2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

clipper1 · May 2005

One of my better moves -- after reading about the '05 problems --

I told my dealer friend to keep the deposit for the Limited and I'll use if for the '06.

By that time -- XM and hesitation and Nav problems... solved -- I hope!

mikes. · May 2005

I would have liked to have added the gold package but the car was so new they didnt have it in stock and from what I was just told by the parts dept in Fredericksburg, it still isnt. Anyone know if this will be available in the future? I didnt see it listed in the 05 Avy brochure so thought maybe it wont be.

I sent you an e-mail on this as to where you can get a gold package for our 05s.

MikeS.

mikes. · May 2005

"I just got called by my dealership about TSB SSC50F a visual inspection of the steering cvolumn. I'll let you all know more when I get back from the dealer.

MikeS."

Took my LTD up to my local dealer and they did the visual check that was called for in the TSB. They said they had to use a special tool to check the steering column. They didn't find the reported problem. I couldn't get a strasight answer on what the problem might be. I didn't really push the issue though.

MikeS.

limiteddriver · May 2005

I guess I don't understand why anyone would first call some one higher than the dealer to get the car fixed without giving the dealer a chance to fix it. Remember dealers have to verify the trouble before deciding on a fix. i know of no company that doesn't do this. If they didn't they would order a lot of parts for problems that didn't exist except in a customer's mind. IMHO you handled it wrong and should not blame Toyota.

yurik · May 2005

Pat, this phone number was attached to the keychain I received from Toyota dealer. I am sure, everyone who bought Avalon, received it too. They must have misplaced it. Anyway, the number I posted is Toyota's general inquiries phone number that can be found on Toyota.com website.

Thank You, Yurik

morganff · May 2005

A warm greeting to forum readers. I'm writing again about my 2005 Avalon's steering problems. Everyone should know up front that I have already invoked PA's Lemon Law to get relief from Toyota. I'm sorry to say that local Toyota Service Departments (I've tried two) showed no interest in helping me once the alignment and tire rotation tricks didn't work. By trying to tell me my car drives straight, when 35 years of driving experience tells me otherwise, they only managed to earn my mistrust. Actually, I interpret their denials as tacit admission they are helpless to do anything until Toyota owns up to the problem. The second dealership's biggest concern seemed to be they wouldn't get paid if they performed a repeat warranty alignment. The second dealership's service manager wouldn't honor my request to contact Toyota's technical advisors. TAS does have a case # for me from the first dealership, but told that dealer to do nothing for me! I got the feeling at both places that calling TAS was a hassle for them (maybe even intimidating?).
In fairness, I have to commend AVALONOWNER"S dealership for their integrity. It sounds like they were at least willing to acknowledge the nonconformity, have tried something to fix it, and are making it easier for the owner if he chooses to file a Lemon Law action.
NO_LAVA"S post # 5715 reminds me that the frist time I was sure my car was pulling abnormally was while driving uphill. Since then, the defect in my car has gone through some evolution. Although in general the pulling to the right has gotten worse over time - I've owned it for 2 months now, 2400 miles - it can fluctuate in severity. I haven't figured out exactly what conditions govern the severity, with the exception that the more the road slopes to the right, the worse the pull gets. Keep in mind these are the same road conditions I've driven all my life, in many different vehicles, so please - no posts trying to explain to me how gravity affects the vehicle's direction of travel. This steering pull is exerting an uneven force on the front end that is stronger than gravity. This abnormal force is even strong enough to compomise braking performance. At times, when I apply the brakes. the front right wheel acts like a twisted ankle, yanking the vehicle downward to that side. You can actually watch the steering wheel being yanked in a clockwise direction.
Driving on a perfecly level smooth surface mitigates some, but not all, of the errant steering behavior. When the road slopes to the left, the car will drift in that direction, although the natural gravitational pull, if anyfhing, is a tad light. There is no need for repetetive counterpulling the steering wheel on a left slope, unlike on a right sloping roadway.
Another observation. When the steering decides, for reasons that escape me, to really pull hard to the right, it almost seems like I'm losing power steering. Overall steering effort in both directions becomes a genuine act of full time physical and mental concentration.
I'm intrigued by AVALONKITTEN'S complaint about the erratic braking behavior she has noticed in her vehicle. I'm wondering if this is a different manifestation of the same disease afflicting my car.
Anyway, in closing, count me in the column of unhappy owners of the new Avalon. This was my third consecutive Toyota new car purchase spanning 17 years. I've always been a fan of Toyota's craftsmanship and reliability, but this time I think I bought into a mechanical experiment gone awry. Yes, that was a pun. I think Toyota's legal waiting period before replying to my complaint ends pretty soon. Then it will probably be on to Dispute Settlement for me. I hope everyone found my story interesting reading. I especially hope that by sharing my observations with the others whose Avalons pull to the right that this ailment might get cured sooner; and maybe spare other owners the kind of grief we are putting up with.
More later.

