2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

1…216217219221222…287

Comments

  • mldj98mldj98 Member Posts: 378
    Thanks for the reply......how did you reduce your concerns?
    The issue that is interesting with me is that the article I read said a couple of owners of the 06 Limited model had lower back aches from driving in this car for any specfic period of time....one mentioned a 45-60 minute commute to work......once he arrived at work.....his lower back was always hurting.....no matter how he adjusted the seat he could never get it right.....the article finished by him saying that the problem is so bad he is thinking about getting rid of his Avalon.....he loves the car but the back issue seems very big to him....I understand his position....
  • tstrick320tstrick320 Member Posts: 64
    Considering that the seats in the Avalon Limited are far more adjustable than most office chairs, it's hard to understand how the car could cause those kinds of problems. It is true that the Limited seats are firmer than those in the other trims but all of the Mercedes I've ridden in had very firm seats and MB owners bragged about it.

    I've had chronic problems with lower back pain in OTHER vehicles because I'm tall and the "average" lumbar placement is wrong for me. With my new Avalon that problem is GONE. This is the first time I've had a car with seats that could be adjusted to fit ME.

    To each his own. The car must fit YOU. I confirmed the comfort of the Avalon by renting one for a weeklong 1700 mile trip. If you're uncertain, I recommend you do the same. This is a big investment and what's comfortable for one may not be for others.

    As far as low back pain goes, though, I doubt there's any difference between the Limited and other trims. A difference between the Avalon and other cars, yes, but not between the Avalon trims.
  • limiteddriverlimiteddriver Member Posts: 234
    I had mine set to turn off when the door opens. The dealer hooked up a "black box" and programed the lights. Time options are also available. He could also program several other owner selected options.
  • douglas1douglas1 Member Posts: 130
    There are a ton of things you can re-program once you get that 'black box' hooked up. My dealer let me play with the 'black box' after I watched how they reset the lights. According to the tech you can actually purchase one of those boxes on Ebay.

    Doug
  • joecapjoecap Member Posts: 1
    Anyone have any luck with a Cassette mp3 adapter?
    I got a "monster" one, the package says it is for Ipod.
    My player is not an Ipod, but the sales person told me it will work with any mp3 player.
    Well, it works, but the volume is very low...almost inaudible. Player has to be cranked, as well as the volume on the car stereo.

    My guess, I need to get one with a power supply to amplify the sound. I don't want to "re-wire" anything to make the JBL see it, the cassette solution would be fine if it worked!

    Anyone had any success with this?
    Thanks, and I have over 10,000 miles on my 05 LTD with not a single problem!
  • cms1528cms1528 Member Posts: 45
    I just installed the Harman Karman drive and play in my 06 limited for my ipod. It works great, I did it myself and there is some work required to do it right but it was worth the time.

    It sounds great through my JBL system and just blast out its tunes. I don't know if it will work for your MP3 player but you may check into it. I mounted the display in the sunglass compartment in the overhead console, so it folds up out of sight. The control tuggle I mounted in the center console in the box with the pop up lid behind the shifter. I then rounted the ipod cable from the radio to the glove box.

    Once the ipod is plugged in and the glovebox closed its out of sight as well. Works as good as I expected. It would be nice to have a direct connect plug built into the radio in the first place.
  • cms1528cms1528 Member Posts: 45
    There are two parts for the xm/sirius system. One for the receiving unit, the only thing in the box. And the other part number is for the installation kit, everything else.

    I asked my parts guy to print out the instructions and he did without a problem, in fact the one parts box even say on it that instruction need to be obtained from the Toyota Instruction Computer or something to that effect. I have them if you want me to fax them to you. The link for the xm install does appear to be dead in message 10743.

    When i push the audio button on my NAV the screen pops up with the station and song info, but only ten characters. It does not scroll. You don't have to keep switching screens the station info will appear above the NAV screen when your rotating the dial or scanning. The xm/sirius screen will display info as you drive unlike the FM and CD info.

