It has been my experience that seat comfort in both the driver's and passenger's seat is substandard in the Avalon XLS. I have a 2000 that is 10 months old and has 8700 miles. I enjoy the ride, the quietness, the performance of the engine and transmission, and the spaciousness. The two negatives for me are the seats and the JBL sound system.
This dissatisfaction was reinforced recently when my wife bought a 98 Honda Accord with 28000 miles on it. The passenger seat in her Accord has no power adjustments, but in spite of that it is far more supportive and comfortable than the driver's seat of the XLS. with its lumbar adjustment and power adjustments. Is the Avalon becoming more "American?"
The JBL, though a good system, sounds "woofy" and artificial in comparison to the sound system of the Honda, which has a more realistic and natural sound.
The seat is a personal issue. I've sold a ton of these cars and most of my customers rather prefer the seats over others in the market. You may be different.
I have not had a customer complaint on the paint. I did have a few on the Solara but this is the first I've heard on the Avalon.
Does anyone know what the laws typically are if you go out of state to purchase a car? My wife and I have looked at several cars, and feel like the Avalon XLS with pkg #7 with traction controlis our best bet. We live in Jackson, MS and went to several toyota dealers adn finally tried to stay close to home at a dealership 5 miles from our house for convenience if anything went wrong. We test drove the car, liked it and decided to buy it, but then our local dealer tells us MSRP is what the car sells for. Also since we live in MS we have to pay extra fo the Gulf States Toyota Dealers fee(??). I am originally from Birmingham, AL so I am wondering what happens if you buy a car from out of state when looking at sales tax, etc. I would not have to pay the GSTD fee in AL. Also will I have problems getting my car serviced from the dealer in Jackson if I buy it elsewhere? Any answers are greatly appreciated...
Apparently some states' taxing authorities enter into compacts with their counterparts in other states.
If you purchase within the compacting region you pay the rate of the state (home or purchasing state) with the higher sales tax rate. I never understood how or if the two affected states share the collected tax.
For what it's worth, Oregon does not charge sales tax on auto purchases.
What is the "Gulf States Toyota Dealers fee" wjohnston1 referred to in his post?
While I'm mucking in the politics behind car sales, are Toyota dealers forbidden by Toyota to advertise Avalon pricing? This morning's LA Times auto section has zero pricing data on Avalons, and near zero references to Avalon vehicles in general.
Taxes are assessed when you title the car, not when you buy it. You can buy out of state and not pay any tax at all until you title the vehicle in your home state.
Alabama will get you out of the GST region, but you fall right into SET. SET and GST are the two regions that are not run by Toyota and both have similar extra fees and equipment. The nearest state to you outside these regions is TN. I sell in VA and get a lot of people coming up from NC to avoid the garbage that goes on there.
There is nothing to prevent us from advertising prices on the Avalon. My dealership ran three of them in the Washington Post this weekend. There might just not be enough of the cars on the ground to justify the advertising space in LA. We advertise special prices on the units we have the most difficult time selling.
on a lot of factors, one of which is what you were driving BEFORE you purchased an Avalon. I too feel the seats are uncomfortable in the Avalon, and believe it is parly due to the shape and padding, and partly due to the way it adjusts. The seat appears to me to be anchored in the front and does not allow a full range of motion. I left a Volvo for the Avalon, and even though the Volvo wasn't reliable, the seats are incomparable, perhaps the best in the industry. Someone really did their homework. Almost every post and review on Edmunds, e-pinions, thecarconection, carpoint, etc. re: Volvos includes a glowing comment on the seats. This is not the case in most of the other forums. You'd think it would be a no-brainer for Toyota, or any other manufacturer, to look at Volvo seats, dissect them, figure out what's so good. I like the Avalon's quiet and comfort, visibility, the dash layout, etc. I don't like the seats, and, although adequate, the brakes DO NOT inspire confidence. They need to be bigger for this size and weight sedan. I could forgive the Avalon almost anything if the seats were comfortable.
I'm in the market, and I want to buy an Avalon. The dealers I have talked to tell me that although Toyota offers the Taupe interior, they are not making it, and I'll need to special order the car. Has anyone bought an XL with a cloth Taupe interior? Has anyone special ordered a car from Toyota?