pat · May 2005

Thanks, that's all we needed ...

fin · May 2005

Several posts back we determined that road crowns and torque steer do not cause random drifting of Avalons. Be assured also that gravity, as explained by Newton and Keppler, pulls downward and does not pull an Avalon or any other car to the left or right at any time on regular roads. On the banking at Talladega or Daytona speedways, maybe, if you drive slow enough.....you might get a little leftward drift....

It's the car. Keep the forum posted, please...waiting for the '06 model here. Thanks.

curry · May 2005

Havalong,

You are most likely correct. It is interesting that the Miles to Go is slowly creeping upward with every re-fill of the tank.

Ed

just__me · May 2005

You remind me of my 929 Mazda. I had two of them. I noticed right away when I picked up the first one it pulled to the right. When I did my 1,000 mile check-up I told them about it and waited for them to check and fix it. They told me they did a wheel alignment and everything was fine. Guess what, I drove home and had the same problem. I called my salesman who I must say was always compassionate and tried to help, so I brought it back in and took a ride with the service manager. He said he sees what I mean. Make an appointment and he will take care of it. I did, and like you the problem never went away. I learned too live with it, I'm not sure if they had a lemon law then, but the pull to the right was predictable, so I learned how to handle it. It never got worse. If the crown of the road should have pulled me to the left, like you it only mitigated the problem. When the time came to drive the next 929, I couldn't believe it I had the same problem and never got that adjusted as well. So it was something I felt that was inherently wrong with the car. My Avalons, from the first to this 05 are perfect. It's one of the first things I do is drive on as perfect and flat a road I can find. I let the wheel go and see how straight I travel before drifting one way or the other. So far my Avalons have been perfect. I feel for you because your drifting seems worse than my Mazda experiences. Good luck with the lemon law.

bettersafe · May 2005

Morganff

Seems to me that the problem is in your brakes. If the brakes on the right side of your car are dragging, this would cause your car to drift to the right.

Your comment: "At times, when I apply the brakes. the front right wheel acts like a twisted ankle, yanking the vehicle downward to that side. You can actually watch the steering wheel being yanked in a clockwise direction." is very significant. Again sounds like something is happening inside the brakes on your right side.

BetterSafe

gladiator99 · May 2005

Hi havalongavalon!!
Just thought I'd tell you that Motoring 2005 had a review of the new avalon on their program this morning. This program will also be on Sunday morning on TSN here in western Canada.
The review was all positive. No mention of transmission or steering problems. They did mention some disappointment that the touring version of the avalon was not available with traction control of stability control as is on the xls version. Other than that the review was very good. I actually met Brad Diamond, the producer of the show while in the Winnipeg airport last fall. He was very personable and gave me my very own Motoring keychain. Hope you can catch the review tomorrow on TSN.
Regards gladiator99

mackabee · May 2005

cafpaf, the two round holes are for holding a bottle of Gin and the other one for a bottle of Tonic so you can mix your own drinks at the golf course. Don't drink and drive however!

