2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

jlsexton · August 2008

My Avalon is an 06 Limited. Up to now and I only have 9000 miles on it I was very pleased BUT I did have a no start on the first try for the past couple of months, figured it might be the injectors or fuel. Saturday I had to run 2 circuits to my electrical box for a kitchen makeover. I started the car and it shut off, tried again and the starter engaged, nothing else, I had to litterly run for a wrench to disconnect the battery. Waited a while tried again, same thing only the starter worked and it is probably burned up a little from running so much. Called Toyota, they sent a tow truck, pushed it out of the garage, for some reason the damn car thought and acted like it was running, the dash was lit up, the shifter thank G-D could be moved in order to push it. Got a call, some brilliant guy thought the battery being disconnected was the problem, I told him I disconnected it so as not to burn the starter and battery as the headlights were on. Two hours later the same brilliant guy called and said NOTHING was wrong with the car, they couldn't find any fault. So, what to do, I know this will definitely happen again, probably in a mall or such, certainly not as conveniently as in my garage. And then I will probably be arrested for manslaughter, I have a low tolerance for incompetence, I will leave the car all day today Monday and hope they find something. I never liked the no key thing, now I really don't, if it isn't broke don't fix it. Anyone know of a TSB for this problem. Had a Camry for 7 years, not one problem, went upscale and may be sorry. Toyota had better get it's act together, Mercury & Cadillac are looking better. Where is Consumer Reports getting their cars from.

jeffm5 · August 2008

I bought a 05 Limited new in 7/05. It now has over 52,000 miles. The only problem I had was a rubber shield came loose on a rear wheel housing. Warranty work - No Charge. I also had a fuse blow last year & had the windshield replaced because of a stone strike. Getting over 30 MPG on the highway on 89 octane, about 22 stop and go driving. Rides like a Lexus. Handling good, but this is no sports car. Plenty of room inside. Love the push button start & laser cruise control. Do not have nav. or remote start. Never had a tranny or steering problem. No regrets in buying this car. Good luck!

mackabee · August 2008

jl, was this "no start" condition with your remote engine start? or did you push the start button without stepping on the brake first? You might want to check the battery in your remote fob, you've had the car for three years so the battery would be the first thing to go. Have you been changing the oil every six months since you don't drive the car much?
Mack

jlsexton · August 2008

No I never use the RS, to be frank it is a useless option.

The car started & stopped, tried again and the starter acted as though it was not engaged, had to run for a wrench to disconnect the battery. Dash was lit, headlights on, green light on push button. Picked it up today, worked fine BUT to say the least I'm leary. Nothing was found, the oil is changed regurarly but that could not be a cause, had a Starion for 20 years changed the oil by mileage, don't believe oil ever wears out, been in the ground for millions of years, it does however get dirty and that is why we change it, dirt & contaminants.

tjc78 · August 2008

don't believe oil ever wears out

It can pick up moisture though... I have a pickup ('99 s10) that barely sees 1500 miles a year and at least change it once a year. Its cheap insurance. As for the problem on your Av, I don't have the smart key option.. but as you suggest its going to be tough to track down if its intermittent. Hopefully it was a one time glitch and disconnecting the battery "rebooted" the system and all is well. On my '06 XLS the CD changer refused to do anything or even eject the CDs. I pulled the fuse and put it back in after a minute and all was fine. In over two years and 26K that was the only problem. I swear with so many newer gadgets a simple unplug - reconnect solves the problem, darn technology. :sick:

abcde6 · August 2008

I have been driving a "96 Infiniti I-30 since '98 and its worn out. I've driven it 180K miles with few problems until recently so I think I've gotten my money's worth. I am looking to buy a used Avalon, 05-07, non-XL, which I can hopefully get ten years out of. Most likely will buy from a dealer. I have driven a number of XLS and Limiteds, as well as Tourings. There don't seem to be that many differences betweeen the various trims, except the Limited has a few nice gadgets like the keyless start and the Touring suspension is marginally stiffer. Is the $1,000 - $2,000 upcharge for a toyota certified car worth it?

Anything about the various trim lines that makes one a standout over the other?

Other than wear and tear, is there any significent reason to buy on 07 over an 05, all other things being equal?

