2008 Toyota Avalon Electrical System

HEADLIGHTS AND FOG LIGHTS GO OFF WHILE TRAVELING. MAY OR MAY NOT COME BACK ON WHEN SWITCH IS RESET. THEY GO OFF UNPREDICTABLY AND MAY BE AT A VERY INOPPORTUNE TIME CAUSING COLLISION.

REAR SUN SHED BREAK VERY FAST MAKES A LOT OF NOISE. IT CAN'T BE DISABLED WITHOUT CAUSING OTHER PROBLEM SUCH AS ENGINE LIGHT ON AND CRUZ CONTROL DISABLED AND ALL KIND OF SENSORS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. ITS VERY DANGERS AND FRUSTRATING

JULY 30, 2018 WHILE IN PARKING SPACE I TURNED ON IGNITION AND HEARD A MILD POP, THE LOOKING TOWARDS PASSENGER SEAT I SAW WHITE SMOKE RISING BETWEEN CHAIR AND WINDOW AND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER SEAT. IT SMELLED AS IF DOMING WAS BURNING. I TURNED IGNITION OFF. SMOKE STOPPED. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING UNDER THE CHAIR. I CHECKED MOVEMENT OF CHAIR AND IT WAS OK. I CALLED TOYOTA: NO IDEA OF CAUSE AND CLAIMED NO RECALLS. I MENTIONED WHAT I SAW ON LINE, TO NO AVAIL. I OBSERVED 6/2/2016 RECALL: 16V396000 AND 11/19/2014 # 14V743000. I WOULD LIKE THESE HEATING WIRES ON BOTH SIDES TO BE DISCONNECTED TO PREVENT POSSIBLE FIRE WHILE DRIVING. THANK YOU

INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT FAILURE. HEADLIGHTS FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. EITHER DRIVERS,PASSENGER OR BOTH. HID HEADLIGHTS OEM.

I PUT ON MY BRIGHTS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, ON A DARK PART OF THE INTERSTATE. AFTER A WHILE THEY WENT OUT... IMMEDIATELY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE LEFT HAND SIDE STALK CONTROLS THE HEADLIGHTS ("ON" AND "AUTO-ON" POSITIONS), AND BRIGHTS. NOTABLY THE BRIGHTS ARE A SEPARATE BULB. THE "AUTO-ON" (IF IT GETS DARK) WAS THE SETTING FOR WHICH THEY WENT OUT. I PULLED OVER AT AN EXIT, TRIED THE BRIGHTS AGAIN AFTER TURNING OFF MY HEADLIGHTS AND PUTTING THEM TO THE "ON" SETTING (AS OPPOSED TO "AUTO-ON"), AND THE BRIGHTS DID NOT WORK AND ACTUALLY TURNED OFF MY REGULAR HEADLIGHTS. THIS IS DANGEROUS. I SEE IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED. I FOUND TOYOTA HAD A QUIET, UNANNOUNCED SERVICE UPGRADE FOR FAULTY DESIGN, DID NOT ADVERTISE IT, RECALL IT, OR SEND A WARNING NOTE OR OFFER TO FIX TO OWNERS, AND ARBITRARILY SET THE LIMITATION AT 5 YRS / 72,000 MILES. IF THEY ACKNOWLEDGED A PROBLEM, WHY PUT A LIMIT ON SOMETHING THAT IS NOT SAFE? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE COUNTRY HIGHWAY AT NIGHT WITH MY BRIGHT LIGHTS ON, I HIT A BUMP AND THE BRIGHT LIGHTS SIMULTANEOUSLYWENT OFF. FORTUNATELY, MY LOW BEAMS THEN CAME ON. I TRIED SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS INCLUDING FLICKING THE LIGHTS, STOPPING THE CAR AND TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF/ON. THE BRIGHTS NO LONGER WORK. I DID CHECK TO SEE IF THEY EXPLODED AS REPORTED BY MANY OTHERS IN THIS DATABASE, BUT THEY DO NOT APPEAR TO HAVE. THEY JUST DO NOT WORK. LIVING IN A VERY RURAL AREA OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN, BRIGHT LIGHTS ARE A NECESSITY. I CALLED THE DEALER WHO SERVICES MY CAR AND THEY PLEADED IGNORANCE WITH REGARD TO KNOW PROBLEMS WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE. THEY SUGGEST I BRING THE CAR IN TO REPLACE THE BULBS. I WILL ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE BULBS MYSELF BEFORE I WILL PAY FOR THE ASSEMBLY MENTIONED IN THE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME AND MY WIFE AS CAR/DEER COLLISIONS ARE RAMPANT WHERE WE LIVE. IF THE BULBS HAVE NOT EXPLODED YET, I'M SURE THEY WILL WHEN I HAVE MY FIRST COLLISION WITH A DEER I DID NOT SEE BECAUSE I HAD NO HIGH BEAM LIGHTS. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. IF WE WERE TO LOSE LOW BEAMS ALSO, WE WOULD BE STRANDED AND UNABLE TO DRIVE.