    Don't buy the panel tool they want to sell you for installation. Any one from a auto parts store will do, just take your time.
  • 54gradsteds54gradsteds Member Posts: 102
    I had a good showroom look at the new Hyundai Azera last week and mentally compared it with the Avalon XLS (I have driven neither of them). It is a truly beautiful car, has a mammoth trunk, most or all of the features of the LTD, absolutely gorgeous leather seats, in marked contrast to the cheesy-looking, wrinkled "leather" of the Limited, and is, in my opinion, going to give the Avalon a real run for its money! (Please notice the CORRECT spelling of its, devoid of the apostrophe most often seen here). It is also LESS MONEY and has a much better warranty...Check it out!
  • easyrider300measyrider300m Member Posts: 1,116
    Yes the Azera looks promising. I would like to see how it handles. Resale value in comparison to the Avalon would be a big negative. Also, the Azera is in dire need of a navigation system. A luxury car should always offer a Nav as an option.
  • 54gradsteds54gradsteds Member Posts: 102
    I agree about the lack of a navigation system. But, when you put aside the "guy" factor of panting over a new toy, and I'm as guilty as the next fella on this point, just how many times would we actually use the blasted thing? Additionally, at around $1900, it's an outright rip-off! ...especially when you consider that, as is the case of all new toys, the price will drop off dramatically, it's not nearly as good as systems found in other cars, and a portable one can be had for less than half the price... By investing in a portable model, you can have a system useable in ALL your cars, and when you want to up-grade, you've got a lot less invested!
  • jordan7jordan7 Member Posts: 77
    I totally agree re the NAV system. For $980 you can get the Toyota platinum warranty on just about everything on the car for 100,000 miles and 7 years. Warranty then becomes a moot issue.
  • tstrick320tstrick320 Member Posts: 64
    I'm not sure I agree regarding an aftermarket NAV vs the factory version. Before buying my Limited with NAV, I had a PDA-based system that was very good (PocketMap Navigator, Deluo GPS, Dell Axim PDA) and used it a lot. Toyota's NAV is a little clunkier to use but it's always there. With my aftermarket there were cables & wires and where to put the thing so I could read it in sunlight. It worked well but the ergonomics of the aftermarket unit was terrible.

    I'm finding that while the factory NAV may not have the whiz-bang factor of the latest aftermarket unit it DOES have a nice large screen that I can read in ALL conditions and solid basic functionality that I really use.

    If you're a gadget freak (I used to be) then get an aftermarket with all the bells & whistles and upgrade it every 2 years to stay on the bleeding edge. If you just want solid, basic NAV that works day in and day out without a lot of fussing, then spring for the one built into the dash.
  • henryat1140henryat1140 Member Posts: 13
    Hi there,

    Looking in the manual for this, the manuals seem to be divided into sections, and page numbers restarting within each section so I am having trouble finding a page 1591.

    Did I misunderstand? or can you give a section #

    Thanks,

    Henry
  • usaid98usaid98 Member Posts: 10
    Hi All - Just return from the dealer where I had my left front window seal replace and my front right door seal replace. Wife found them both. I was advised by the service manager that they have repaired 3 06 Avalons for this problem. The factor is aware of the molding problem around the front doors. Car was made on 1/13/06. You may want to check and see if you have any molding and seal problems on both front doors on your 06.

    Hope this helps you.

    USAID42 ;)
  • fragmirefragmire Member Posts: 97
    The Azera is interesting, but would never come close for me to pick it over the Avalon. Aside from things like the Laser Cruise Control and Smart Key, I actually like the NAV in Avalon and use it very frequently since I only recently moved to a new area (for those of you who remember me, I shipped my Avalon from DC to SF for roughly $2k last October). It's all the small things that made me pick the Limited over XLS that immediately crosses Azera off my list. Plus, the Azera doesn't feel nearly as luxurious in terms of interior design; and the exterior isn't nearly as sharp as the Avalon (but this is personal opinion). Overall, the Azera felt like an upscale Sonata, whereas the Avalon felt like a rebadged Lexus.

    Oh yeah, did I mention gas mileage and HID headlight? ;)
  • douglas1douglas1 Member Posts: 130
    My apologies, it's page 1531. I have a xerox copy of the page but just typed it wrong.

    Doug
  • dwcliffdwcliff Member Posts: 4
    We purchased an '06 Avalon LTD a week ago and immediately had a problem with a pretty dramatic shudder when on an incline and the engine was trying to run at about 1300-1400 rpms - 40mph. I hadn't read this forum at the time about any of the transmission problems mentioned here, but did take the vehicle back to the dealer a couple of days later and asked for a fix. They told me that they contacted Toyota about the problem and were advised to flush the transmission fluid and make an adjustment to the ECM. I was pretty tentative when I got the vehicle back that the problem might persist...but the car is running great now. I notice the the engine now runs about 1600-1700 rpms in the same situation, but no shudder. I think some of the problems that folks have described on this forum can be fixed if your dealer is willing just to check into a fix and apply it instead of just telling folks that its 'normal'. We love this car and are glad to be a part of the Avalon family. (My old 2000 Camry XLE now seems like a streaker)!
  • texasred1texasred1 Member Posts: 20
    I was browsing back through messages, to see any that I might have missed. I did order my new XLS with the EXTRA WOOD APPLIQUE. My new 2006 came in last week and it is BEAUTIFUL! The extra wood applique make all the difference, if you like wood trim, and we do! We got the light trim, with our Blizzard Pearl exterior and the light gray interior with a gray pin stripe. I do not know anything about the after market trims. Go to a large car dealership and look at the new 2006 Avalons. I would think that they would have Avalons with the extra wood trim for you to see in person. That is what we did. Hope this info will help you.
    TexasRed :)
  • gypsy13gypsy13 Member Posts: 28
    Time will tell whether this was a mistake, but I had my XM antenna installed at the top center of the windshield and the wire run into the car via the windshield molding.

