2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

priggly

Yeah, right, and on the "good" days my check will be negotiable and on "bad" days it will bounce . . . .



Does Toyota lower the price for those cars with multiple defects built on the "bad days?"

:confuse:

allavalons

If you go to Toyota's homepage you will see the only supply item is black unpainted. When I called Toyota they are saying the car is too new to have all the colors out yet as accessories but as their suppliers ramp up production the colors will come online, so some may get them others need to get painted themselves.

I was able to get Lunar Mist for my '03.... but by then the car was out for several years.

zeusgoose

I have tried and tried to re-program the door locks to lock at 12mph, but with no success. I have studied the manual and have tried many different variations of its instructions. Can you give me some directions as to how to de-program the default? :confuse:

jcu1963

My wife and I picked up our Limited from Seeger Toyota in St. Louis (the only dealer within a 2-3 hour drive from Southern Illinois willing to deal on a Limited) this past Saturday. The Metallic Blue Mirage is beautiful. We drove back from St. Louis to Southern Illinois without any issues of transmission hesitation, etc. No issues with the steering problem, but ours was built after the problem, so there is no recall on it.

I do seem to recall a while back that some have discussed some sort of plastic cover, or something else, to prevent road hazard damage to the laser for the dynamic cruise control. I've searched here but have been unable to locate anything regarding a lens cover recently. Has anyone covered up the lens? Using what? Thanks.

Pete

limiteddriver

See post 7004. It may help.

gbinplano

Pete, I removed the fascia surrounding the laser device and, using it as a template, cut a piece of 3/32" clear polycarbonate to fit. I used clear waterproof tape to attach the cutout to the fascia and reattached the fascia. It has worked reliably and gives peace of mind that a stone will not destroy the laser device.

Greg

mikes.

"I do seem to recall a while back that some have discussed some sort of plastic cover, or something else, to prevent road hazard damage to the laser for the dynamic cruise control. I've searched here but have been unable to locate anything regarding a lens cover recently. Has anyone covered up the lens? Using what? Thanks"

jcu1963 from post # 6147;
Today I taped a 2 1/4" x 3 7/8" x 1/8" piece of clear polycarbonate to the back of the fascia in front of the laser lenses with weatherproof heat-shrink tape to protect the very expensive laser unit."

I hope this helps you and I and everyone else.

Now for my question:

Where does one buy a piece of polycarbonate at? I live in a small rural area but I'm 40 miles from the greater DC area. If I know where to look I could find this down there. Maybe even closer in Winchester. How do you cut polycarbonate?

Thanks people,

MikeS.

mikes.

Well, after I spent most of an hour looking for Greg's earlier info in post # 6147 I post it here for a reply and then come back into the forum and find that Greg has visited and basically answered the question himself. Oh well

MikeS.

dano100

I have driven several new Avalons and the rear backlight distortion is a problem in all of them. It is like looking through a fun house mirror. I happen to be a production supervisor for PPG Industries, Automotive Glass Fabrication Division, and I know a serious distortion problem when I see one. PPG does not make the backlight for this car, it's a Japanese company named L N. I do know one thing and that is we would never be allowed to send Toyota a backlight that looks that bad. I find it hard to believe that Toyota would accept that kind of quality too, as I am the Toyota quality rep for our plant. They do not allow us to send glass to them with distortion like that. To see the difference between L N's quality and PPG's, compare the Avalon back window to the back window in a Sienna, which PPG makes. Absolutely no comparison. BTW when we drove an Avalon XLS yesterday the District rep was at the dealer and I told her of the problem. She said if the dealers get enough complaints then there is a 4 or 5 step process that has to take place before corporate does anything about it. Sounds like Toyota is becoming the slow moving giant that GM is.......what a shame.

easyrider300m

maybe you could send a letter on a letterhead from your company and state your dissatisfaction with the quality of Avalon's glass. You migh even refer them to this site and tell them to read all the complaints. And other owners should do the same thing. They may not correct the one's already on the market as I don't think it is a real safety issue, but hopefully they will correct the problem in future Avalons.