Just kidding, they are actually for the half liter soft drink or water bottles available nowadays, the bigger slots are for the one gallon milk or juice jugs so they stay put and don't roll around in your trunk when you go grocery shopping.
Mackabee

mackabee · May 2005

the XLS does have heated seats, you want the memory step up to the limited. The Infinity I35 is a dressed up Nissan Maxima. Do you own an XLS? RTOM
Mackabee
:sick:

bettersafe · May 2005

All,

For some of the quirky problems that folks are having. . . I wonder how hard it is to borrow / rent an onboard diagnostic OBD-II data scanner/recorder so that the "quicks" can be documented for the service techs. Technology has progressed to the point where we should not have to convince a service tech on a 5 minute test drive that the car did "XXX". The OBD-II recorder should have all the particulars about "XXX" in memory, regardless of if XXX deals with the engine, the anti-lock brakes or the transmission. The web has numerous brands and models, but they are a bit pricey: $300+ for an upscale model. That seems like a lot of money, but if it would help solve a problem, it may be worthwhile. If you could borrow one from a friendly service station would be more cost effective. The key would be to get a device that RECORDS the OBD information, not merely reads the current conditions and gives check engine error codes. You might also need to get a model with the proper software to read the TOYOTA special codes/sensors that likely exist on the Avalon. I'd like to hear from anyone who has used a OBD-II recorder to daignose a problem in a vehicle.

BetterSafe

mackabee · May 2005

Next time you take the vehicle in to the dealer ask them to check the loose nut behind the wheel.

Mackabee

mackabee · May 2005

ange, if you will scroll through past post you will find how Toyota builds cars and allocates them to the dealers. It is not your fault or your dealers fault that you didn't get the car you wanted. The distributors in each region pretty much dictate what the dealer gets and subsequently whay the customer gets.
Mackabee

mackabee · May 2005

Willie, can you say "buyer's remorse"?? Why did you buy the car in the first place since you say you wanted an Acura RL? If you're looking to bash someone look at your house first. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Mackabee

cafpaf · May 2005

Thank you Mackabee. Since I do not use this feature, can you tell me if there is any way to remove this plastic and cover over the hole with some kind of cover.
Another poster told me that with a nav system that this is the area use to house the nav unit and it has a cover. Any help you can provide will be appreciated. Thanks again.

delan · May 2005

On the positive side of things, I bought my Avalon Limited 3 months ago fully loaded. No pulling problems, brake problems, transmission problems, steering problems...etc. Actually, I'm glad I bought the Limited before reading this forum. I'm surprised how this forum initially started out very positive about the Avalon, then gradually turned into a bashing Avalon forum. Could it be that only those few with problems are posting here? I honestly have found the Avalon Limited to be an exceptional car and I've had many, many cars in my life time. In my opinion, it's good to alert people about a problem, but to chat about the same problem for days is really not necessary. I'd also like to read posts from Avalon owners that are perfectly happy with their car. How many Avalons out there with no problems??

canefire · May 2005

MikeS,

Purchased and self-installed gold package emblems from Nancy at www.thegoldmaninc.com. They gold dip new OEM emblems or dip your existing emblems. High quality product and reputable firm. The 24K gold emblems on my 05 XLS blizzard pearl and 95 SC400 diamond pearl are awesome and stands out - added a really classy look. Tell Nancy, Brad says hi. :shades:

just__me · May 2005

Dean, I'm with you. I've consistently posted my car is as perfect as they get and the best of the other Avalons I've owned. I think you're right. It's beginning to seem to me that the happy people aren't posting too much anymore. They got what they need, so a handful keep repeating the same problem over and over again. They are entitled to, but I think it's over done because it adds nothing new, just the same issue repeated over and over again. It's obvious most people are happy with their Avalon. Toyota doesn't have to advertise it anymore, it is selling itself. There isn't a car manufactured even if it's in their third year that some problem doesn't happen to a specific car. It's the law of averages. Produce enough of anything and some transmission will have a faulty part in it from some other supplier that causes a problem. It's bound to happen and more so as cars become more computerized. The space shuttle is a prime example of this. What we all have to keep in mind is that the majority of the cars are free of defects. J.D.Powers wouldn't be in business if every manufactures car were perfect. Yet as they go Toyota has an excellent record, and if you look at Consumers the Avalon is almost perfect of out ten circles in solid red which is the highest and best mark Consumers gives. Just saw that today. Just about every review overall has been excellent of the car. Of course those that have a real problem air it here looking for help. Some make a mountain out of a molehill. Some just like to complain, they are the ones that find a problem in every restaurant that they go into, you could never satisfy those types. You know you can't please everyone. You could give some people 100 dollars in singles as a free gift and one of them will say why didn't you have all of them turned to the same side showing the Presidents face. Such is life. So Dean, let it go, those of us who understand know what a wonderful car we have.