Thanks for any responses.

mackabee · August 2008

I don't understand your meaning of "upcharge". As long as you're buying it from a franchised Toyota dealer the certification is well worth the price of admission. However, I don't think they would charge you 1-2k more for a certified just because it's certified.
I would go with the 07. The 05 had some quality issues that eventually disappeared in the later model years. I would be looking to pay around 26-27k for an 07 Limited certified pre-owned with around 12k miles per year.
Mack

fin · August 2008

If this forum agrees on anything (and we frequently do!) it is the fact that the first model year of any car should be avoided. There are too many things that just don't show up until the car is driven by the consumer. As posted above, the 2005 had issues that the 06/07's do not. Avoid the 2005. After that, buy a good car, low mileage, well maintained..dealer certified is a plus.

Little things: Keyless start is nice, Nav is worth more (but the Nav is not the best design), perforated leather seats w/heat/air are a big plus if you travel. Enjoy one soon, great cars.

mackabee · August 2008

"If this forum agrees on anything (and we frequently do!) it is the fact that the first model year of any car should be avoided. "

Except for me. I've owned quite a few first year Toyotas and had minor problems and I mean minor. Glove compartment door would unlatch while going over a bump (92 Camry), the gas cap holder inside the gas cover door broke the first time I went to fill up, and there was a metal pin that came through the upholstery on the driver's seat. All three things were fixed expeditiously and the car ran like a Swiss watch the whole time we owned it. Same goes for my other three Camri. But then again we came from a trouble free 81 Celica and another trouble free 85 LE van. Granted, the Celica was the last model year of that gen and the van was on its second year. My son's tC, has 65k trouble free miles and it's a first year car. Ditto my daughter in law's 03 Corolla S. From what I've read and seen on these boards it seems that prior domestic vehicle owners seem to share that view. I've never owned an Avalon and probably never will. Not that it's a bad car but for me it's too big. I prefer the Camry size vehicle. I can just picture my wife driving that behemoth up to our driveway or backing up and taking all the mailboxes out.

I like the amenities but for a daily driver I'll stick with my Camry.
On another note, the nav system in the Avalon is the worse off all Toyota models. Whoever the rocket scientist was that designed the interface should be sent to the Daihatsu branch and get more OJT.
:shades:

jlsexton · August 2008

AMEN to that and so far my Avalon is starting properly but as said before I'm now wary and concerned I'll get stuck, no longer confident in it. And I will go smaller next time................

rodneyc · August 2008

gotta disagree with the stay away from 2005 I have had mine for a year and one half now . its a limited had 21000 when i got it. took it in for the tranny fix and have just had it in for oil changes but thats all. runs like a top no squeaks or rattles 23- 25 miles per gallon in the city ( theres freeway driving in that fiq.) straight freeway driving get almost 32 miles per gallon. great car !. Thinking about getting catalytic convertor looked at because of the smell but thats only when I get on it which its not that often. I am at 40,000 now no regrets.

nvbanker · August 2008

but the Nav is not the best design

This is very true - does anybody know why Toyota does not use the Denso unit that Lexus (and Ford uses a very close clone of it in their cars) uses, which is entirely touch screen? The Toggle switch unit the Avalon uses is inferior to say the least, and cumbersome to use. I can't see the advantage to putting in a vastly inferior unit in such a nice car as the Avalon, when the excellent unit that the Lexus uses is available. At least, they could use the de-tuned version that Ford uses, still touch screen, but with fewer bells and whistles. What's up with this? :mad:

mackabee · August 2008

Don't know. I guess the design of the dashboard made it impractical to use the touch screen units. :shades:

mackabee · August 2008

I would agree with you on this one. Hopefully all the previous owners had the TSB's done on the 05's so they should be more reliable.

nvbanker · August 2008

Brilliant! That's got to be it - the screen is way too far away to be touch, they had to move the control closer to the driver...... Thank you, the obvious escapes me sometimes....

mackabee · August 2008

You're welcome!
:shades:

stlmo · August 2008

Haven't posted in a while but as our 05 Avalon was totalled yesterday by a lady running a red light (front of the Avy impacted her van's side cargo door at 50 or so mph. Crumple zone and air bags did their job and none of the Avy's 5 occupants was seriously hurt. Haven't heard from adjuster yet but tow guys said it would be totalled. We are disappointed as it was the best car we have ever had and now it's gone with only 50,190 miles (purchased 7/05 and planned on keeping it a lot longer). Aside from the initially loose lower lights, a dash squeak in cold weather was its only weakness. It never had any other problems or warranty work and got 25-27 mpg in mixed driving and regularly attained 33 mpg on the highway if kept to 72 mph or so; always using regular grade unleaded.