wyn

I too failed a number of times until I removed my foot from the brake pedal after shifting out of Park. Suggest you follow the instructions, but remove foot from brake after that first step. Worked for me every time after that and really appreciate the delay to 12 mph for locking. I also reset the unlock to occur only when driver's door is opened within 10 sec of shutting off engine. If only the interior lights could be set to delay coming on until a door is opened! Good luck!

justgreat47

this is the perfect example of a reality check for fuel economy. even with the high tech 3.5 and the multi speed transmission, driving around town (lots of idling, lots of stop sign/stop lights) will yield you what some may consider poor mileage. in those conditions the only vehicle that will shine in the fuel economy wars will be a hybrid: they get better mileage around town than they do on the interstate. as soon as the weather turned hot and humid, my caddy dropped 2/3 mpg. it happens every summer...lots of shuttling the kids around to various sporting events, waiting outside school with the a/c on max: even 3.5 liters will take it's toll under those conditions. jackg 90seville 97k

jcu1963

Hi, Greg,

Thanks for the very precise information and directions. Similar to post number 7044, from where did you obtain the polycarbonate? Any difficulty in cutting it?

Pete

jcu1963

Sorry, Greg. My error in my reply to you. The post I was referring to was 7038

jcu1963

Greg,
Hopefully, a final question. I just took a close look at the lens. Not being the most mechanically inclined person, how did you remove the cover? It is set into the plastic bumper quite a ways, and the plastic wraps around quite a ways under the car. It's probably easy, but again, I'm not that mechanically inclined.

Thanks,

Pete

tkaz

Hi MikeS.
I went to Home Depot and bought a small piece of plastic they use for windows. Cut it with a hack saw. Then taped it on the back of the housing using reinforcing shipping tape. It has held up well.
The first time I put a piece of plastic on the housing I used a CD case. One day the laser cruise control wouldn't work. The plastic had taken a stone hit and was cracked. Glad I had the plastic cover. That's when I replaced it with the plastic from Home Depot. It should take a stone hit better than the CD case.
Tony

mmg1

In April I ordered my Titanium metallic XLS with color keyed splash guards. At that time they were listed as an option and I believe were added at port (SE).Lookin'good!!!
mmg1

dano100

I have seen the distortion in the back window in all the new Avalons I have looked at. As an employee of an automotve glass fabricating company I can tell you with certainty that this is a serious manufacturing defect that Toyota would have rejected if my company would have sent it. Depending on the process that L N (the Japanese glass fabricating company) uses, it appears that the glass is not being blown onto the mold correctly, not enough lift jet pressure in the center of the window, causing the rippling effect. DO NOT have Toyota replace it or anyone else for that matter as replacement glass is ran to much looser specifications than original equipment glass. It would probably look as bad OR worse!

havalongavalon

dano100, what you have said reinforces my opinion that I had expressed before: I would let only Toyota replace a wavy rear window, under warranty; but right now I would wait until it becomes clear that they have caught up with this problem and will supply a good replacement window.

With respect to filing formal complaints with Toyota, I think it is best that letters come from individual Avalon owners. Since you are an employee of a competitor window manufacturer, obviously you can be considered to have a vested interest in raising this issue. But your contribution to this forum is valuable and I appreciate the new information you provided about this wavy rear window problem.

