also here very pleased with our Canadavalon, soon to reach its first 5000 km. All things considered it's a wonderful car, powerful, quiet, roomy, comfortable, dependable, reasonably economical, and has adapted very well to our two different driving styles. A quick and docile learner, in our experience.

I'd just change or improve a few minor things that would make it even better, as discussed in this forum. For example, I think that in Canada, passenger air bag warning lights should come On only when weight is detected but the bag is NOT activated. Say, would you agree to lobby Transport Canada to implement this? Canada had the foresight to pioneer mandatory use of daytime running lights a decade or so ago -- now it seems time to regulate when dashboard warning lights should, and should not, turn ON!

havalongavalon

havalongavalon · May 2005

"Didn't realize a "Trip" was defined as the distance between refuelings. I'll try the short refill on the trip and report back on the results."

kinzua,

Good point. Ideally, the fuel economy computation should be resettable at any time, just like the trip odometer. We had some previous discussion on this. It's worth adding to the Wish List of improvements in future Avalons.

Will be curious to hear the result of your short (partial?) refill test. If the fuel economy computer does not reset, does it remain accurate?

havalongavalon

loucopits · May 2005

Interested in what Toyota says, rather than what some owners choose to do...

kinzua · May 2005

I had my 2005 Avalon XL for about two weeks now. I just finished my first detailing job on my car, but there is still a bunch of work left. So far I have:

1) Armor All on vinyl (after I read the

The first thing we will do when our Limited is delivered 5/29/2005 is have our detailing shop do a Teflon wax job. Had that done to our 2000 XLS 5 months ago and road grim still wipes off with plain water.

3puttmax · May 2005

The Owner's Manual says:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------------------------------------
Fuel Type:

UNLEADED gasoline, Octane Rating 87 (Research Octane Number 91) or higher. For improved vehicle performance, the use of premium unleaded gasoline with an Octane Rating of 91 (Research Octane Number 96) or higher is recommended.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------------------------------------

I interpret this to mean that the engine has a knock sensor that is used, with the engine computer, to adjust the ignition spark advance as much as possible without pinging. So, the engine will adapt to whatever fuel you use. If you want the max 280 HP performance, you will need to use the top grade fuel. I would guess that fuel mileage also decreases slightly if you use the cheaper gas.

Sure wish they would give us detailed info on power output and fuel mileage with different gas grades, so we could make informed decision. So far I've used only the top grade fuel.

You can find this and lots of other good info at mynewavalon.com.

Max

pricecutter · May 2005

The responses to the hesitation problem can only be described as incredible. Many people, including me, were simply seeking assistance with what they perceived as a problem. Even the author of an article identified such a problem. A few people have been genuinely helpful, indicating possible causes and remedies.

But many have been absolutely incensed that we would dare suggest there was even the slightest possibility of a problem. They have accused us of
being unreasonable critics of the 2005 Toyota; poor drivers who could solve the problem by improving our driving skills; complainers who don't appreciate the good qualities of the 2005 Avalon, and liars because other people are not experiencing the problem; therefore, we can't possibly be telling the truth.

I'm sure many of us are wondering whether we should ever dare mention in this forum the possibility of any problem with our Toyota Avalons.

fin · May 2005

In the '03, regular 87 octane works fine and does not hurt the engine. But, upgrade to 89 octane and gas mileage goes up about 5%, not to mention better performance. This covers the cost of the upgrade fuel here in Georgia. Going to 91 octane produce no meaningful difference beyond 89.

The '05 has a new engine and computer. The '91 octane might make a difference in the new model as more power is available. Everybody would like to know what happens with different octanes so if you have an '05 and want to experiment a little..........try each, post the results.

havalongavalon · May 2005

pricecutter,

I'm sure that you are right -- three-fold: in noticing uneven performance in your car; in sensing that forum contributors have been deeply divided on this issue; and also, in expecting greater sympathy from all, for the minority (?) of Avalon owners who have experienced transmission performance problems.

Another type of mechanical trouble has also been reported: as drifting to the right, which is much easier to describe if it happens, though apparently only in some Touring vehicles thus far. If some vehicles are found to be defective in this way, that becomes a fact. Other Avalon owners who haven't had this problem should consider ourselves lucky, and keep both eyes open for evidence of this happening at some time.

The same level of tolerance is needed when a transmission hesitation problem is reported in this forum. Owners who have not noticed this type of problem have no right to contradict those who have.

