2001 TOYOTA AVALON Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems

2001 TOYOTA AVALON XLS: VIBRATION FELT IN STEERING, TYPICALLY ABOVE 60 MPH ON INTERSTATE OR BRAKING GOING DOWN A HILL. ALIGNED FRONT END, RE-BALANCED TIRES/WHEELS, REPLACED TIRES, REPLACED FRONT ROTORS TWICE WITHIN A FEW THOUSAND MILES, BRAKE PADS, CALIPER PINS, REGREASED CALIPER PINS WITH APPROPRIATE PIN GREASE, ENSURED PROPER AIR IN TIRES - NONE OF THIS HAS ADDRESSED THE VIBRATION. NOTED A FAIR NUMBER OF OTHER AVALON OWNERS SEARCHING THE INTERNET ON THE WORDS '2001 TOYOTA AVALON VIBRATION'. VEHICLE HAS NOT SUSTAINED ANY DAMAGE, SUCH AS JUMPING A CURVE OR BEING STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. NO OTHER SUGGESTED REPAIRS FROM TOYOTA. *TR

Mileage: 150,000

DT:STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES AT SPEEDS FROM 60 TO 75 MPH. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SEARS TWICE TO BALANCE AND ROTATE THE TIRES. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA AND HAD THE TIRES BALANCED AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE LUBRICATED. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM EITHER. VEHICLE HAS 22000 MILES. CONSUMER SAYS THAT IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS LOOSE UNDER THE CARRIAGE. *JB WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES THERE WAS A VIBRATION.

Mileage: 22,000

THE CONSUMER IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. AT 17217 WHILE DRIVING DOWN A STEEP HILL, THE WERE APPLIED AND THERE WAS A FEELING OF METAL ON METAL. THE BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED AT THIS TIME. AT 27000 MILES THE BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE ROTORS. THE DEALER REPORTED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO A LACK OF USE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE ROTORS HAD RUSTED CAUSING THE NEED FOR REPLACEMENT. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO TOYOTA WHO ADMITS THE PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION. *TT THERE WAS NO WARNING. *SC *JB

Mileage: 17,217

2001 TOYOTA AVALON EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES, AND WINDOWS. *MR THERE WAS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH NOISE THAT SEEMED TO ORIGINATE FROM THE FRONT END. THE NOISE WAS INTERMITTENT AND NOTICEABLE AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS WARMED, WHEN MAKING TURNS OR WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE CALIPER SLIDE WAS STICKING ONTO THE LEFT FRONT SIDE. THE BRAKE ROTORS SHOWED SIGNS OF GLAZE, THERE WAS A WOBBLY FEELING WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEATED SEAT WAS INTERMITTENT, THE VEHICLE WAS PULLING TO THE LEFT, THE DRIVERS WINDOWS WOULD GO UP AND DOWN, THE STRIPPING ON THE BUMPER WAS COMING OFF, THE STEERING WOULD SHAKE AT TIMES, THE FUEL GAUGE FLUCTUATED, THE RADIO BUTTONS WERE FADING, THE CASSETTE WAS INOPERATIVE, THERE WAS BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE VENT, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH NO WARNING, THE WIPER BLADE(S) WERE NOISY, THE WINDSHIELD HAD "MILLION" OF DOTS ALL OVER IT, AND THE FRONT PANEL WAS LIT FOR THE BACK LIGHTS AND THERE WAS A LIMITED AMOUNT OF AIR/HEAT THAT WOULD BLOW ON THE DRIVERS FEET. THE ROTORS WERE MACHINED AND THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED. THE FRONT STRUTS WERE CRACKED AND CAUSED THE FRONT END NOISE. THE RADIO,STEERING ANGLE SENSOR AND THE FRONT STRUTS WERE REPLACED. *SC

Mileage: 16,276

PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE EQUIPMENT ON 2001 TOYOTA AVALON WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH.*MR WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED LIGHT PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES, THERE WAS A THUMP SOUND. THE CONSUMER CONTINUED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT THEY DID NOT HOLD AND ONLY MILD DECELERATION OCCURRED. CONSEQUENTLY THE CONSUMER REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. *JB *NM

VEHICLE SLID TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WITH THE WHEELS LOCKED ON A SNOWY AND ICY ROAD AT 35 MPH. *PH THE VEHICLE ENDED UP SLIDING INTO A DITCH. NONE OF THE VEHICLE'S OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED DURING THIS ACCIDENT. *NM

Mileage: 13,150

THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL WERE DESIGNED TOO CLOSE TOGETHER, WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, HIS FOOT SLIPPED AND DEPRESSED THE GAS PEDAL. *AK *JB

WHILE STOPPING VEHICLE BRAKE PEDA LWENT TO THE FLOOR, BRAKES STARTED PULSATING , AND THEY DIDN'T HOLD. HAD TO PULL EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK

VEHICLE BRAKE SYSTEM IS OF CONCERN. OCCASIONALLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BROUGHT TO A STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL MOVE DOWN TOWARD THE FLOOR A FEW SECONDS AFTER THE CAR IS STOPPED. THE TWO TIMES I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER, I AM BEING TOLD THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE AND THAT ALL OF THEM DO THIS. THIS IS THE SECOND AVALON I HAVE OWNED AND THE FIRST ONE DID NOT HAVE THE SITUATION HAPPEN. OTHER AVALON OWNERS I HAVE SPOKEN TO HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN. THE MOVEMENT OF THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWNWARD AFTER STOPPING DOES NOT OCCUR ALL THE TIME. IT LOOKS TO OCCUR AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND IN LOCAL TRAFFIC THAT REQUIRES CONSTAND STOPPING AND STARTING. THE PEDAL MOVEMENT OCCURS ABOUT 10 TO 15 SECONDS AFTER STOPPING BUT DOES NOT OCCUR EVERY TIME. THIS BRAKE PEDAL MOVEMENT IS OF CONCERN SICE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 40 YEARS. BRAKE PEDAL MOVEMENT AFTER STOPPING A VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SIGN OF FAILURE WITHIN THE SYSTEM. USUALLY A FAILING MASTER CYLINDER. THE MOVEMENT OF THE BRAKE PEDAL AFTER STOPPING IS NOT A CONFORTABLE FEELING AND ALL THAT I HAVE TALKED TO (BOTH TOYOTA OWNERS AND OTHER MFG'S) NO ONE HAS EXPERIENCE THIS PEDAL MOVEMENT. THIS INCLUDES CARS THAT HAVE SKID CONTROL SYSTEMS. I AM CONCERNED ENOUGH ABOUT THIS BRAKE PEDAL ISSUE AND WANT CONFIRMATION FROM THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER (NOT THE DEALER) THAT THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. CLOSING NOTE, TALKED TO A FEW LEXUS OWNERS, NONE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS BRAKE PEDAL MOVEMENT. *AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BRAKES FEEL SPONGY AND GO HALFWAY TO THE FLOOR, THE DEALER HAS BLED THE BRAKES AND REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER, HOWEVER THE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST, CONSUMER GIVES 2 ADDRESSES AND 2 PHONE NUMBERS, 394 CASA GRANDE, EDGEWATER, FL 32141, 386-427-2455, FLORIDA IS WHERE THEY SPEND THE WINTER. *SLC

BRAKE PEDAL PROCEEDS ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR WHEN PRESSED AT STANDSTILL. *AK