By the way, I had reported earlier that there is also some distortion looking to the right through my Avalon windshield. Do you know what company supplies the front windshields?

havalongavalon

just__me

Dano100, I can tell you my rear windshield doesn't have the distortion that some have spoken about. With your expertise about glass, if you drove mine you would see it's fine. Perhaps they have contracts with two different companies? Anyhow, I marvel every time I drive my car because of some of the problems some are having and I have no issues at all. So maybe it's always the luck of the draw. In the past every Avalon I owned, after picking them up new at the dealership, within a couple of weeks I would wash than wax my car. In all cases I would then find a slight paint blemish that would be hard to see when looking over your new car when picking it up, and only in the bright light of waxing would a spot show up, nothing to complain about since nothing is perfect. However with my 05 I never noticed any blemishes anywhere in the paint job while waxing my car. So I guess I'm one of the lucky people, no squeaks, hesitation,, things lined up well and great gas mileage. The only thing that wasn't lined up were the exhaust pipes that the dealer leveled for me. My steering wheel welds were checked and they were fine as well.

55396

And, I expect that you really wouldn't like the drop in MPG at 20 degrees below zero when nothing turns freely.

55396

polycarbonate "Any difficulty in cutting it?"

I use a cutting point on my soldering iron for cutting plastic as a saw can cause thin material to split. Edges can be smoothed by filing and sanding. You may try a hardware store that repairs windows. They may have a scrap of plexiglass from cutting down a sheet for a window.

I also had a rusted out battery tray in a motorhome that I wanted to repair. I found a sheet of plastic from a window cut out in a tub surround, but I needed to form it to the curvatures of the battery holder, so I took a propane torch, heated the plastic, then, when it softened, I formed it to the tray. Worked great. I even formed a drainage spout, then bonded a 90 degree plumbing el onto it so I could attach a drain hose. I likes to use what I got.

garychgo

Just so you know that you are not alone, my LTD does the same thing. When I try to put in my home address for example, it defaults to an address that is actually the location of my side door! That is, around the corner and on a different street.

Gary

rhack

Polycarbonate is sold under the name Lexan, it is much tougher than plexiglass and want split when cutting with jig saw.

autoguy1

It was I who originally mentioned covering the lenses to protect the Laser Cruise on this thread.

I used some cheap thin plastic that I cut out from a cassete holder which I took apart. Hey, it serves its purpose. Taped it behind the cover of the opening. Mind you, I applied it to my Sienna XLE Limited I think around March. Been holding up well and performance was not affected.

Here's a link of what I did. http://community.webshots.com/album/305115361oYeUoI

I highly recommend it to those with the the DLCC.

paul_p

After 6 weeks of waiting, my wife and I took delivery of our factory-fresh 2005 Blue Mirage Metallic Avalon XL with 4 miles on it. So far the car is all that we hoped it would be and more:

- No transmission hesitation
- No pull to the right or left
- No water dripping out of the exhaust - but that does happen on my 1993 truck after a cold start, with 212,000 miles on it, so I don't think it's a problem
- 26.8 MPG for the first 72 miles since delivery (50/50 highway/city)
- Plenty of trunk room for all we'll ever need to carry
- Great sound system - the upgraded 6 CD stereo is enough, and JBL is not necessary for us
- Love the moonroof, well worth the extra $900.
- Gray interior appears to be blue at times, which goes nicely with the outside blue metallic color. Interior is graded in color - not your basic blah grey. Awesome for a standard cloth interior!
- Acceleration numbers that *from the factory with no mods* rival (and arguably exceed) a Porsche Cayenne. The Avalon is an old man's car? I think not!!
- All this for the amazing low price of $26,800. dollars, give or take a couple of hundred!

Our dealer also had 4 inquiries from other potential buyers while it was on the dealer's lot. Our sales person had to shoo them away -"Sorry, that one's sold!"

The only items that did not pass our inspection were some spots on the dashboard which appeared to be tape residue, and a very minor scratch on the center console next to the shift lock cover. Glad now that we did not bargain too hard, as the dealer said they would take care of those issues for us.

