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Anyways...can you tell me if the headlight assembly of the 98-99 fit the 95-97 Avalons?
As to the sludge "issue", there was one gentleman who had a genuine issue but the others who piled on made absurd statements poisoned the Camry topic for months. They were finally asked to start their own topic and I declined to participate in it.
Anyway, I am a 23 yr old recent college grad who wanted a luxury car but was too po to afford a GS 300 (my first choice) and wanted more for my money then a BMW 3 series. Anyways, can you tell me if I got a good deal on my car?
2001 Avalon XL with package 4, JBL stereo system, autodim rear view mirror, moonroof, leather, etc.
for 27,500 including tax and destination.
I'd really like to know since I bought the car kind of at the spur of the moment.
Thanks!
by the way, I live on the east coast near DC.
rzep2 - Interested in 'extended warranty'? Check out that very title on internet search. Also check Edmunds for recommendations. But, why buy now?... when most good providers will sell you one right up to 1,000 miles before your Toyota full warranty expires.
Did I 'hear' someone say transmission problems with the 2000-2001 Avalon? I went through pure h--- with the trans on my '98 Avalon. My present 2000 XLS has been smooth as can be, to 5000+ miles. Anybody else having such trouble?
So now I decide to buy a 2000 Avalon XLS and after 6 months I have not had a single mechanical problem with it. I told the service manager that I didn't believe it. Not to say there aren't some quirky things about the Avalon I don't like but no way near the issues I had with the Seville.
Today we had our first major snow and the Avalon handled like a champ although the skid indicator comes on when you accelerate on slippery roads and is disconcerting the traction system works beautifully.
I tried the brakes on a slippery but empty road and made a 90 degree turn while the brakes were locked up and the car handled perfectly.
Avalon needs:
A telescoping steering wheel for tall drivers.
A better shield over the instrument panel to keep it from reflecting on the windshield.
I would consider the Avalon to be superior to all of the 7 Seville's I have previously owned.
I agree with zeddX2 xcept I never had a Seville to compare with.
Greg B
Sorry to hear about your accident. Sounds like the side air bag did not function as it was supposed to. You may want to go to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)website at www.nhtsa.gov and register a safety complaint about the fact that the air bag did not deploy. If enough complaints are received, the government may open up an investigation which may lead to a safety related recall depending upon the governments findings.
by the way, how does a car need to be hit in order for the side airbags to deploy?
However the trip computer bugs me. The average MPG, average trip time, & average MPH reset each time the key is turned off. These items should be manualy reset only, You cannot measure these items on a long trip as most of us take a break every two or three hours when on a long trip.
My local dealer is not interested in trying to help get around this problem.
Has anyone out there found a solution? I am sure a small wiring change could correct this.
Greg
I took the car to the dealer who had it inspected by a third party repair person. According to them, it was the Lumbar Support mechanism which they lubed and 'buffered' (I assumed padded). They also said the mechanism 'had some play designed in it', with the implication that there wasn't anything else they could do with it.
When I left, you guessed it, I heard the sound again within the first or second left hand turn. Has anyone else run into this? Seems like the Lumbar support should be at the back of the seat, not the right front corner. Sorry about the length of the post but this thing is driving me crazy. Any help or insight would be deeply appreciated. I'd like to have a suggestion about what they should look for before I take it back to the dealer. Thanks again for the help.
2001 XLS, CF - Mat package, GV - Package 7, SR - Moonroof, VD - Traction control, DEALER INSTALLED - door edge guards, wheel lip mouldings, stipes...
$31000.00
I think it is about $575 over invoice. Of course they still make 3% on holdback.
Please tell me what you think... ASAP!
Thanks to all who respond!
I'm looking for a (clear) bug deflector specifically made for the 2000 Avalon XLS. Anybody out there had any luck for this item?
Thanks for your help and everybody have a great holiday season.
Good luck
with the brakes. Minor problems: 1) passenger temperature control knob
was difficult to turn. Dealer replaced cables and controls. 2) Driver's door
switch doesn't work in cold weather (25F). Dealer has ordered switch.
The new problem is that the brakes make a grabbing sound on a wet
day. The problem clears up after using the brakes a few times. I did
notice that one of the rotors had a few circular marks about 1/4 inch
on it. I plan to call the dealer about this tomorrow but was wondering
if anyone else has run into this problem.
I'm pretty happy overall with the car though. My previous car was an
Audi Quattro which was a great car but required fixing all the time
and there isn't anyone competent locally to work on the car.