The dealers obviously would rather sell me one of the cars they have in stock, and are doing their best to talk me into the Ivory (lighter) interior. These guys are telling me that the special order interior will not be installed at the factory, but instead at the port of entry. They make it sound like they're going to slap in some taupe seats and swap the fabric inserts in the doors and that's it. I have another Toyota with a Taupe interior, and everything in the interior is darker (dash, carpet, steering wheel, etc).
I'd like to talk with someone at Toyota directly - someone that doesn't have anything to gain by talking me out of the darker color. Does anyone have any ideas?
Like floyd71, I too am interested in the taupe interior but my preference is leather. I think the ivory is too light and will show signs of wear more easily than taupe. The problem is no dealer has one in stock and the sample I saw at the dealership doesn't cut it. Does anyone have the taupe leather? How does it look? Is the two-tone dash the same color with taupe leather? Is there a picture of it somewhere?
I don't know the answer on why Toyota lists the taupe but makes so few of them. I do know that in the central Atlantic region, there has not been a taupe interior sent here since the early 2000 model year. They certainly can be ordered but this takes 6 to 10 weeks and most dealers don't like doing this. There are several reasons why they don't and a person needs to actually trust his dealership to place the order.
I've done several orders for customers including one for the taupe. It isn't that difficult but many customers loose patience by the third week and end up compromising on color and then we are stuck with an odd-ball configuration once it arrives.
I just checked NHTSA's website (www.nhtsa.dot.gov) and I was shocked at the results for the frontal driver crash test. It only scored three starts. At least the passenger got five stars. I'm wondering where Toyota went wrong because they've really improved lately in their crash tests. They even have the Global Outstanding Assessment program for their cars. My mom drives a 2000 Avalon, but these results were for the 2001s. I'm hoping that the results were better for the 2000 year.
Clify1 - Since you have ordered a taupe interior for a customer, can you tell me if what came in from Toyota was a complete taupe interior? Can you remember what the difference between taupe and ivory was? I don't mind waiting for a special order, but I do not want some half-assed dealer-installed or port of entry installed partial-taupe interior. I don't supposed you're in the Washington DC area? If so, maybe I'll order it from your dealership.
Now, in answer to your question about interior colors, here are my thoughts without any hint of where I work. Edmunds prefers for you to be in the dark about that.
The taupe interior is not done at the port and it isn't a half baked job. The dash is darker than the rest of the interior but that is true of the ivory and stone as well. It does match well.
I'm not a huge fan of the taupe myself but that's a personal preference. I prefer the lighter interiors because they just feel bigger and richer. The only thing I don't like with the ivory is that the shift lever and steering wheel pick up dirt quickly. If I were buying one, I'd get the ivory and a bottle of leather cleaner.
The cars we get in SoCal aren't ever taupe due to the whims of the CA buyers, but I think it's a good color as well. The general public prefers mainstream ivory (light tan) and the stone (gray) and taupe's a little femmy, with a contrasting cross between the two appearing slightly mauve.
All Avalon interiors are done at Georgetown, where the car is assembled for Toyota.
Femmy! Now there's no way I can order that...just kidding. It is darker then the Ivory correct? I'm not really sure what mauve is. I'm hoping the carpet is fairly dark with the taupe. My small children will trash the ivory in a matter of months. Even the showroom model (ivory) showed scuffs on the door panels.
Thanks for the replies, I'll give Cliff a call tomorrow.
the frontal crash test on the avalon. Very disappointing for the driver. Everything else seems to be very good. Maybe they'll crash it again. If they do, it will show Toyota cares, if not, well, I guess we'll just have to love them for their reliability.
little more tonight, and I see a 3 star rating (frontal collision, driver side) is starting to look an awful lot like Buick... whoops, maybe Toyota went a bit too far towards their target!!!
Just passed 54,000 highway miles on my '99 Avalon XL and have yet to do anything except the usual stuff: oil, filter, air filter, fluids, etc.... Not a perfect car in some ways, but I like it enough to look at the '02s when they come out and will probably buy one. The value, comfort and dependability are there......enjoy.