We're looking forward to 15 years of performance, comfort, and best of all, reliability. Hope to share some of those experiences here.

tom51

I am unable to read the odometer in the daylight. Does this happen with other 05 XLS Avalon's. Does anyone have a solution

05avforum

I just purchased a 2005 Avalon LTD, fully loaded. The only problem is the rear door is stuck from the outside. It feels like it's locked, but if you pull hard enough it opens. When the latch is activated from the inside, it pops open perfectly. I have not had time to take this into the dealer yet. I was wondering if anyone else had this problem and what it took to get it fixed. Thanks,

kinzua

I am unable to read the odometer in the daylight. Does this happen with other 05 XLS Avalon's. Does anyone have a solution

It's tough, especially with polorized sunglasses.

mcescher1

I have an 03 Avalon XLS for my girlfriend which is fine (the car, also the girlfriend) but a UPS truck rear-ended my second car, a 1994 Infiniti Q45 so I shall probably replace it with a new car. I just test drove an 05 XLS and experienced the transmission hesitation that has been extensively discussed here, as well as the rear window distortion (which can be seen clearly if there is a lane divider line in back and one moves one's head up and down with the car stationary). I find the transmission hesitation unacceptable and am now considering buying a new 04 if I can find one. Aside from the radar cruise control in the LTD, and the increased power of the new engine, neither of which I feel a need for, can anyone please think of any reason to buy the 05 instead of a new 04? Thank you.

johndjr

Tom,
I noticed this at first on my car. I could not make out the odometer etc.
Then I rotated the intensity knob (for the night time use). Rotated it to full bright(clockwise). That did the trick.
I guess it is set for night use unless it is full bright.
I read mine just fine now, but have to turn the intensity down at night.
Hope this helps.

kinzua

I have an 03 Avalon XLS for my girlfriend which is fine (the car, also the girlfriend) but a UPS truck rear-ended my second car, a 1994 Infiniti Q45 so I shall probably replace it with a new car. I just test drove an 05 XLS and experienced the transmission hesitation that has been extensively discussed here, as well as the rear window distortion (which can be seen clearly if there is a lane divider line in back and one moves one's head up and down with the car stationary). I find the transmission hesitation unacceptable and am now considering buying a new 04 if I can find one. Aside from the radar cruise control in the LTD, and the increased power of the new engine, neither of which I feel a need for, can anyone please think of any reason to buy the 05 instead of a new 04? Thank you.

I would agree that the transmission hesitation has "been extensively discussed here". However, I don't think it has been identified as an extensive problem. The glass distortion problem, on the other hand, seems to be widespread. Good luck in finding a new '04.

zekeman1

Did you check the "childs" lock (or whatever it's called) on that door? Maybe it's set -- but if it is, it should not open from the outside with a hard pull.

gbinplano

Pete, I had the polycarbonate left over from a project from 8-10 years ago (nothing gets canned!). I believe Lexan is available at most of the big-box home center stores. Also, you might try looking at sheet goods in the yellow pages. It cuts very easily with a utility knife.

Greg

gbinplano

Pete, I fumbled around with the surround for the lens until it came off. It appears to be held in place by two "ears" that fit into slots. Just be careful not to scratch the paint with the fairly sharp edges of the plastic surround. The dimensions I used are 2 1/4" x 3 7/8" x 1/8". You may be able to cut such a piece and tape it to the back of the surround without removing anything.

Good Luck!

Greg

vinster29

Does anyone know when the 2006 Avalon will be on sale? Are their going to be any substantial improvements over the 2005 Avalon. I read somewhere on this forum that the 2006 Avalon will be coming out in August with orders being taken in July. Has anyone else heard this? Any information will be appreciated. Thanks :shades:

lakedog

I have around 2400 miles on my Limited, and the best it's done so far is 19 in the city and 23 on the road. This is a lot lower than the sticker says. Lately I have been averaging 17 around town with the AC on. I'm using the middle grade(89) gas. Any suggestions? :confuse:

littlejohn600

All 2005 Avalons have the same problem. I think that the engineer that designed this lighting only worked the night shift since you can't see the darn thing in broad daylight. If enough owners complain to Toyota, maybe they will come up with a fix. Here is a Help Form.
http://toyota.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/toyota.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?p_prod_lvl1=53

teddyleg

I've tried all the suggestions on changing the door locking to 12 mph vehicle speed, and I still must be doing something wrong, as I've had no luck and my dealership tried before I even got the car for over an hour to no avail.