I am getting 17mpg... I live in Chicago
suburbs. This measurement was based on 80%
city driving with the heater on ... still seems
kind of low considering 21/29 mpg sticker
Any thoughts ........?
for a week and a half. Fuell guage showed 1/4 left, trip meter
was ~200 miles. Went back to the same station,same pump,
filled up full. Fuel pump showed ~12 galons.
Within the 200 miles, I went on hwy couple times. estimate ~50 miles.
2001 Avalon XLS, carpeted mats, package 7, Moonroof, Traction control, DEALER INSTALLED - door edge guards, wheel lip moldings, strips
$31000.00
Based upon information here on Edmunds the price is about $575 over invoice - PLUS they still make 3% on holdback.
Is this as good a deal as one can reasonably expect?
Please tell me what you think... ASAP!
Thanks to all who respond!
I have the 2000 Avalon XL. Has anyone found a solution to this problem? Otherwise a great car.
rross6
Now it's around 25 - 26. Could be the cold weather or could be the
oxygenated gas. I noticed the same thing with my previous car.
I un unleaded regular all the time. I experimented with special
when I got the car in the spring. Made a difference in performance
but no difference in mileage. I find that the car has plenty of
pickup with regular and don't see a need to use the higher grades.
I do about 25%/75% city/highway
Just a thought before you pull your windshield out!
Also wondering what the preferred method of purchase is with you guys - local dealer, direct via internet, etc. I'm in Dayton, OH so the competition isn't terribly great.
Thanks,
Patrick
Wet roads are a different story. It works extremely well in preventing understeer and will keep you in much better control. As to its value, that is up to you and a realistic evaluation of how and when you drive.
I have had a customer that had a problem with the VSC. Within the first 100 miles on a new car, the check engine and VSC lights came on. We reset the system and it happened again. I can't remember what the exact cause was but I believe it was actually a vapor sensor in the gas tank. It had nothing to do with the VSC but it tripped the VSC light anyway. Have the dealer read the code and fix whatever caused it to come on. My customer had no further problems after this.
>Mike<
Had the same problem with our 2K XLS; it took less than 5 minutes to reset the instrument panel code-- after the gas cap was found to be loose enough to trigger the warning lights.
Otherwise, our Avalon is a very impressive car in all respects. Hope you have similar results with yours.
And Cliffy, many thanks for your informative posts to this topic--It's not often that people who sell cars have the kind of integrity you seem to have.
I'm ready to purchase my 2001 Avalon XLS - are you aware of any incentives (either cashback or financing) that will be offered in January? I'm trying to decide if I should wait a week to see if anything becomes available, or go ahead and buy now.
Thanks,
Patrick
The quality (or lack there of) issue in the Toyota is significant. Toyota's hallmark has been long-term reliability. I believe this is NOT the case now. It may well be a myth perpetuated by Toyota. Owners are likely to have false hope based on this myth.
Did you know that some owners are experiencing sludge in the engine and being denied warranty claims? Did you know that these same owners are paying $5,000-8,000 for new engines? Did you know that some 2000 Sienna owners are having torque converter replacements within the first few hundred miles of driving? Did you know that others have had total transmission failures after after a few thousand miles? Did you know that there are other problems common to this vehicle? Have you had:
1) Persistent drifting/pulling to the left or the right
2) Uneven wear of tires with need for early replacement
3) Premature brake component wear, including rear brake drums
4) Power steering problems, including inner tie rod or total rack and pinion replacement
5) Vibrations, esp. at speeds above 50 MPH
6) Premature transmission problems or failure
7) Torque converter replacement, sometimes just after delivery
8) Sliding door latch problems with sticking and difficulty opening
9) Oil sludge in the engine related to a contaminated system
IF you have experienced these problems, please write to the following agencies and file a report detailing your case. THEN, network with others by visiting sites where owners post experiences.
U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Office of Defects Investigations
NSA-10.01
400 7th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20590
1-800-424-9393
1-888-327-4236
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
Center for Auto Safety
1825 Connecticut Ave., NW
Suite 330
Washington, D.C. 20009-5708
http://www.autosafety.org
The Complaint Station--click "T", then "Toyota"
http://www.thecomplaintstation.com
Car Trackers Discussion Forum
http://www.cartrackers.com
Phil Edmonston's Lemon-Aid Car Guides
http://www.lemonaidcars.com
Also, use the USENET groups:
alt.autos.toyota
alt.autos.toyota.camry
Charlene Blake
cblake@erols.com
A tad more fact and much less innuendo might lend some badly needed credibility to the so-called problems noted in the above!
A visit to several more accepted websites (JD Power for example) might be in order to put ludicrous and malicious claims like this in their proper perspective!