    Before anyone jumps me for mentioning a topic once discussed, hear me out.

    I had the Roady 2 radio placed inside the drop-down glasses holder forward of the overhead light. It's the perfect size. I can drop it down to change stations, briefly losing use of the rear view mirror -- which doesn't seem a problem since the side mirrors work just fine -- and either change stations manually, or with the remote.

    The unit is powered from near the ignition, the wire run up the side post (clear of the air bag, and alongside the antenna wire) and then beneath the ceiling liner to the radio. That unit now has Velcro on the back, as does the back of the glasses case in which it now lives.

    I have about five inches of extra wire on the unit so when desired I call pull it out, unplug it, and use it in my house, which has its own antenna.

    There are no wires exposed, and unless a windshield leak develops, I don't see a down-side. The antenna is directly above the windshield with little wire exposed. It is not damaged or pulled lose by automatic car washes.

    This frees up the accessory plug between the seats, which I was using before.

    Anyone else do this?
  • icefishermanicefisherman Member Posts: 2
    Took delivery 1-28-06. Absolutely the quietest vehicle i have ever owned. Engine is smooth and quiet, tramsmission shifts so smmothly, performance and mileage is to good to be true, fit and finish is superb, I bought the Avalon based on two friends who strongly recommened the Avalon. I am very satisfied with my Avalon and it is a pleasure to drive. I would strongly recommed the Avalon to anyone.
  • limiteddriverlimiteddriver Member Posts: 234
    Please tell me where the extra wood applique is located on the XLS compared to the normal wood applique location on the Limited. TIA
  • zekeman1zekeman1 Member Posts: 422
    What year/model Avalon do you have? Did you not have the XM option on it? Even if you didn't, why didn't you put the antenna inside the car on the front dash rather than come in through the windshield molding, avoiding the possibility of a leak??
    zekeman1
  • gypsy13gypsy13 Member Posts: 28
    ......."What year/model Avalon do you have? Did you not have the XM option on it? Even if you didn't, why didn't you put the antenna inside the car on the front dash rather than come in through the windshield molding, avoiding the possibility of a leak??........"

    It's an 06 Limited. I didn't get the XM option because of the expense. For a while I put the antenna on the dash or behind the back window, but tired of the wire and unit hassle.

    This way -- assuming I don't have any problems with it -- I have a radio I paid $69 for (including the home unit). That plus the installation came to well under $200...a $300 savings over factory install, and I can remove the radio unit and use it in my house. Not perfect, perhaps, but a lot less expensive, and more flexible. I put one drop of silicone sealant where the tiny antenna wire slips under the windshield molding.

    Now if I can just figure where to put my glasses...
  • endovitendovit Member Posts: 31
    Anyone found any euro tail lights for the Avalon? I've got a 2006 and would assume those made for a 2005 would fit as well.
  • mneuliepmneuliep Member Posts: 3
    I did a little actual measurement of the JBL system with some tools I have from my days as a live sound guy. I burned a CD with a track of pink noise. I then played that back in the Avalon while measuring with a handheld spectrum analyzer. I was able to get the system to a much flatter response with the following settings:

    Bass -1
    Mid +3
    Treble +3

    I use this as my baseline now and fiddle with it from there if what I'm listening to happens to need it.
  • sneaky2sneaky2 Member Posts: 1
    First time on this site - did you meet with the rep? I have the sam problem. A coworker had the same problem and I understand they refashed a ECM? Card - it has worked great since, but it was on another 2005 Toyota.