Wyn - could I bother you to post a step-by-step instruction of EXACTLY what you did to get yours to work? This is been a really frustrating experience. Your help to myself and some others would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks in advance.

mikes.

"Polycarbonate is sold under the name Lexan, it is much tougher than plexiglass and want split when cutting with jig saw."

Did you mean WON'T split? Or WILL split?

MikeS.

mikes.

"I just purchased a 2005 Avalon LTD, fully loaded. The only problem is the rear door is stuck from the outside. It feels like it's locked, but if you pull hard enough it opens. When the latch is activated from the inside, it pops open perfectly. I have not had time to take this into the dealer yet. I was wondering if anyone else had this problem and what it took to get it fixed. Thanks,"

I have what sounds like the same problem with my drivers door. It only happens occasionally and I've had the dealer work on it once. Of course it wouldn't act up for them and they didn't find any problems. So no fix, yet.

MikeS.

mikes.

"I have around 2400 miles on my Limited, and the best it's done so far is 19 in the city and 23 on the road. This is a lot lower than the sticker says. Lately I have been averaging 17 around town with the AC on. I'm using the middle grade(89) gas. Any suggestions"

Get your right foot off the floor. I consistently get 28 - 30 mpg while doing 75 on the interstate. 23 - 24 around town.

MikeS.

havalongavalon

"I consistently get 28 - 30 mpg while doing 75 on the interstate. 23 - 24 around town."

MikeS -- and what mileage would you get if you drove through town?

Or put in another way -- are there any traffic lights, stop signs, hills in your town? Are you using your A/C these days?

I use 89 octane gas and can match your freeway mileage, but can only get 20 mpg in town, averaging around 30 mph because of traffic and hills and with my A/C generally off. Summer is just starting here, with max temps around 72 F on nice sunny days...

havalongavalon

Kirstie_H

A reporter is interested in speaking with people who have had their vehicle recalled in the first part of this year. If your vehicle has been the subject of a recall and you would like to speak with this reporter, please send your name and daytime phone number to Pam Krebs, Edmunds.com PR, at pkrebs@edmunds.com by Tuesday, July 5. Thank you.

avalonbob

FYI...I've never had an issue reading the odometer on my XLS.

rhack

I intended to type "WON'T" but had a "senior moment", must have had a disconnect between my brain and my fingers. At least I know someone is reading my posts.

Thanks

ron6

FWIW, I got a phone call last night from Toyota asking my opinion of the "My New Avalon" CD. They wanted to know if I had received it (yes) and if I thought it was helpful (I told them I had never opened it). I think the webvsite is easier to use.

This is the third customer survey phone call I have received from Toyota since I bought my 2005 Avalon in April. I have never had this kind of positive experience with any other auto manufacturer.

barclay3

Mikes...Believe me it is true. Three of us stated that we get around 17mpg stop and go short trips at low speeds with the AC on around town or suburbs. I don't have my right foot on the floor either. I have no reason to lie. Just stating the facts. Try it and see what you get on a complete tank of gas.

05avforum

I did. It's not a child lock problem. Besides, the child lock prevents the door from being opened from the inside, not the outside. I went through th same thought process. BTW, upon further analysis, I find that I am able to get the door unstuck for a while, but then it gets stuck again. It feels ike something is getting jammed up.

05avforum

I've noticed a lot of discussion about protecting this device against rocks, etc. by installing a plastic cover or the like. Is this necessary? It appears to me that the device may already be protected by some sort of plastic covering. Is this not the case? Is this device known to be fragile? Further, would it be covered under warranty if broken by say, a rock?