prakrama · May 2005

But it is not a standard Option on an XLS. it is an Optional and costs about 1000+

I have ordered an XLS and should get it in coming week

gladiator99 · May 2005

Yes delan, unfortunately many of the posts during the last few months have been about problems, both minor and some more serious ones, however yes there are many of us new Avalon owners who have nothing to complain about. We purchased a new Avalon XLS about three months ago and have been very happy with our car. I can say that overall this car is an excellent piece of engineering, and a bargain for the price. A recent review states" if you want to fool your friends into believing you've spent big bucks on a prestigious luxury car without actually spending big bucks, then buy the all new Toyota Avalon. I have owned many Toyota vehicles over the past 25 years and have been very happy with all of them.
This forum has been a great source of information on the new Avalons with both good and bad posts. Many people who have posted here seem to be very pleased with their new Avalons. I have read many reviews on the new Avalon and almost all have been positive and praise the Avalon's styling, interior, power, ride and handling.
Glad you are enjoying your new ride!!! Lets see more positive positive posts here!!!!
Regards
gladiator99

delan · May 2005

Just me,

You are correct in your assessment. What bothered me was in a recent post where an individual cancelled his 2005 order to wait for the 2006 Avalon model. I'm assuming his/her decision to do so was based on what he/she was reading in this forum. I doubt that "perfect car" will materialize in 2006. In any case, that's what prompted me to post. I will "let it go". Enjoy your Alvalon.

delan

dcallies · May 2005

gladiator99

I totally agree with your post. I couldn't have said it any better. I'm too very pleased with my XLS. I have been driving Toyota's since 1988 (when I traded in my GM car from hell) and never had any troubles other than a dead battery. I have found nothing wrong so far with my Avalon that would be worth while mentioning.

This group has given so much good information and now is becoming so negative. Hey Pat, can't a new group be created for "problems"? There were so many good tricks and idea's in the past that are now slowly disappearing underneath all the criticism.

:shades:

dcallies · May 2005

I would like to remove my tape deck from my dash. Has anyone purchase a car without the Nav and without the tape deck? Just wondering if there is a plastic insert that I could get? Wouldn't be cool to have a power socket on the dash for my toys and a slot for my spare change?

By the way the JBL 12 speaker stereo is awesome!

:confuse:

just__me · May 2005

Thank you my friend. Enjoy yours to.

delan · May 2005

For those who may not know. Toyota upgrades the program for the Nav system every two years. The one that comes with the system is a few years out dated. Will be costly though.....$500.00. I was told by the dealership that Toyota spends "big bucks" for an updated program. But then again 500 not really that much over a two year period.

delan

mikes. · May 2005

"MikeS,
Purchased and self-installed gold package emblems from Nancy at www.thegoldmaninc.com. They gold dip new OEM emblems or dip your existing emblems. High quality product and reputable firm. The 24K gold emblems on my 05 XLS blizzard pearl and 95 SC400 diamond pearl are awesome and stands out - added a really classy look. Tell Nancy, Brad says hi"

Canefire, I've had a couple e-mail conversations with Nancy myself already. I'm gonna have to wait awhile before spending any more on the Avalon. The boss has spoken! Nancy quoted me a price of $169.00, did you pay close to this?

How hard was it to self install the emblems? Did you have to ship back your originals?

MikeS.

mikes. · May 2005

I too think that this forum has worn out a bunch of us with trouble free Avalons. I started coming to this forums 7 or 8 months ago while it was still called something else. When the 2005 was heavily speculated to be an 06. I still come here almost daily to read but I easily read over all the whining and carrying on. I try to respond when I have pertinent information and to keep my tounge when I don't.

My 05 LTD is by far the best vehicle I have ever owned. My 97 Tacoma is getting totally neglected and whines that it's being abused by lack of use. Although I did wash it last week after the Avalon got its wash down.

I think that Toyota builds a superior product but I realize that they are not perfect. That's why I bought the extended warranty, a fairly cheap insurance policy for peace of mind.

MikeS.

mikes. · May 2005

Can someone point me to where I can view TSB SSC50F? This is the bulletin on the 05 steering column.

MikeS.

chipmunk47 · May 2005

No problems with my XL,. I had to have the dealer installed alarm adjusted 2 times, now it works just fine as does the car. Still can't believe that I get 22 mpg around town with a car this big & powerful

pat · May 2005

Re: another discussion for problems - there already is one. Toyota Avalon Owners: Problems & Solutions. I don't think they are going to want to split it out by model year, however.

pat · May 2005

To all who are bothered by the messages containing complaints:

I think we need to understand that folks who have an issue are understandably annoyed by whatever it is. They have paid roughly the same amount of money as you have for your perfect car, but they have gotten one that is not perfect in whatever way.

This message board exists to help people and it is OKAY if people post about the issues they are having in looking for solutions or in some cases just venting.

Those of you who have perfect Avalons need to either do what you can do to help people solve their problems or don't post about the person's issue at all. Criticizing people for reporting problems and looking for suggestions is not appropriate.

If you have a problem with a particular post or a poster in general, email me about it and let me handle it.

Those of you who keep saying what should and should not be posted here are out of line. Just talk about the car - ignore the posts you wish weren't here and talk about what interests you. Leave the hosting to me, please.

Thanks for your cooperation.

kinzua · May 2005

delan wrote:
For those who may not know. Toyota upgrades the program for the Nav system every two years. The one that comes with the system is a few years out dated. Will be costly though.....$500.00. I was told by the dealership that Toyota spends "big bucks" for an updated program. But then again 500 not really that much over a two year period

$500 is a rip off for sure.

I bought a Garmin Street Pilot 1 1/2 years ago and they have provided one program update and one North American Map update, FREE.

The map DVD is still available for $150. Sure hope your source for this info is off by a factor of 3:1.

dan41 · May 2005

"MikeS, Purchased and self-installed gold package emblems from Nancy at www.thegoldmaninc.com. They gold dip new OEM emblems or dip your existing emblems. High quality product and reputable firm. The 24K gold emblems on my 05 XLS blizzard pearl and 95 SC400 diamond pearl are awesome and stands out - added a really classy look. Tell Nancy, Brad says hi."

Canefire, you you post some pictures of the gold emblems? I have the white blizzard pearl and have also been considering the gold package. Thanks! Dan

dan41 · May 2005

Delan, I have been a "club member" for each of the new cars we have purchased
(Solara. Acura TL, Lexus GS300, Mitsubishi Endeavor, Honda Accord and now the Avalon) and have found that in every case, that this board provides a wealth of information. I think what you described is somewhat common with most new car introductions on such boards (although I can't recall such an initial high owner satisfaction in the earlier postings). In my case, I started to review this board months before I purchased my Limited back in March. When I first took my Limited for a test drive, I knew much more about the Limited than the sales person. All of which, I learned from this board! An example of this is just the other day I learned from reading a post that the audio can be turned off/on by depressing the "mode" key.

I try to read this forum daily and will only contribute when I can assist someone or if I need assistance with a question. In my case, as I suspect in many others, the lack of postings do not, by any means, detract from how happy many of us have been with the Avalon. I have purchased many new cars and this one stands out as the best value for the money - Hands down! I have not had any of the problems posted on this board or for that matter, I've had no problems at all. Regards: Dan

dajab · May 2005

I have seen several posts here about the web site MyNewAvalon.com, but I cannot recall seeing one about the Avalon CDROM that folks like me got with the car. (A search of this forum for "iGUIDE" comes up only with a reference to the web site itself.) Please forgive me, therefore, if the info below is common knowledge, but I think it bears repeating, at the very least.