What has complicated this issue, I think, is the prior history of (much worse?) hesitation in recent Lexus or Camrys, that the Avalon is not supposed to share; and also the lack of clarity about the process by which the "sometimes indecisive" Avalon transmission "learns" and adapts to each driver's style, which itself may or may not be a factor that contributes to hesitation behavior.

I for one read reports about transmission quirks with interest and want to more fully understand how it works and how and when it may malfunction. And, conditions can change! An example: my 16-year-old got a learner's permit today, so the day will soon come when Avalon will also have to learn to cope with a third, brand new driver...

pricecutter, I hope that you and any others with transmission issues will keep updating this forum and the rest of us will continue to show due respect for the genuine troubles and concerns of fellow Avalon owners and prospective owners. On the long run, we all will gain from sharing such sometimes unpleasant but important information.

Best wishes,

havalongavalon

avalonkitten · May 2005

Hi havalongavalon,
Are you certain you have not been driving my car? :surprise: The difference between the brake (needing extra pressure) and the gas (needing a gentle approach) was the exact same thing I found with my car from the very start. It was part of the initial diagnostics I had them run on it. As for my experimentation with the transmission, I tried leaving it on 4 but would run into trouble as soon as I switched it back to "D" with it trying to learn. I opted to just tough it out and drive it in D and be very conservative on when I pull out into traffic. At least this way I can still use my cruise control.
I seem to be having an ongoing streak of trouble
I bought the cargo net and put it into the trunk. I had a 2 liter bottle of pop in it to keep it from rolling across the trunk. Unfortunately, the anchor has come undone from the wall of the trunk. I have pushed it back into the trunk but it has come back out. The service director tried to fix it when I was at the store last week and it has fallen off again. Finally, I got into the car this afternoon and the power pad (with window and door power buttons) had come apart from the door. I am really starting to wonder if I am driving a lemon.

justgreat47 · May 2005

earlier i posted that the automatic on the 05 might not be adaptive; well, i checked the prochure and discovered it does have the adaptive feature. this will definitely mean different shift patterns for different driving characteristics. maybe a case, of too much technology? jackg 90seville 97k

pricecutter · May 2005

Thanks for the prompt response havalongalon. I agree with you on all points, except one. I don't think most of us who have this problem expected sympathy, only objective responses on whether others had a similar problem and if there is a solution. In fairness, a few people, including you, were indeed very objective and helpful, providing information(e.g. the author who experienced the problem) and possible future solutions.

I appreciate the good work you are doing.

Best wishes,

pricecutter

prakrama · May 2005

I always wonder why there is difference between dealer invoice and edmunds invoice . if paying above dealer invoice and below MSRP good? Please advise

scoti1 · May 2005

havalongavalon, very well put!. I especially like your last paragraph. Respect is the key! I put a link to your post in the Engine Hesitation forum.

Respectfully (pun intended),

Scot I.

dmorcos · May 2005

I thought that the higher octane rating gasoline was for engines with a higher compression rating.
Is the Avalon one that has a higher compression rating? If not, then from what I understand, if you do not have the higher compression engine, then the higher octane fuel will not burn as clean or complete.
Anyone care to correct me on this.

mikes. · May 2005

"I seem to be having an ongoing streak of trouble
I bought the cargo net and put it into the trunk. I had a 2 liter bottle of pop in it to keep it from rolling across the trunk. Unfortunately, the anchor has come undone from the wall of the trunk. I have pushed it back into the trunk but it has come back out. The service director tried to fix it when I was at the store last week and it has fallen off again. Finally, I got into the car this afternoon and the power pad (with window and door power buttons) had come apart from the door. I am really starting to wonder if I am driving a lemon"

AKitten, this is starting to sound like a GM product... I'm really sorry to hear all the bad news / trouble you are having.

MikeS.

chipmunk47 · May 2005

You soda should fit into the holder on the left side in the trunk. It was designed to hold 2 gallons of milk or 2 bottles of soda (2 litre size). The power pad can be reset by the dealer using clear silicon caulk.

yurik · May 2005

I have been driving my Limited for about 2 weeks and now started noticing transmission hesitation. It's interesting, I haven't noticed it the first week. My explanation is I drove my car from the dealership that is 50 miles away on the highway and now I am driving in city traffic. So,after driving the car on the highway,perhaps transmission learned different settings than when driving in city traffic. I believe, it actually is getting worse. I have to constantly keep pressing gas pedal to keep up with the traffic and tranny shifts kind of harsh. I also called Toyota today and informed them of this issue. They were not aware of it. I guess, we should all call Toyota, this way they'll get the bulletin fix to the dealerships sooner.