Wife loved the limited's keyless ignition and comfortable ride. We like road trips and drove the car to Disney World and back a number of times. Very few cars, have comparable size in the back seat and that is great with kids and trips(although it does take a little space from the trunk). It was always a great ride, very comfortable, and I liked the rear window shade (did have the windows done early on as they didn't seem to be very tinted). Over the 3 years of ownership we never did come to like the NAV system and when needed I would just throw in my ancient Garmin c330 which was much easier to use and had better functions. Also I was only so-so on the laser cruise, preferring to use it in conventional cruise mode. This wasn't really its fault as it worked as it was supposed to. Problem was I would have to pay close attention to what it was doing or I would find myself just tucked behind another car, following at his speed which was lower than I really wanted to go.

So much about the late and great. Wife insists on replacing the wrecked one with as nearly an identical one as we can get. Limited, blizzard white,ivory interior, spoiler, mats, etc. She doesn't care if it has the NAV or LCC so I went looking for one today that fits her specs. Couldn't really think of another car that fit our needs as well and she loved the prior one so much. Dealer found several he could bring in (none on the lot) that fit the bill. Could get 08s right away or wait a week and have an 09. 2008 model could have been had with 3 year 0% interest and although I wasn't planning to borrow to replace the car, free interest is pretty nice. Decided however to go with an 09 for the same price (a few hundred over invoice) and not eat so much depreciation up front. Signed the order, contingent on the 05 formally being totalled. I know I could have likely done a little better on price but this dealership gave me a primo deal back then on the 05 when no one else in the area would, and I don't really have the luxury of time to try to eke the final dollar out of a deal.

Hope the new one is as nice, or even nicer, than the old one.

nimimi · August 2008

I was in a similar situation last year. I totalled my '06 LTD by hitting a woman (uninsured) who ran a red light. The knee bag, however, caused my left lower leg to swell up quite a bit and I eventually had an MRI to rule out any deep injury. My insurance paid me via collision coverage because I didn't have property damage on my underinsured motorist coverage. However, they gave me an excellent price ($1800 less than I bought the car for new 25 months prior) so I bought the exact same colored car -- '08 model. I like the '08 much better than the '05 (dark wood, electric passenger seat, better high beams, etc.).

It's not the best way to replace your car, however, I think you'll like the newer Avalon better.

mikes. · August 2008

Sorry to hear about your loss, glad no one was seriously hurt. I recently traded my 05 LTD for a new 08.

The 08's big change is it added bluetooth and the better powered passenger seat. I was going to wait on an09 but got a great deal on the 08, it had been the GM's demo ride.

stlmo · August 2008

Nimimi, similar occurance in my accident. I got a cut on my elbow but the only other visible injury was that both of my shins are cut up and bruised, pretty much midway between the knee and ankle. Although the damage to my body is mostly from that area, it might have been worse without the knee airbag. Hope her insurance company gives me a decent price for the car as we had planned to keep it a lot longer. If you like your 08 better than your 06 and Mikes has similar feelings, I'm sure I will also like the new better than the old.

jlsexton · August 2008

Glad you are all alright. Also glad you like the car store, I like mine, in Middletown NY Johnstons, I paid a little more than some others but service & trust one can't buy.

mikes. · August 2008

When I traded in my 05 it had 60k miles on it. I'd had no problems with. All I'd ever had done was routine maintenance. Unfortunately for me I had an oil change and tranny fluid changed the day before I traded it. That and new Michelins that were 1 month old.

I wasn't planning on trading it for at least 6 months. But when you get offered a great buy...

pappydsp · August 2008

Cabin air filters for the 2007 Avalon can be found at at many retail auto parts dealers. The one I just purchased was less than $12 at Advance Auto Parts. The particulate filters are significantly less than the charcoal filters. Not sure what the difference is. Just one caveat, though. When you replace the filter take note of the air flow direction. The debris on the old filter should tell you the direction of the airflow. Toyota filters have an UP arrow printed on the side instead of an AIRFLOW arrow. Some aftermarket filters will show an arrow depicting the airflow which in many cases is opposite to Toyota's UP arrow. The cabin filter air flow in the 2007 Avalon is downward toward the blower motor.

mh70 · September 2008

I am new to this forum and have never owned a Toyota before. I am considering purchasing a 2005 Toyota Avalon XL with 42,000 miles on it. The big attraction for me is the roomy back seat which nicely accommodates the incredibly large car seats for my two young children. It has had one prior owner. On a test drive the other day in the dealer lot (i.e., at slow speed), I noticed an audible clunk coming from the vicinity of the steering column, and you can feel the wheel shift a bit. It happens all the time when turning the wheel at slow speed. The dealer said that this was a common problem in various Toyota models. Is it? Is it a serious problem or just a nuisance? Has Toyota come out with any TSBs on this problem and come up with a permanent fix? Does the problem exist in later model years? Any other issues with the 2005 Avalon? Any alternatives to the Avalon with roomy back seats? Thanks.

tjc78 · September 2008

Has Toyota come out with any TSBs on this problem and come up with a permanent fix?