    He said Toyota is trying to save some money. This is a safty issue.
  • avasteravaster Member Posts: 20
    You use a automatic car wash???
  • texasred1texasred1 Member Posts: 20
    I wish I knew how to get a picture on this message to you. I have a great one that I took of the wood dash. (If someone would instruct me on how to do it, I would be happpy to,) But since I do not know how to do it right now, I will do my best to explain the difference. And believe me, the ones without it............there is a BIG difference, for people that like alot of wood. Some people do not, but we LOVE it! With the added wood, all that area where the sound system controls are,is covered in wood,including the cover that opens up and down on that center console.........ALL of that is covered in wood, NOT JUST the 2 strips going down on each side of the console. I hope that this info will help. We Love our new 2006 XLS. It is a dream!
    TexasRed :D
  • gypsy13gypsy13 Member Posts: 28
    """You use a automatic car wash???""

    I'm about to. I'll report the results.
  • sgchilisgchili Member Posts: 11
    I have found a nice "surround sound" feel at:

    Bass 2
    Mid 5
    Treble 6
    Fader -5
  • texasred1texasred1 Member Posts: 20
    ">image">link title
  • limiteddriverlimiteddriver Member Posts: 234
    That looks nice. I understand why you like it.
  • captain2captain2 Member Posts: 3,971
    of course, it is LESS MONEY - most or all of it you will get back at trade-in time, had you bought the Avalon. The Azera predecessor, the XG350, poorly rated, and a real slug to drive. While the Azera may be a substantially improved car (the new Sonata is) it still has a long way to go before they can hold a candle to Toyota, Honda, and Nissan products - warranties notwithstanding. It was hard enough for me to buy a Toyota in its first year of manufacture, never would do that with a Hyundai or a Detroit product. But, I would rather be driving an Azera if my other choices were limited to things like 300s, Five Hundreds, Impalas, LaCrosses/Lucernes etc.
  • tkaztkaz Member Posts: 69
    I am curious as to how you knew you had a seal problem. The only issue, and it is not a big one, that I have found with my '06 LTD is that you can hear outside noise a little more when sitting in the passenger seat rather than the driver seat. The other day when I was a passenger (my wife was driving)I thought maybe the window or door wasn't closed all the way. They were. But it still sounded like it wasn't closed all the way. I don't notice this from the driver side when I am driving.
  • fragmirefragmire Member Posts: 97
    After 5 trips to two Toyota dealers and living over 72 hours without my car, I'm done trying to have them fix the few rattles I've had to live with in the last month. Is there any source where I can find good (detailed) instructions on how to take apart the dash (driver side), the driver seatbelt area (not the actual seatbelt assembly), the rear strut tower, and the moonroof? Does techinfo.toyota.com have this kind of information?

    On a totally unrelated note, I test drove the new Lexus GS300 today. Aside from the absolutely amazing Mark Levinson audio and the wonderful (gasp) TOUCH SCREEN nav, I think I made the right choice going with the Avalon. I know I will feel bitter when Camry comes out with the six-speed gearbox though. Also, the sales drove me around in the new IS 350 (Avalon's 3.5L engine tweaked to 306hp), and the raw power is just incredible, but I don't think I'd ever dare to push my Avalon as hard. :)
  • lntlnt Member Posts: 192
    I like the wood trim. One thing I have never really been crazy about in this new Avalon is the interior. (I previously had a 2000.) Did yours come with all of this wood or is it aftermarket? I wonder if I could have it added to mine and also if I could change colors? I like the darker wood(plastic) better.
  • whealy53whealy53 Member Posts: 13
    Thanks for posting the pic and the info. So are only the exposed surfaces covered? I assume the surfaces at 90 degrees (say the lip of the radio door that is only exposed when opened) are still the same color. Can you verify that assumption?
  • dan41dan41 Member Posts: 182
    This frustrating saga continues. I met with the Toyota rep last Tuesday and he, the service director and I took a quick ride and only after a parking lot spin did he acknowledge the rattle is unacceptable and said that it is coming from the moonroof area. I was told they would need my car for a few days to remove the headline so they could get to the moonroof. Well, they put me in a camry loaner and on Thursday I got the call saying it was finally fixed. I reminded the service rep that the real test will come the following morning after the car sits in over night in the cold. Well, the short story is I still have the damned rattle and I am driving around with an insane smell of adhesive from where they did work on the moonroof. I am bringing the car back in tomorrow and they are again going to put me in a loaner. As I told both the service director and the dealership GSM, this is the last attempt I will give them before I get another car (this will be my fourth or fifth visit to get this fixed). This is my third new Toyota in six years and I have been quite disappointed with the quality issues I've encountered so far. My hope is that they finally fix the rattle and that the SW transmission reset works. Then,and only then, will I enjoy driving my car. I'll keep you posted. Dan
  • johndjrjohndjr Member Posts: 80
    texasred1
    That is a good looking wood trim.
    Is it an option on order or an after market? If so, would appreciate the source.
    I'm a great believer in 'original', but that is a definite improvement.
  • cms1528cms1528 Member Posts: 45
    I picked up a nail the other day. My luck, it was in the sidewall and can't be plugged. Those Michelins are about $200 apiece. The wholesale clubs wanted about $180 for the same tire. Other tires available but I am happy with the Michelins.

    My dealer hooked me up with a "take off" tire. Same tire with about 20 miles of use on it. He had to have it Fed-ex to his place from a Toyota center in Ohio. He said it is one of the hubs where they install some of the factory options and customer upgrades.

    Out the door price $123.00. Just in case any of you folks ever need a tire you may want to ask your dealers about this option.
  • larrymitlarrymit Member Posts: 80
    One downside to using a Roady2 or other aftermarket XM tuner: if you are rebroadcasting the XM signal through your FM radio, you won't get the sound quality of the factory unit. You will also find yourself having to change FM frequencies on both the FM radio and Roady2 as you drive and local FM stations interfere with your XM signal. I have one car with a Roady2 and one with built-in XM and the built-in is far superior in sound quality and convenience.

    That said, the Roady is an inexpensive way to add XM to a car and to add it to a home stereo also. When I replace the car with the Roady, I intend to get factory XM but keep the Roady for home and portable use.
  • captain2captain2 Member Posts: 3,971
    and don't push your Av in the same way you could the IS - the IS is RWD and has the suspension to handle it. Also test drove one and found the power incredible - but, then again, the ride quality and road noise not even close to my Av. The usual compromise between what is a sports sedan and what is a luxury car.
    wouldn't feel bad about the upcoming 6 speed, either. Although overall economy may improve just a little, the penalty may be in even more transmission programming that may just aggravate our oft discussed 'hesitation'.
  • texasred1texasred1 Member Posts: 20
    Hi
    I bought the extra wood trim, when I ordered the car from Champion Toyota in Austin, Texas. I could have ordered it in dark or light wood. It is not after market as in... bought from a company. Alot of things can be added to the car in Houston, at Gulf States Toyota. This is who is over our sales of the Toyota in the Gulf states section. I think that Toyota sends cars out to 5 different sections of the United States. If this can be bought after market, it would definitely have to be the molded design, not the flat design. For my husbands Ford Crew Cab Diesel truck, we bought after market MOLDED DESIGN for his dash in the dark wood design and it really is pretty. We put it on ourselves. With the Avalon, we wanted to go with the light oak look. We Love it! But I am GLAD that we were able to order it that way. Hope that this info will help.
    TexasRed :D
  • texasred1texasred1 Member Posts: 20
    The cover to the sound system, is completely covered with the wood. When you look at the dash area.....with the cover closed.........you still see a STRIP of the gray dash running from one side of the car to the other side and it really looks nice, like that. The gray strip is there, whether the sound system door is open or shut. The lip when open, is its natural color,not the wood. I hope that this info will help.
    TexasRed
  • chodiechodie Member Posts: 13
    My o6 avalon has a lot of noise around both front windows. Is this what you noticed?
  • texasred1texasred1 Member Posts: 20
    Hi
    Thanks, we love the extra wood, too! If you go to message #11329, that I wrote in answer to another message, I think you will find the answers that you are looking for. If not, let me know, and I will try again.
    Sheila (Texasred1) :D
  • disco340disco340 Member Posts: 17
    Any new info on the "Toyota integrated Blutooth kit" that your dealer ordered for you? When do you take ownership of your Avi? if you haven't already.
  • driekdriek Member Posts: 12
    Your timing is good. I spoke with the dealer late today and he confirmed it is an official Toyota part that is fully integrated with the Navigation. You must purchase the Navigation in order to get the new bluetooth. The car voice activation is also supposed to be upgraded compared to what comes with the Nav. My car's build date is 2/13. I should take ownership around 2/23. I'm counting the days . . .

    Final note: I noticed that the big Toyota dealerships have a better handle on the full range of options available for the Avalon. Two other (smaller volume) dealerships I went to had limited or flat-out wrong information on what options can be added to the Avy.
  • jl618jl618 Member Posts: 64
    Do you know if the bluetooth can be retrofitted into an existing nav system, or will it only be available on a new order?

    Also, anything ré the cost?
  • disco340disco340 Member Posts: 17
    I just spoke to my local dealer they said that it can't be added on to existing Avalons, It is stricky a factory install. I just got mine 3 weeks ago :( If I knew bluetooth would be avaiable I would have waited. Oh well I guess
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.