CAR WOULDN'T START AT SHOPPING AREA - PAID $5 FOR A BATTERY JUMP - HAD CAR TESTED AT LOCAL AUTO SHOP - SAID WE NEEDED AN ALTERNATOR BUT MAY BE UNDER WARRANTY - WENT TO EASTERN SHORE TOYOTA - FOR $56.57 - YES WE NEEDED AN ALTERNATOR - NOT UNDER WARRANTY -COST $580 - TAKE TIL TUES - SUGGEST WE SPEND $100 PLUS AND RENT A CAR. WE ELECTED TO TAKE OUR CHANCES AND HAD THE VEHICLE FIXED CLOSER TO GULF SHORES WHERE WE ARE STAYING - COST WAS $396. WE HAVE NEVER HAD AN ALTERNATOR GO OUT AFTER OWNING VEHICLES FOR NEARLY 60 YRS - LET ALONE AT 46725 MILES AND SUCH A PRICEY CAR. WE ARE CONSIDERING THE RAV 4 FOR 2014 BUT THIS IS GIVING US SECOND THOUGHTS. *TR

HID HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHT ON DRIVER'S SIDE FAILED. LIGHT WAS REPLACED IN MAY, 2011. HID LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT ON PASSENGER SIDE FAILED ON 12/13/11.

MY 2008 TOYOTA AVALON HEADLIGHT(S) ARE BLINKING OUT BUT WHEN I SWITCH TO THE AUTOMATIC MADE IT COMES BACK ON. *TR

I OWN A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON XL, PURCHASED 01/24/08. RECENTLY, WHILE TURNING, I HIT A POTHOLE. THE ALARM SYSTEM STARTED AND THE CAR ACCELERATED. I COULD NOT GET THE ALARM OR THE CAR TO STOP, EVEN THOUGH I WAS BRAKING. I FINALLY PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE KEY. THE MOTOR MADE A SOUND AS THOUGH IT WAS DYING AND FINALLY STOPPED. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. *TR

I OWNED A 2008 AVOLAN. IT CAUGHT FIRE DEC. 7 2009 AND BURNED UP. I THOUGHT I NEEDED TO REPORT THIS TO SOMEONE. I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE, AND THE RESULT COULD BE DEATH. I GOT HURT BAD BUT I AM BETTER NOW.*CW

I OWN A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON WHICH HAS THE PUSH BUTTON START IN LIEU OF A KEY. WHEN STOPPING ON ANY INCLINE I DISCOVERED THAT UNLIKE THE TRADITIONAL KEY USED FOR THE IGNITION THAT IT IS POSSIBILE TO STOP THE CAR WITHOUT PUTTING IT INTO PARK. THE KEY SYSTEM FORCES YOU TO PUT THE CAR INTO PARK IN ORDER TO GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION.. THE NEW ONE DOES NOT. I WAS DISTRACTED BY MY WIFE AND A NEW PUPPY WHICH WAS ABOUT TO VOMIT AND WANTED OUT OF THE CAR. WHEN I STOPPED I FAILED TO PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND WHILE WE OPENED THE DOORS THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL AND COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY.I REALIZE THIS COULD HAPPEN WITH THE OLD KEY SYSTEM . HOWEVER, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN LOT LESS LIKELY IN THE "OLD" KEY SYSTEM AND I BELIEVE THE NEW KEY LESS SYSTEM IS THEREFORE A DESIGN DEFECT AND A SERIUOS ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.*CN

MY WIFE WAS TURNING OFF SUNRISE HIGHWAY (WESTBOUND) ONTO THE WELLWOOD AVE RAMP. FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON THE ENGINE STARTED TO REV VERY HIGH. SHE TRY TO STOP, USING THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. SHE THEN PUT IT INTO PARK AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. WHILE STOPPED ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT HER IN THE REAR. THE MAIN PROBLEM HERE IS WHY DID THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE START TO REV UP. WHEN I GOT TO THE SCENE THERE WAS A POLICE OFFICE THERE. BOTH HE AND I CHECKED THE CAR, I GOT IN, HE OUTSIDE, AND WHEN WE STARTED THE VEHICLE THE TACH SHOW ~950RPM. I LOOK AT THE FLOOR MAT AND IT WAS IN PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO TOYOTA. A REP FROM TOYOTA CALLED MY HOME AND SPOKE TO MY WIFE. HIS VERY FIRST QUESTION TO HER WAS DO YOU HAVE OTHER MANUFACTURER'S MATS IN THE CAR. SHE ANSWERED NO, THE CAME FROM TOYOTA. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN HOW NOTHING COULD BE WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. WHEN HE WENT TO TOYOTA TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE HE DETERMINE THE CORNER OF THE MAT MUST HAVE BEEN STUCK UNDER THE GAS PEDAL. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS A FAIR INSPECTION SINCE HE SAID THIS SAME THING BEFORE HE EVER SAW THE VEHICLE AND WHEN THE POLICE OFFICE AND I CHECKED THE VEHICLE THE MAT WAS IN PLACE. I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE BUT I DO KNOW THAT I DO NOT BELIEVE TOYOTA GAVE IT A FAIR AND IMPARTIAL INSPECTION. ALSO ANOTHER TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE CALL MY HOME AND IMPLIED WE WERE TRYING TO GET OUR DEDUCTIBLE FROM TOYOTA. IT IS REMARKS LIKE THIS THAT MAKE ME QUESTIONS THEIR FINDINGS. I DON'T WANT ANYTHING EXCEPT THE KNOWLEDGE THAT HE VEHICLE IS SAFE NEITHER I NOR ANYONE ELSE WILL EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM AGAIN. *TR