mikes. · May 2005

"I thought that the higher octane rating gasoline was for engines with a higher compression rating.
Is the Avalon one that has a higher compression rating? If not, then from what I understand, if you do not have the higher compression engine, then the higher octane fuel will not burn as clean or complete.
Anyone care to correct me on this."

dmorcos;

Not a correction but an update on engine dynamics:

Engine knock; defined as the air/gas(oline) mixture igniting before the spark plug fires. Usually caused by a too low octane gas being used in an engine of certain compression. The gasoline engine is trying to operate more like a diesel fuel engine which uses compression to ignite the air/fuel mixture.

from my understanding of gasoline engine dynamics higher octane is needed to prevent premature ignition of the air/gas mixture in a higher compression engine. The compressed gas mix would ignite (explode) prematurely causing the engine to knock.

What has happened over the last few (several) years is that the engineers have built and included in the engine management computer system, sensors to detect knock and then the ability to retard the timing of the engine until the knock is no longer present. In the past a person could manually retard or advance the engine timing. It is now being done automatically by the engine computer system. It actually happens many times a second.

What Toyota has done is to design an engine to run on 91 Octane at the engine's optimal setting (timing). But the engine is very capable of handling knock with gasoline that has an octane rating as low of 87. It will still be just as clean but it will deliver slightly less power.

MikeS.

havalongavalon · May 2005

Hi avalonkitten,

I switch from D to S ('manual shift') fairly often, for example on a steep downhill curve where traffic slows down (from 40 mph down to 10) and I downshift from 4 to 3, sometimes 2. At the bottom of the hill where the road levels out I switch back to D and have no issues, whether while moving straight through a green light at 20-40 mph or after having stopped at a red.

The cases of "sometimes indecisive transmission" I observe are what I'd call "immaterial internal adjustments", meaning that while driving in D at a fairly constant speed, the transmission may suddenly downshift to run at higher RPM when I did not expect a need to shift, and will later shift back to lower RPM, but these shifts don't affect the traveling speed of the car. I find these transmission shifts a little annoying, but not unsafe, because whenever I've needed to suddenly accelerate the car has responded well, regardless.

On your cargo net trouble -- when I installed the back-up sensors I had to remove the cargo net anchors to remove the plastic panel covering the trunk rear wall. Each wall anchor has a plastic alignment peg that you press into a hole, but is also held in place securely by a long screw. Sounds like this screw is missing, or perhaps the hole where it goes is threaded?

On your unfortunate door power pad problem, it sure sounds like you've had an overdose of bad luck. What is your car's ID No. -- 00000013, perhaps?

Best wishes on having all these issues properly fixed asap, and please keep us posted,

havalongavalon

mikes. · May 2005

I've had my LTD for over 3 months and 5.3K miles now and I'm very happy to report that the only problem I've had was that the drivers door panel popped loose in a couple places where it meets the window. Took the tech about 2 minutes to fix. The service manager and the tech were completely suprised. The only reason they could come up with was that it was knocked loose when they put in the Toyota remote start.

Toyota remote start, this is the first remote start I've owned and I'm dissapointed in its short range compared to other brands. It does do what I need though. I use it to start the car when it is COLD out from the front window of my house and I'll use it for the AC if it evers gets hot around here. Where I park at work won't matter since we don't have any windows near the parking lot.

MikeS.

avalonkitten · May 2005

I called over a month ago to the customer service satisfaction center. I even have my own advisor now. I think they are in denial or figuring if they ignore it long enough it might go away. :confuse:

avalonkitten · May 2005

I did read the response on the silicone sealant and will ask the service shop about fixing it. As for the anchor there is a screw inside of a plastic shield that is definitely too small for the hole. You put it in and it pops back out. I will ask the service shop about a longer screw too.
The hesitation I have experienced is different from what you describe. I have it as I start from stops. I also have it when I am trying to acelerate between 10-30 mph. It has affected my speed or rather lack of it. After a noticeable delay it does eventually pick up and go. My point with the switching is that I have been experiencing many more instances of jumping and hesitation if I continually switch between "standard" and automatic. (That is to say I drive for a while in "standard" and once it seems to be driving smoothly (several stop lights) I switch back to "D". It seems easier to just deal with the fewer instances of it by leaving it in automatic all the time. I get it trained to work correctly about 80% of the time verses switching between "standard" and "D" I have problems 80% of the time.
I am headed back to Ohio memorial day weekend and will have several opportunities to test out the shifting on the mountains. Last trip I drove strictly in "D". It was challenging to navigate the 6% and 7% grades going down hill with alot of traffic. Thankfully, there are only a few congested areas on the route I take once I leave D.C. :shades:

barclay3 · May 2005

Pricecutter...What did Thompson say about your hesitation problem?