The official name of the CDROM is the "My New Avalon iGuide", and the information on it is essentially identical to what you get at My New Avalon.com when you click on "OWNER'S iGUIDE". The CD also has a full copy of the owner's manual in PDF files, which can be linked to from the iGUIDE or opened separately.

I personally find the CDROM more useful than the web site, even though I have a DSL link. With the CD, the response time is even faster, and the sound works fine. (I seem to sometimes have problems with sound on some web sites, and the verbal instructions that come with the CD are often essential for understanding a particular explanation of the car's systems.) After a couple of hours with the CD, I learned nearly all I needed to know to operate the basic systems in my Limited (even subtilties that I might not have gleaned from the manual). Of course, I still need to return to the navigation system sections to begin memorizing the many voice commands...

Did anyone else get this CD with their car? I'd be very surprised if I were the only one. If so, and if you have a dial-up line, then I would recommend trying it out instead of MyNewAvalon.com. All you need is a CDROM reader and a computer sound system/speakers that work.

avaloncruiser · May 2005

I too would LOVE to see pictures of your gold package Canefire. I have a Blizzard Pearl Limited and I am considering getting the gold package. I had it on my 99 and 03 Avys and it looked sharp. My main concern is durability (no chipping after a few years)....and that they don't look too brassy. Since there is NO WAY I would try to install myself, anyone have an idea on what that might cost?

ange · May 2005

The car pulling to the right issue. Did anyone look at the brakes? Sometimes even new calipers hang up and do not realese 100%. They can hang up just enough to drag and not overheat to smoke or smell. Good luck ange1

ange · May 2005

Thanks for the reply. Your 100% right. In the Notheast there 5 states involved with 131 toyota Dealers. I have learned to order a car, if you want to get it in a reasonabile time, that has a VIN number assigned and a build date, other wise you car request may just sit there until the plant builds it. ange1

limiteddriver · May 2005

I received the CD and found it to be so much easier to listen to descriptions of the features of the car than to read about them.

james8828 · May 2005

Could anybody know can i Connects apple ipod to the car stereo. how ??? , is the text show on the ipod will show on the car stereo display thanksss

prakrama · May 2005

Use the CAR KIT ( with cassette )
or a Wireless FM transmitter

moreira1 · May 2005

could anybody know how can i buy an Acura SLX 98 through Edmund?

barclay3 · May 2005

Delan...No defects in my Limited either.

Dajab... I got the CD too.

Int and Bakeroid... The pin striping was painted on my Cassis Pearl Friday. It is two stripes, the top is gold, the bottom is tan merging at the front and back of the car. Each is 1/16 inch wide and are 1/16 inch apart. Does not wrap around the back of the car. The painter picked the colors and design (tan goes with the ivory interior). Nothing fancy, but it looks good.

Int... I saw a black one. Looked great but still not as nice as the Cassis Pearl! Black would be my 2nd choice!

bakeroid · May 2005

barclay3,

Thank you for the pinstripe feedback. How much did it cost? I'm supposed to get my Cassis Pearl LTD early next week. Am seriously considering the gold package also.

Would like feedback from anyone on how Cassis Pearl looks with gold pinstripes and the gold package. Also, has anyone had the OEM XM radio antenna painted to match the car color?

Bakeroid

just__me · May 2005

http://www.joesherlock.com/Avalon-pinstripes.html
Also a link to a great article or blog about out Avalon in comaprison to the spec's of others.
http://www.joesherlock.com/new-car-buy.html
More phot's here without the pin stripe. Great color.
http://www.joesherlock.com/2005Avalon.html

barclay3 · May 2005

Take a look at the link just me posted. It shows the stripes on the back as well. This is just a bit too fancy for my taste. Also, the stripes on the sides are lower than mine. On my car it starts at the middle of the sharp curve at the top of the headlight and continues on back to above the taillight. Just 2 thin lines. My tastes are on the conservative side.

Thompson Toyota of Doylestown PA did it for free because it took so long to get my car. They're a good dealership.

Just me...it's good to have you back!

2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

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