2000 TOYOTA AVALON Visibility Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THE REAR WINDOW OF THE VEHICLE HAD SHATTERED INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE REAR WINDOW HAD SHATTERED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 88,632.

Mileage: 88,632

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. LATER, THE CONSUMER REALIZED THAT THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED OUTWARD. *AK

Mileage: 67,000

THE WINDOWS WERE BLOTCHED WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE WHILE DRIVING. *JB

Mileage: 28,000

CONSUMERS FINGER WAS BROKEN BY THE WINDOW WHILE BEING ROLLED UP. THE CONSUMER HAD HER FINGER ON THE WINDOW AND THERE WAS NO SAFETY DEVICE ON THE WINDOW. *YH NAR 8/ 28/02. *SCC *CB

ON 4/25/2002, MIDDLE FINGER ON RIGHT HAND WAS BROKEN BY POWER WINDOW ON RIGHT REAR SIDE OF CAR. THERE IS NO SAFETY DEVICE TO STOP WINDOW FROM ROLLING UP WHEN IT MEETS WITH RESISTANCE FROM OBJECT IN WINDOW. I AM IN HAND THERAPY AND THIS IS AUGUST, IT STILL MAY BE ANOTHER 6 MOS BEFORE IT IS HEALED.*AK

INSTRUMENT PANEL (PORTIONS OF SPEEDOMETER AND FUEL GAUGE) REFLECTS IN WINDSHIELD AT EYE LEVEL. AT NIGHT, THIS GLARE IMPAIRS VIEW OF ROAD, AND NORMAL HEAD MOVEMENTS CREATE THE IMPRESSION OF SOMETHING COMING INTO ROAD IN FRONT OF CAR, CAUSING REFLEXIVE BRAKING OR SWERVING. IN DAYLIGHT, SUNLIGHT STRIKING INSTRUMENT PANEL REFLECTS IN DRIVER'S EYES AS A BLINDING FLASH OR BAND OF LIGHT. I REPORTED THIS TO MANUFACTURER AS PART OF DISPUTE THAT INCLUDED OTHER DEFECTS (RATTLES AND SQUEAKS IN DASH AREA) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD REPOSITION INSTRUMENT PANEL PER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN B0014-0. THE REPAIR ATTEMPT FAILED TO CORRECT THE BLINDING GLARE OR THE OTHER DEFECTS. I RECENTLY ACCEPTED AN 2002 AVALON AS A RENTAL CAR AND WAS STUNNED TO FIND THAT THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION PERSISTS IN THE 2002 MODEL.*AK

WHILE DRIVING DASH LIGHTS REFLECT IN WINDSHIELD AT EYE LEVEL, GIVING A BLINDING GLARE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING IN RAIN WINDSHIELD GLASS CAN STREAK TO POINT WHERE IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO SEE THE ROAD. CONTACTED DEALER ,AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AK

SEVERE GLARE INTO WINDSHIELD FROM POOR INSTRUMENT PANEL DESIGN. SUN REFLECTS OFF OF INSTRUMENT PANEL BAZEL INTO WINDSHIELD AT DRIVER EYE LEVEL BLINDING DRIVER. AT NIGHT LIGHTED INSTRUMENT GAUGES REFLECT INTO WINDSHIELD CREATING A DISTRACTING "HEADS UP" TYPE DISPLAY. INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS MUST BE ALMOST COMPLETELY DIMMED TO AVOID REFLECTION PROBLEM. THIS CREATES ANOTHER PROBLEM OF VIEWING GAUGES. *AK

GLARE ON WINDSHIELD FROM GLASS OVER INSTRUMENT PANEL. WORSE AT NIGHT WHEN DASH LIGHTS ARE ON, HAD TO DIM LIGHTS TO SEE SAFELY. CAN ALSO HAVE GLARE DAYTIME WHETHER SUNNY OR NOT. THIS IS IN MY DIRECT LINE OF VISION AND CAN BE A SAFETY HAZZARD. PLEASE ADVISE IF THERE HAS BEEN A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM AS I HAVE CONSULTED HALEY TOYOTA IN ROANOKE VA AND THEY SAY THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE ON YOUR WEBSITE.*AK

REFLECTIONS ONTO THE WINDSHIELD AT NIGHT IN POORLY LIT AREAS OF THE CAR GAUGES, COWL COVERING THE GAUGES AND WOOD AREA AROUND THE RADIO SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO PREVENT REFLECTION. NLM

AT NIGHT THERE IS A GREEN GLOW FROM THE DASH LIGHTS THAT REFLECTS ONTO THE FRONT WINDSHIELD, OBSCURING MY VIEW TO THE ROAD AHEAD. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A CLEAR VIEW OF THE ROAD AND LAST NIGHT I ALMOST HIT A PEDESTRIAN BECAUSE MY VIEW WAS OBSCURED. THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND THAT I CAN TURN THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS OFF TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT WHEN I TRIED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO READ MY SPEED, ETC.*AK

DASH BOARD DOES NOT EXTEND FAR ENOUGH TO BLOCK REFLECTION FROM INSTRUMENT PANEL ONTO FRONT WINDSHIELD CREATING A ANNOYING DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING. ISSUE WAS IDENTIFIED IN FEBRUARY 2000 CONSUMER REPORTS REVIEW OF THE 2000 AVALON. *AK

THE REFLECTION ONTO THE WINDSHIELD APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN DEFECT WHEREBY THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS NOT RECESSED SUFFICIENTLY INTO THE CLUSTER TO PREVENT REFLECTION OF THE DASHLIGHTS ONTO THE WINDSHIELD. SIMILARLY, REFLECTION OF SUNLIGHT ONTO THE WINDSHIELD IS APPARENT IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT. DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AS DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM. DEFECT WAS REPORTED TO TOYOTA A FEW WEEKS AFTER DELIVERY AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD CORRECT ONLY IF A RECALL WAS ISSUED. THE IMPAIRMENT OF VISION IS A SERIOUS DEFECT AND SAFETY HAZARD AT NIGHT.

IN DAYTIME WHEN SUNLIGHT REFLECTS OFF THE DASHBOARD IT MAKES A GLARE ON THE WINDSHIELD THAT IS BLINDING. AT NIGHT THE LIGHT FROM THE DASH PANEL REFLECTS ON THE WINDSHIELD. TOYOTA HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

DASHBOARD LIGHTS OR SUNLIGHT THAT ILLUMINATES THE LOWER RIGHT PORTION OF SPEEDOMETER (140 MPH SECTION) AND FUEL GAUGE REFLECT OFF OF WINDSHIELD AT A LOCATION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DRIVER'S LINE OF SIGHT CAUSING A SEVERE DRIVING HAZARD.

DASHBOARD LIGHTING REFLECTS IN THE WINDSHEILD WHICH INTERFERS WITH VISION. DEALER HAS TILTED THE SPEEDOMETER & RAISED THE GAUGES FORWARD TO CHANGE THE ANGLE FOR LESS GLARE. TOYOTA DOESN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AS BEING A PROBLEM. *AK