Has anyone have their dealer confirm that there is a hesitation problem (not caused by the driver) or are they all denying it?

Will the fix be a software modification? How long does this usually take?

havalongavalon · May 2005

yurik, you said that now when driving in city traffic you "have to constantly keep pressing gas pedal to keep up with the traffic and tranny shifts kind of harsh."

Did you mean that you need to "apply a constant pressure to the gas pedal", or, on the contrary, "repeatedly 'pump' the gas pedal"? Pumping the accelerator may be a problem for the Avalon, it could cause the harsh shifting and confuse the processor.

On level city roads, traffic permitting, I would say that I drive with the foot OFF the accelerator probably 60% of the time. I first accelerate briskly until I reach a desired cruising speed. Once the right gear for that speed is engaged (lowest RPM), I just take my foot off the gas and pretty much let it coast. For long stretches, of course I'll need to give it a bit more gas at some point, but I need to apply very light, even pressure to the gas pedal to keep up with (or ahead of) the traffic.

I don't know whether my Avalon needed to 'learn' this driving style or not, but it works well for me.

havalongavalon

havalongavalon · May 2005

avalonkitten, yes, your hesitation problem is definitely different from the minor hiccups that I have experienced. I would insist on having this corrected, although it sounds as if a cure is not yet available to the service people.

You say that you will drive in D down steep hills. When you drive in D, if you find you must step on the brakes often to maintain speed down a steep hill, the controller should quickly "learn" to down-shift next time you use the brakes, so the engine can assist in reducing the speed. Did you mean to say that you won't use the S mode and down-shift yourself, because if you did the car would act up when in D? This I would really want to have fixed before leaving for a long trip through mountains. One way or another, the car should reliably downshift to assist the braking effort on steep downhills.

Best wishes,

havalongavalon

yurik · May 2005

That's right, havalongavalon. I have to keep constant pedal pressure in slow moving traffic. If I take my foot off the gas or relieve the pressure, the car slows down rapidly. Consequently, I have to increase pedal pressure and the car abruptly speeds up. Now, I didn't have this before I started driving in city trafic and before I tried out manual shifting. Therefore, I believe if the car was OK in the beginning and then changed, it has to do with transmissions adaptive feature.

By the way, thanks for parking sensors recommendation. I just received mine from Awell. I called my dealer to ask them if this will not void the warranty and didn't get straight answer. I wonder if you tried to find out?

regards, yurik

rainh2o · May 2005

justgreat47,

Where did you find information on the adaptive feature of the transmission? In the brochure I received from the dealer, it is described as a "5-speed electronically controlled automatic overdrive transmission with intelligence (ECT-i) and sequential shift."

While this certainly suggests that it may be adaptive, I've found no information that specifically says so, or further explains the word "intelligence" in relation to the transmission.

Thank you,

rainh2o

pricecutter · May 2005

Hi Barclay,

I haven't approached Thompson with the problem because I want to see if it eventually takes care of itself--as some people in the forum have indicated. If it starts to pose serious driving problems, I will definitely take it to a dealer.

pricecutter

barclay3 · May 2005

Thanks. Keep me informed. I haven't noticed it yet but I have had the car for 5 days and I am basically babying it.

dajab · May 2005

'Where did you find information on the adaptive feature of the transmission? In the brochure I received from the dealer, it is described as a "5-speed electronically controlled automatic overdrive transmission with intelligence (ECT-i) and sequential shift." '

There's a little more information (and some cut-away pictures) of the transmission at http://www.tundrasolutions.com/dealers/vehicles/2005-Avalon/index.htm , which was referred to in post #1093. It's described as having "advanced shift logic" that "adjusts shifting to account for engine conditions, driving habits, component wear".

This site was very useful when information on the new 2005 was very scarce.

havalongavalon · May 2005

yurik,

I didn't ask my dealer whether installing the Awell system would void the warranty. What I asked my dealer was whether they could provide/install a parking sensor system, and they offered to install an aftermarket system that seemed to me very similar, which they have installed in Siennas before but at a very high cost. There are many competing aftermarket systems and they seem to sell, so my expectation is that they don't pose a high risk to the car. I suppose that if I ever have an electrical failure involving the reversing lights or battery, this installation could become an issue; but the probability of this happening is small, I hope.

johni, or anyone else who has installed a similar system, did you ask a dealer or do you know more?

Thanks,

havalongavalon

pmcb48 · May 2005

"...adaptive feature of the transmission."