Memphis, TN. There are two large, high-volume Toyota dealers up there that are not part of GSTD. I just bought a 2001 Avalon XL for about 89% of sticker price. They also had about 20 to choose from! The sales taxes are paid when you buy your MS tag. Good luck!
I just wanted to thank all of you for your help, particularly you Cliffy1. Though we did not always agree I certainly respect you and all of the other opinions on this site. I am not trying to sidetrack this forum again but I chose to take a chance and tonight bought an XG300 instead of an Avalon. Both cars have much to offer and much I would also change. The weakness of each have already been brought up so I will not digress. However, I will say that whatever you buy you cannot always take the prices quoted on Edmunds or any of the other sources too literally. While I don't like it, the reality is that most manufacturers are tacking on an extra advertising bill passed on directly to the dealers. The reason that this advertising fee is tacked on instead of just increasing the price outright is to allow the dealers the opportunity to deduct the cost of advertising from their taxes. Still, on my particular vehicle, and I held the invoice in my hand, the price was over $600 dollars more than the prices quoted on EVERY site I researched. I bought my car for $200 over actual invoice which I felt was a fair deal. Yes I know about hold back too but I was looking for a good deal not to commit an act of theft. Thanks again everyone!
I just bought a 2001 XLs with taupe leather. The carpet is very light. We bought a darker aftermarket set for NH winters. So far we really like it. Took some doing to get the garage door openers programed. be aware that there is a detailed service bulletin that helps.
This message regards the 2001 Avalon's average crash test rating for the driver in the frontal impact. I have several questions.
1) Is it possible that Toyota will do a retest and that this could be a fluke?
2) Did Toyota make any drastic safety changes for year 2001 that wouldn't have been on the 2000s? The 2000s were not tested, but I was wondering if I should expect the 2000s to perform the same as the 2001s.
3) The 2000-2001 Avalon did extremely well in the offset crash test at 40 MPH. This test is probably more of a "real world" indicator as far as safety goes since it is unlikely that you will be driving into any flat walls. I believe it was the head injury level that caused the Avalon to only receive THREE stars in the frontal crash for the driver. The head injury criterion was in the 800s if I'm remembering correctly. However, at 40 MPH in the offset crash, the HI was only 377, which is quite good. That's where I'm baffled. How can it do so poorly in one and do so well in another test? Does anyone have any input. I would really appreciate it. Toyota's are safe cars. I think the only other low performer in the frontal crashes is the Tundra, maybe the Tacoma. Thanks for your help.
mariner28: I doubt there's any chance of my seeing the Taupe leather anywhere around here. So any chance of you posting pics of the interior here? It'd be much appreciated.
Of course four stars is what one wants, but three isn't exactly a deather trap. Impact forces are different in an off set than thr full frontal and perhaps that is why the Avalon got 4 on one and 3 on the other.
I recently received a 2001 Avalon XLS as a company car (Diamond White Pearl, Option package #7, sunroof, VSC). Since I took delivery, I've had two recurring problems. First, about 50% of the time, when I remove the key from the ignition, the airbag light illuminates. Sometimes it will go off after a few minutes, but most of the time it will stay on until I start the car again, even overnight. Second, about 30% of the time, the lock function on the remote will not lock the car. The unlock and trunk buttons still work, just not the lock function, so I am forced to lock the car with the key to arm the security system.
I have taken the car to two different dealers who have kept it a total of 4 days, but they have been unable to diagnose or fix either problem. Anyone seen anything similar in their Avalon?
As an aside, I also experienced the "woo woo" sound in the steering column that has been mentioned in other posts. The dealer was able to solve the problem by lubricating something in the steering mechanism.
I have also experienced the stereo volume changes, but had a similar issue with an old Nissan Stanza that had the "FM diversity" antenna built into the windshield, so I am attributing it to that.
Beyond these issues, I love the cars quietness, ride, and creature comforts, although I have to agree with others that the seats are a little uncomfortable. The seats in my last car (a '98 Nissan Maxima GLE) were infinitely better.
Very odd problems. I haven't heard of anything like that before. I can't believe two different dealerships were unable to diagnose it. Are there any other stores in your area? If not, a chat with the service director at one of them is in order.
Thanks for the response. The first dealer was utterly useless, but the second really did try. In their defense, over the three days they had the car, the service manager drove it home twice and could not get the airbag light to come on. They also tried several times at the dealer...no luck. Of course I drove it home last night and voila! As soon as I turned off the car the light came on. They also contacted Toyota Technical Service, but they had never heard of the problem either. I guess I'll just have to drive by the dealer periodically to see if I can make it happen for them!
I'm glad to hear you have one dealership that is making a genuine effort. That can be difficult to find. I know this is an odd question, but do you have any unusual electronic devices in or around your garage? Do you have any non-Toyota electrical equipment in the car? It just seems so odd that this would happen so frequently but not in three days of the service manager driving it. I'm just wondering if there is an external reason for this.
The only electrical devices I can think of are a cellular phone, which I always have plugged into the console outlet in the car, and a TV Satellite dish that my neighbor has mounted next to my driveway. I'd tend to discount the satellite dish, since this has happened in many other places. Maybe I'll try unplugging and turning off the cellular phone.
Anyway, I'll keep you posted, and thanks for the advice!
Last October I special ordered a Vintage Red Pearl Avalon XLS with taupe cloth interior (didn't want leather). Took 4 weeks for delivery, and everything went without a hitch. Despite the fact that no pictures o fthe interior were available from any dealership, I am very pleased. The darker and lighter areas of the dash meld better than with the ivory interior. I personally did not like the stark contrast between the brown and ivory plastic on the dash. I especially like the darker leather for the steering wheel and shift knob. I found out first hand that some dealers can be a real pain about special orders. However, the INTERNET salesman (Joe Graves) at Fitzgerald Toyota in Gaithersburg, MD, was happy to take my order, required only $500 deposit, and handled the entire deal with dispatch. Moreover, the dealership had the lowest price in the Washington, DC metro area. (I shopped around at 6 dealers). If you're shopping in the D.C. area, stay away from DAR Cars (every possible trick you've ever heard about is in their play book and the salesman will try them all, if you let him). Fitzgerald Toyota has their entire inventory on their WEB site (www.fitzmall.com), including options and price. Right now, their Avalons are price $400 over dealer invoice (plus Toyota advertising fee of about $500 in this area. All the dealers I contacted wanted that fee on top of the sales price). I'm glad I stuck to my guns and didn't get the ivory interior.
Congrats on the new Avalon. I agree wholeheartedly about that dealership. While I do not own an Avalon, nor any Toyota vehicle, I have purchased two other cars from them as they are a multi-brand dealership in that location. They are no-haggle and great to deal with and the thing that makes them really great is their complete listings and disclosure on the website. I know of very few dealers who would list everything from MSRP to bottom dollar internet price in one easy to use site. My internet salesman was Bernie Schmitt, a great guy who is decidely overworked as I'm sure is Mr. Graves. Good Luck!
billj5, do you happen to live in the Germantown area? If yes, do you think we could meet so I can have a look at the interior? I don't mean to put you out in any way. I just want to be sure of the taupe interior. If the answer is no, I'd understand.
I can't believe it myself, but the airbag light problem is caused by my cellular phone! I went out last night, and without even putting my key in the ignition, I plugged my phone into the charger and the airbag light went on. Unplugged the phone from the charger, and the light went off. I tried the same drill with my wife's phone, my daughter's phone, and even switched to my wife's charger, all with the same result. I keep the charger plugged in all the time, and it alone does not cause the light to go on. How bizarre is that?
Any idea why this might happen? Do you think its something that can be fixed, or do I just have to live with it?
Thanks again for the advice! At least now I have a cause!
Wow! I knew it had to be some external problem. You seemed to be having the problem consistently but the service department couldn't make it happen. That meant that there was a difference in how it is used.
The good news is, diagnosis is the hard part. Now, your dealer just has to figure out what electrical connection is causing this and that shouldn't be too big a chore. Things have been radically narrowed down. Bring it back to the dealer that took the time before and tell them what you discovered.
No, I don't live in German town, but would be happy to arrange a rendezvous where you could look at the car. I know I would have appreciated an opportunity to see a taupe interior before I ordered. I really like the taupe interior, but realize it isn't for everyone.
I realize that my experience my not be indicative of all Fitzgerald Toyota customers. I assume that any dealership has dissatisfied customers. As you must know better than most, a customer's experience is dependent not only upon the general character of the dealership, but of the specific salesperson with whom one works. It is possible that informed INTERNET customers are treated differently than others. I can only speak from my experience and that of a friend of mine who purchased a car there shortly after I did. We both used INTERNET salesmen. However, my experience was totally satisfying. The INTERNET salesman with whom I dealt, Joe Graves, was, from my perspective, the perfect car salesman. He let me test drive a 2001 Avalon without any salesman in the car, provided me the complete "drive away" price on the INTERNET before I even made an appointment for the test drive, did not try to sell me lots of stuff I didn't want (e.g., extended warranty, leather), answered all my questions forthrightly, kept me informed of the status of my special order, and handled everything without a hitch.
I know of no other D.C. metro area dealership that routinely posts their entire inventory, with options and sales price, on the INTERNET. I welcomed the absence of sales games and the low sales price--lower than any price quoted by any other dealer contacted. Some dealers refused to quote any kind of price, even when I showed up in person. As regards the service department, I have only had the oil changed. Although everything went precisely as promised, I would hardly consider this indicative of the quality of the service department there. It is certainly possible that warranty problems or other service needs may not measure up to the sales experience.
In short, I am sure that there have been customers dissatisfied with Fitzgerald. My experience, however, was great.
I'm an electrical engineer and I suspect the problem you're seeing with a cellphone charger interfering with the airbag light relates to the high-frequency switching noise generated by the charger's DC-to-DC inverter.
You observation is a significant one with safety implications. It will certainly interest someone in Georgetown if they become aware of it.
I'm actually quite glad you had such a positive experience. That dealership does a number of things right and I don't dispute that. What they did to one customer on a Sienna was downright nasty and it was the Internet department who did it to him. He is in the Navy and stationed in Japan. He will be returning to the states later this month and had special ordered a specific van for him. They failed to order the van he had requested and lied about it. He will now be returning to the states and will not have the van that was promised to him by the Internet department. To me, this is inexcusable. I've sold cars and trucks to many returning servicemen and diplomats and I make sure I can fulfill my promises before I make them.
I do like the fact that they post their prices on-line. You are correct that they are the only ones in the DC area to do this. They are not the only ones who will provide you an "out the door" quote in writing though. They are also not the only ones who recognize the new realities of car buying. This region is plagued by a few bad dealers who play showroom games. I could name three other stores in Northern Virginia who will answer e-mails quickly and completely and can handle everything on price and equipment before you enter the store. I could name them, but the hosts would delete it due to the "Terms of Use" so I wont.
No store is perfect. Some are better than others and it is important to remember what I have said before: The best price is not always the best deal.
Don't know if this is another dissappointment with my 2001 XLS or just another dumb Toyota way of doing things, but if I set a speed on the cruise control and slow down to 25 mph or have to stop for a toll, whenever I resume highway speed again, the cruise control has lost its memory and I have to reset it again. I find it very annoying just like the mpg readout resetting itself everytime you start the car and not being able to find any of the window or door lock controls in the dark because they aren't lighted. I thought this was suppose to be a luxury car but I find more and more little items that they forgot to put into the car. After this one, I'll go back to my Chrysler Concorde or Ford product.
Aren't you glad the only things to complain about on your car is that the cruiser control forgets it speed under 25 MPH (I think the owner's manual actually says 35) and the trip meter resets itself? Pretty minor stuff compared to the track record on the Concord don't you think?
Last Dec., I bought mine for 25k+ tax, pack1 - keyless entry+power seats, noleather. If leather is the only addition, I would not pay more than ~26 + tax.
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This dissatisfaction was reinforced recently when my wife bought a 98 Honda Accord with 28000 miles on it. The passenger seat in her Accord has no power adjustments, but in spite of that it is far more supportive and comfortable than the driver's seat of the XLS. with its lumbar adjustment and power adjustments. Is the Avalon becoming more "American?"
The JBL, though a good system, sounds "woofy" and artificial in comparison to the sound system of the Honda, which has a more realistic and natural sound.
I have not had a customer complaint on the paint. I did have a few on the Solara but this is the first I've heard on the Avalon.
We test drove the car, liked it and decided to buy it, but then our local dealer tells us MSRP is what the car sells for. Also since we live in MS we have to pay extra fo the Gulf States Toyota Dealers fee(??). I am originally from Birmingham, AL so I am wondering what happens if you buy a car from out of state when looking at sales tax, etc. I would not have to pay the GSTD fee in AL. Also will I have problems getting my car serviced from the dealer in Jackson if I buy it elsewhere?
Any answers are greatly appreciated...
If you purchase within the compacting region you pay the rate of the state (home or purchasing state) with the higher sales tax rate. I never understood how or if the two affected states share the collected tax.
For what it's worth, Oregon does not charge sales tax on auto purchases.
What is the "Gulf States Toyota Dealers fee" wjohnston1 referred to in his post?
While I'm mucking in the politics behind car sales, are Toyota dealers forbidden by Toyota to advertise Avalon pricing? This morning's LA Times auto section has zero pricing data on Avalons, and near zero references to Avalon vehicles in general.
Alabama will get you out of the GST region, but you fall right into SET. SET and GST are the two regions that are not run by Toyota and both have similar extra fees and equipment. The nearest state to you outside these regions is TN. I sell in VA and get a lot of people coming up from NC to avoid the garbage that goes on there.
The dealers obviously would rather sell me one of the cars they have in stock, and are doing their best to talk me into the Ivory (lighter) interior. These guys are telling me that the special order interior will not be installed at the factory, but instead at the port of entry. They make it sound like they're going to slap in some taupe seats and swap the fabric inserts in the doors and that's it. I have another Toyota with a Taupe interior, and everything in the interior is darker (dash, carpet, steering wheel, etc).
I'd like to talk with someone at Toyota directly - someone that doesn't have anything to gain by talking me out of the darker color. Does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks.
I've done several orders for customers including one for the taupe. It isn't that difficult but many customers loose patience by the third week and end up compromising on color and then we are stuck with an odd-ball configuration once it arrives.
Thanks
The taupe interior is not done at the port and it isn't a half baked job. The dash is darker than the rest of the interior but that is true of the ivory and stone as well. It does match well.
I'm not a huge fan of the taupe myself but that's a personal preference. I prefer the lighter interiors because they just feel bigger and richer. The only thing I don't like with the ivory is that the shift lever and steering wheel pick up dirt quickly. If I were buying one, I'd get the ivory and a bottle of leather cleaner.
All Avalon interiors are done at Georgetown, where the car is assembled for Toyota.
Dianne
Thanks for the replies, I'll give Cliff a call tomorrow.
1) Is it possible that Toyota will do a retest and that this could be a fluke?
2) Did Toyota make any drastic safety changes for year 2001 that wouldn't have been on the 2000s? The 2000s were not tested, but I was wondering if I should expect the 2000s to perform the same as the 2001s.
3) The 2000-2001 Avalon did extremely well in the offset crash test at 40 MPH. This test is probably more of a "real world" indicator as far as safety goes since it is unlikely that you will be driving into any flat walls. I believe it was the head injury level that caused the Avalon to only receive THREE stars in the frontal crash for the driver. The head injury criterion was in the 800s if I'm remembering correctly. However, at 40 MPH in the offset crash, the HI was only 377, which is quite good. That's where I'm baffled. How can it do so poorly in one and do so well in another test? Does anyone have any input. I would really appreciate it. Toyota's are safe cars. I think the only other low performer in the frontal crashes is the Tundra, maybe the Tacoma. Thanks for your help.
I have taken the car to two different dealers who have kept it a total of 4 days, but they have been unable to diagnose or fix either problem.
Anyone seen anything similar in their Avalon?
As an aside, I also experienced the "woo woo" sound in the steering column that has been mentioned in other posts. The dealer was able to solve the problem by lubricating something in the steering mechanism.
I have also experienced the stereo volume changes, but had a similar issue with an old Nissan Stanza that had the "FM diversity" antenna built into the windshield, so I am attributing it to that.
Beyond these issues, I love the cars quietness, ride, and creature comforts, although I have to agree with others that the seats are a little uncomfortable. The seats in my last car (a '98 Nissan Maxima GLE) were infinitely better.
Thanks for any help or advice!
Thanks for the response. The first dealer was utterly useless, but the second really did try. In their defense, over the three days they had the car, the service manager drove it home twice and could not get the airbag light to come on. They also tried several times at the dealer...no luck. Of course I drove it home last night and voila! As soon as I turned off the car the light came on. They also contacted Toyota Technical Service, but they had never heard of the problem either. I guess I'll just have to drive by the dealer periodically to see if I can make it happen for them!
Good luck. Let us know what happens.
Anyway, I'll keep you posted, and thanks for the advice!
I can't believe it myself, but the airbag light problem is caused by my cellular phone! I went out last night, and without even putting my key in the ignition, I plugged my phone into the charger and the airbag light went on. Unplugged the phone from the charger, and the light went off. I tried the same drill with my wife's phone, my daughter's phone, and even switched to my wife's charger, all with the same result. I keep the charger plugged in all the time, and it alone does not cause the light to go on. How bizarre is that?
Any idea why this might happen? Do you think its something that can be fixed, or do I just have to live with it?
Thanks again for the advice! At least now I have a cause!
The good news is, diagnosis is the hard part. Now, your dealer just has to figure out what electrical connection is causing this and that shouldn't be too big a chore. Things have been radically narrowed down. Bring it back to the dealer that took the time before and tell them what you discovered.
Good luck and thanks for keeping us updated.
I realize that my experience my not be indicative of all Fitzgerald Toyota customers. I assume that any dealership has dissatisfied customers. As you must know better than most, a customer's experience is dependent not only upon the general character of the dealership, but of the specific salesperson with whom one works. It is possible that informed INTERNET customers are treated differently than others. I can only speak from my experience and that of a friend of mine who purchased a car there shortly after I did. We both used INTERNET salesmen. However, my experience was totally satisfying. The INTERNET salesman with whom I dealt, Joe Graves, was, from my perspective, the perfect car salesman. He let me test drive a 2001 Avalon without any salesman in the car, provided me the complete "drive away" price on the INTERNET before I even made an appointment for the test drive, did not try to sell me lots of stuff I didn't want (e.g., extended warranty, leather), answered all my questions forthrightly, kept me informed of the status of my special order, and handled everything without a hitch.
I know of no other D.C. metro area dealership that routinely posts their entire inventory, with options and sales price, on the INTERNET. I welcomed the absence of sales games and the low sales price--lower than any price quoted by any other dealer contacted. Some dealers refused to quote any kind of price, even when I showed up in person. As regards the service department, I have only had the oil changed. Although everything went precisely as promised, I would hardly consider this indicative of the quality of the service department there. It is certainly possible that warranty problems or other service needs may not measure up to the sales experience.
In short, I am sure that there have been customers dissatisfied with Fitzgerald. My experience, however, was great.
You observation is a significant one with safety implications. It will certainly interest someone in Georgetown if they become aware of it.
I do like the fact that they post their prices on-line. You are correct that they are the only ones in the DC area to do this. They are not the only ones who will provide you an "out the door" quote in writing though. They are also not the only ones who recognize the new realities of car buying. This region is plagued by a few bad dealers who play showroom games. I could name three other stores in Northern Virginia who will answer e-mails quickly and completely and can handle everything on price and equipment before you enter the store. I could name them, but the hosts would delete it due to the "Terms of Use" so I wont.
No store is perfect. Some are better than others and it is important to remember what I have said before: The best price is not always the best deal.
Speaking of track records... the Avalon in Consumer Reports April 2001 issue got an AVERAGE for reliability! What's up with that?
John
keyless entry+power seats, noleather. If leather is
the only addition, I would not pay more than ~26 +
tax.
What the hell, too late ... enjoy the car.