There was a recall about a missing weld on the steering column and a TSB about the symptoms you mention. If that is the only thing bad about the car, tell the dealer to get it fixed for you as part of your negotiations.

mh70 · September 2008

Thank you for your response. The dealer I am going through is not a Toyota dealer. I spoke with the service department at a local Toyota dealer and described the steering problem, and the mechanic said it was the steering shaft, not the steering column, and it would cost about $420 (including parts and labor) to have it fixed. Does this diagnosis sound correct?

retired7 · September 2008

My Feb 05 LTD has ~35K miles and I'm just starting to get the previously reported clicking noise when turning the steering wheel. I have the 100K Platinum warrenty and steering column is still listed under coverage. About ready to take it to Toyota dealer; anyone know what the TSB number is for replacing steering column? (tried word search but no luck!)

Thanks

algee · September 2008

I had the same problem at 32k and the Toyota dealer fixed it with a steering shaft replacement and all is well now. It took about 1 hr and no cost as was under warranty.

mh70 · September 2008

Thanks. What mileage are you at now? For me, I'm beyond any warranty and my main concern is that this problem is going to return after another 30 thousand miles.

mh70 · September 2008

The TSB for the ticking noise is ST002-06, which was issued March 14, 2006. There was also a TSB for the Touring edition concerning a pull in steering. That is ST-003-06, which was issued March 30, 2006.

algee · September 2008

I am now at 35K and all is well.

johnl13 · September 2008

My 2006 Avalon came with Michelin tires MXV4 S8 that have a 440 treadwear grade ,Traction Grade A and Temperture Grade A.
The tires revolution per mile was measured at 789 at 45 mph.
Its now 35,000 miles later and I'm looking for replacement tires with a 60,000 mile warrenty.

Michelin has a new tire called Primacy MXV4 in my tire size P215/55R17 but the Service description is 94H instead of 93V.
That means the max speed and weight specs. are different.
This tire comes with a 620 Treadwear Grade,Traction Grade A and Temperature Grade of A. The tire revolution per mile is measured at 791 at 45 mph.
The overall performance ratings are much higher in wet,dry,winter and comfort than the Original Equipment.

Has anyone purchased these tires for their 2006 Avalon ?
What do you think about the ride comfort, noise comfort, overall car handling and gas mileage when using this new tire?

sbman · September 2008

I too have a 2006 and notice high wear on the same tires. Look at your new tire at tirerack.com and read the reviews. Looks like lots of them available. Tire is rated good but for deep snow.

jlsexton · September 2008

Has anyone had luck changing the locking procedure on the doors. I tried to change it to the 12 miles per hour from the place in drive one lockup with no luck.

Also, I usually drain one gallon of antifreeze every 2 years and refresh it with new but where the heck does one fill the radiator, is it under the plastic canopy or somewhere else. What I see is a horizontal not vertical protuberance as in, I presume, a filler neck..

truckbme · October 2008

I have read with concern the stories of the clunking sound from the avalon as I have an 05 purchased new. It was taken to the dealer after about 6 months for the "problem" with no results & as usual...no clunking at the dealer even tho they drove it
morning , noon & evening. now fast forward to 2008 & I finally took it back to the dealer last month, worried after reading the stories of this problem.Well...the dealer said it was from the ABS engaging & they had numerous complaints.The car was checked out & all is good so far....clunking still there..but I feel better as I have it in writing that if anything developes bad from that it will be taken care of by the dealer.
Overall...very satisfied with my avalon, great gas milage ( better on gas in city than most small cars ) & so far after 3 yrs & 40kplus miles 30 plus on highway.
1 oil leak was fixed in 05. Hope this in helps someone.

doobre · October 2008

Three years on, still the same problems with this heap of s**t..2005 XL

- the transmission still jerks, lurches, jumps, slips, shudders and thuds.. and changes to the wrong gear for no logical reason.

- the steering wheel clamp still comes loose and drops the steering wheel...

- the wipers still cannot clean the windscreen properly

and as before the wipers still cancel the cruise setting and light up the ABS and handbrake lights at the same time..

plus lots of other small annoyances..

All of the above are of course intermittent and impossible to make happen.. So Toyota can do nothing about them, lucky for Toyota.. W**kers

I hear the Avalon will finish in 2010.. good ridance...

wwest · October 2008

Has anyone ever check the battery negative post grounding system..??

Battery negative is usually grounded well to the engine block and then a ground strap from the engine block to the chasis, typically near the firewall.

tjc78 · October 2008

Wow, its been a tough few weeks for my '06 Avalon. First my uncle rear ends me on the way to a wedding and dings up the rear bumper. Then my Grandfather's neighbor smashes in the fender and creases the door (while its parked). Now, its at the dealer for a check engine light that was the O2 sensor. Covered under warranty and fixed quickly, however, my question is: has anyone had this problem? I would think 28K miles is a little premature for this part. Oh well, this was the first unscheduled dealer visit in over 2 1/2 years so I am not complaining. Heck even with the bad part my weeked trip yielded 27.8 MPG cruising at 75 - 80 with a fair amount of city driving... not bad.

nvbanker · October 2008

Despite the one unsatisfied customer above, I've never personally met anyone with a bad Avalon. The car seems to be gathering an audience of larger car, comfortable, roomy and luxurious cars, but not quite ready for the Lexus buyers, who want decidedly more than a long Camry, and they're going to kill the car? What did they do, hire a bunch of GM executives now? I think that's just crazy.

oldnall · October 2008

Who's going to kill the car?
I haven't heard anything? :confuse:

wwest · October 2008

FWD cars are no longer selling into the "upscale" market.

nimimi · October 2008

Good. I always enjoy seeing those RWD, "upscale" cars slipping, sliding and virtually immobile as I cross Snoqualmie in the Winter.

captain2 · October 2008

depends on how you define 'upscale' doesn't it? Would suggest to you strongly that the average Avalon buyer couldn't care less about FWD vs. RWD dynamics - heck I would even go so far as to say that most of them wouldn't be able to identify the Avalon as a FWD car after driving the darn thing - for a year! They would care about a vehicle's size, its comfort, its ride, bling levels etc. something that the Avalon has in spades. If you think that the 'average' Joe that's got a BMW on his mind is going to care about the RWD- you're right - the Avalon buyer OTH - hell no, one car is 'upscale' the other really isn't.

captain2 · October 2008

Amen!

The American driving public is not ready for 'wwest's' mass exodus back to our roots. Wishful thinking, I'm afraid.

doobre · October 2008

Perhaps you have not been on this forum since the beginning of this model...."ONE dissatisfied cutomer"... I don't think so..

wwest · October 2008

I would not disagree that the average driver doesn't care, and maybe doesn't even care to know, if the Avalon is FWD or RWD. But enough are beginning to care/know that it's now making a difference in the thinking of automotive manufacturers.

retired7 · October 2008

FYI: I recently had the steering column TSB done on my LTD. Clicking noise was just starting and dealer agreed and did TSB. On the way home, I noticed the steering wheel was orientated 10 degrees to the right in order to go straight down the highway. Took it back and they fixed it immediately (they were off one tooth on the steering gear when reassembling)

jlsexton · October 2008

But enough are beginning to care/know that it's now making a difference in the thinking of automotive manufacturers. Meaning just WHAT ?

Lets face it Americans are a great people, just don't ask them who their representatives are or why their voting for whom. So in that vein does anyone really think the average Jane or Joe really knows what RWD or FWD is. Most people don't know where the dipstick is or what it is, never mind the drive train of their vehicle.

jlsexton · October 2008

Posted this, no replies, figured you might have the answers..............

Has anyone had luck changing the locking procedure on the doors. I tried to change it to the 12 miles per hour from the place in drive one lockup with no luck.

Also, I usually drain one gallon of antifreeze every 2 years and refresh it with new but where the heck does one fill the radiator, is it under the plastic canopy or somewhere else. What I see is a horizontal not vertical protuberance as in, I presume, a filler neck..

captain2 · October 2008

those that do care or know would be those just like nimini that understand that in certain seasons and in certain parts of the country, that same 'average driver' I'm talking about is only going to understand that the FWD car gets him where he wants to go while that 'superior' RWD sedan won't! Travel a snow covered road this winter and note the numbers of cars stuck and/or abandoned on the side of the roads - a disportionate number of 'superior' RWD cars!

2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

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