Please see also post #5660, which quotes from and provides a link to an update for dealers on the new features in the 2005 Avalon. Here is an excerpt:

B. Advanced shift logic

1. automatically adjusts shifting to account for
a. engine conditions
b. driving habits
c. component wear

That sounds adaptive to me.

I wonder what the experience would be if you rented an Avalon from a Toyota rental agency, found at many dealers. How confused would the transmission be with a new driver every day or two? :confuse:

tmeframe · May 2005

I'm coming into the conversation rather late, but look for a condition called "radial-crawl". A Discount Tire guy diagnosed this problem on my Infiniti last year, and by gosh, he was right on the nose. During the mfg process, some tires can develop weird biasing in the tread - uneveness if you will, that causes the tire to crawl to one direction or another just as it rolls along - no other impetuous. HE WAS RIGHT. To prove it, he moved F to R and R to F, and the problem changed, not went away, but changed. Replacing the known problem tire, got rid of the problem entirely.

Steve

rainh2o · May 2005

dajab and pmcb48,

Thank you! That link answers my question and then some! The transmission sounds adaptive to me, as well.

I imagine a rental wouldn't know which way to go! It would probably refuse to go anywhere at all!

-rainh2o

bettersafe · May 2005

Hi All,

I am new to the discussion, being in the Avalon market for about a month. Sad to say, I have not yet had the opportunity to drive one. The transmission discussion from this forum has convinced my to wait till the '06 come out. We have a 98 Explorer with over 120,000 miles which about once every 2 months does a weird hesitation maneuver when you are attempting to pull out from a stop sign. . and it is very unnerving . . and can be dangerous as you are attempting to merge in with oncoming traffic. Regardless of how comfortable the Limited's heated and cooled seats may be, a car that will not respond to driver input is unacceptable. Better Safe than Sorry.

Has anyone tried to contact the software company which programs the transmission? Green Hills Software, based in Santa Barbara, CA I found their web site:
http://www.ghs.com/Automotive.html which proudly states:
"We offer a complete range of products and services specifically designed to meet the software development requirements for automotive products
such as the Toyota Avalon engine and transmission control. "

Seems to me that they could explain how the transmission "learns", and how to get the transmission to reset factory settings. I have friends at work who have the equipment to link into a car's computers and change settings. Seems to me that some smart Avalon owner who is also a computer geek could come out with an aftermarket product to monitor the transmission, to determine what it is learning that is "good", and what is "bad".

I would think that Green Hills Software would want to know what is wrong with their "intelligence" algorithms, and how they could be improved. Further, I bet that they have the test equipment to place into a misbehaving car to exactly figure out what is going on in the internals of the transmission. Anyone living close to Santa Barbara have a misbehaving Avalon ?

Even if this problem happens in only 1% of the cars. . . that is a big problem and deserves to be fully researched.

I will watch the forum over the next weeks / months, and hope that this problem gets addressed so I can join the Avalon-owner ranks.

Thanks for listening, and thanks for sharing!

no_lava · May 2005

Hi,
I bought my 2005 XLS about 2 and a half months ago, and have been very happy with it except for two issues: the car pulls slightly to the right (seems to be worse going up hill), and the transmission hesitates when accelerating from a slow speed (for example, speeding up after slowing to turn a corner). I searched on Google for these problems and was immediately directed to this forum, which is a great help! I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad that these seem to be design defects rather than problems with my particular car, but at least I know I'm not crazy.
I've experimented with how I control the gas pedal based on the posts here, and the hesitation seems to be gone for the moment. I can't really explain the difference between what I was doing before and what I'm doing now, but the car is responding much better. I'll have to wait to see if the car gets confused the next time my wife borrows it.
As for the steering problem, I have not had time to bring the car into the dealer to check it out. It sounds like I'm the first one to report this on the XLS as opposed to the Touring model. Anyone else with an XLS notice it?
-Daniel

tkaz · May 2005

Bummer it doesn't work like our 2005 Sienna - you determine when you want to maually reset it. That's nice for long trips. No need to remember or carry pad and pencil.
Wife loves her new Sienna, except for weird transmission shifting. Will get that looked at 5K oil change.
Anxious to get a 2006 Ltd Avalon. Hope some of these nuances such as auto resetting of average mpg are changed.

mackabee · May 2005

Not to be a wise guy but why did you take delivery of this car ? You said it had a major problem from day one. Didn't you notice it then? I'm happy for you that all your problems were solved to your satisfaction. How this one left the factory I don't know. Sounds to me like you have a "happy Avalon" that whistles and sings and likes steamed rice to boot!

Mackabee

2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles