2007 Toyota Avalon: adaptive cruise control problems

Filed May 9, 2011 · Acceleration · 35,000 miles · MA

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota avalon. The contact stated the vehicle was previously repaired for the federal safety agency campaign id number: 09v388000 (vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal). The vehicle had since surged forward on numerous occasions while the brake pedal was depressed. During one of the failures the vehicle was traveling approximately 69 MPH with the cruise control engaged, and accelerated to a speed of 80 MPH. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 35,800 and the current mileage was 37,800.

Filed Mar 16, 2010 · Acceleration · 700 miles · WV

Tl*- the contact owns a 2007 toyota avalon. The contact was driving approximately 65 MPH with the cruise control activated. The vehicle increased acceleration to 90 MPH without warning which was beyond the cruise control set speed. The vehicle speed rate decreased when the brakes were engaged.the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. There was a recall under the federal safety agency campaign id number 10v017000 (vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal). The vehicle was repaired for the recall defect. The failure mileage was 700. The current mileage was 24,000.

Filed Mar 7, 2010 · Transmission · 24,000 miles · NC

Toyota 2007 avalon xls, 24k mi [xxx] accelerator repaired under recall on 2/16/2010 incident of unintended full throttle acceleration conditions: temp 61 degrees f, clear weather, relative humidity approx 50%, A/C not on, radio not on, cruise control on but not engaged, daytime running lights on. Situation: at 55 MPH, throttle was depressed to approx 1/2 to accelerate to pass on a two-lane highway. Car accelerated normally to about 65 MPH at which point the accelerator went to the floor, uncommanded. Once clear of the passed vehicle, I shifted into neutral and turned off the engine and coasted to a somewhat safe location to stop. The accelerator was still locked down. With the ignition off, I was able to reposition the accelerator to the normal position after shifting the car from 'park' to 'neutral' several times. Then I continued the trip. Wife in the right seat was petrified. Later, at a better location on a divided highway with a 70 MPH speed limit, I set up the same conditions as previously described. After accelerating from 60 MPH to about 68 MPH with a half-throttle command, the unintended acceleration to full throttle happened again. This time I turned off the cruise control and then attempted, unsuccessfully, to pull the accelerator off the floor with the edge of my shoe which did not terminate the acceleration. At about 80 MPH I went through the shut-down procedure again without further incident. My wife is the principle driver of the car, but I will always do all the driving on long trips and have put the car in a similar passing situations several times without previous acceleration problems. I am an combat tested ex-fighter pilot and test pilot with several thousand hours in high performance fighters and thoroughly understand physics. These incidents presented no danger to me or my white-knuckled wife but in less than ideal circumstances with less experienced drivers in control, the outcome could have been different.

Filed Mar 6, 2010 · Acceleration · 30,250 miles · NY

2007 toyota avalon - I had no problem with my avalon until the local toyota dealership installed the recalls. Upon departing the dealership, after completion of the recalls, I found my avalon would not drive below 55 MPH (engine RPM would not go below 1800 RPM) as if the cruise control was on but it was not! I returned to the dealership and the service manager was able to duplicate the problem. The dealership kept the avalon over night and the next day was unable to duplicate the problem! Toyota engineering indicated, to me, that they thought this was a computer issue with the computer learning my driving habits, sounds strange to me! The newly installed brake override did work properly. Toyota returned the avalon to me but I am only using it when I have to as my family does not want to ride in it.

Filed Feb 22, 2010 · Acceleration · 39,300 miles · VA

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota avalon. The contact stated that while driving at approx 60 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the vehicle did not slow down as it should have when sensing a vehicle in the near front. The vehicle was equipped with a laser cruise control that was capable of scanning another vehicle and slowing down as to not hit that vehicle. The contact would have to depress the brake pedal in order to avoid hitting a vehicle. He noticed the problem at least 12 times. He took the vehicle to the dealership and the dealer stated that they had heard nothing about such a problem and arranged for the vehicle to be inspected 02/23/2010. He had not called the manufacturer to-date. The current mileage was approximately 40,000. The failure mileage was approximately 39,300. Updated 03/19/10. *lj the cruise control failed to disengage. The vehicle was repaired on feb 23, 2008. Updated 09/21/10

Filed Feb 4, 2010 · Acceleration · 250 miles · WA

2007 toyota avalon- rapid acceleration problem. When we first got the new car and were using the cruise control, it shifted down on a hill and went speeding up like crazy. We almost ran down the cars in front of us. It was way above the set speed, so I turned off the cruise control and it stopped speeding up. I thought it was a new car and just doing something strange. I have never had it do that again. But I never use cruise on steep hills. Thought it was my problem until now of not knowing how or when to use cruise control.

Filed Feb 3, 2010 · Acceleration · 100 miles · CA

This complaint is related to the recent reports of unintended acceleration. Ever since my 2007 avalon was new, I have experienced a rapid acceleration when the cruise control tries to return to the pre-selected speed after bring slowed by the laser gap distance controller or when selecting a higher preset speed setting. This condition is most prevalent as the difference between set speed and actual speed increases. Initially, I thought that it was merely a design quirk that was just slightly irritating. However, since learning about other more serious complaints of unintended acceleration, I'm thinking that I could have a more serious problem in the future.

Filed Nov 29, 2009 · Acceleration · 1,000 miles · NY

We have a toyota avalon 2007 & have noticed that after we reengage the cruise control there is a sudden acceleration up to the preset speed, there has also been numerous incidents when the car accelerates past the preset speed & we have to disengage the cruise control & then reset it.

Filed Nov 9, 2009 · Acceleration · 29,758 miles · VA

2007 toyota avalon limited. Defective laser cruise control. Note: vehicle has keyless ignition. When activated the unit would register obstructions that were not there or would not even recognize a vehicle directly in front. When the unit recognizes the object it starts to slow down, apply the brakes, and when the obstruction is far enough away it resumes speed. The problem is when it resumes speed. The accelerator is almost pushed to the floor and acceleration is rapid. The best way to disengage the system is from the control stalk on the steering column. I had this problem from the time I bought the vehicle in july of 2007. After two years of complaining to the dealer the unit was recognized as being defective and replaced in june 2009. The dealer claimed that he had not received any directive from toyota USA concerning a problem with the unit. With all the publicity that toyota is receiving concerning accelerator problems, I thought that in some cases the cause may be related to computer problem in addition to a 'jammed" or stuck accelerator.

Filed Nov 5, 2009 · Acceleration · 25,000 miles · CA

Find when I am on cruise control in my 2007 toyota avalon and I reduce speed on resuming speed using my remote engine surges at a high rate of speed and brakes are slow in responding. This has happened on numerous occasions ;latest being on date listed below

Filed Sep 12, 2009 · Acceleration · 126,000 miles · CA

Saturday, august 22, 11:30 am, I drove about 4 miles, got onto a freeway (northbound I-5) in san diego, at which time my car continued to accelerate, without my foot on the accelerator pedal. I looked down at my feet, saw that the floor mat was correctly in place. The car behaved as though "cruise control" were on, so I toggled cruise control on, then off. I also depressed the button for turning the car off (it has a "smart key" ignition), but the car did not stop. Engine speed continued to increase. My brakes could slow the car a bit (from 70 MPH down to 65 MPH, but the car quickly accelerated back up to 70 MPH and higher. I down-shifted (into one of the "mountain-driving" gears, then down-shifted again as I contemplated how to navigate around traffic and off the freeway. The engine tachometer indicated that the speed was increasing. I transitioned off the I-5 and onto the eastbound I-8 freeway, and slowed enough, with all my weight on the brake pedal, to the nearest offramp. I could not bring the car to a complete stop, but finally shifted into park before hitting anything. I now shut off the car. I tried to restart the car, in park, and the engine speed meter indicated 4500 RPM in a few seconds. I shut the car off and phoned aaa to tow me to the nearest dealer. The dealer could not find a cause for this uncontrolled acceleration. The manufacturer was also called. They said to pick up the car. I took the car to the dealer that normally services this vehicle, and they had the car for several days. They did some minor repair on the throttle, but said they could not determine nor fix the case of this. They also repaired the brakes, which were badly burned. I was apprehensive to drive the vehicle, and finally told the dealer to get me a replacement, which I am now driving. The car which had uncontrolled acceleration is at the dealers lot as of yesterday. *tr updated 11/18/09

Filed Jun 9, 2008 · Acceleration · MD

2007 toyota avalon problems with cruise control. Consumer states that when using the cruise control when the road condition changes and he puts the cruise control back on it will jump and the RPM's will jump from 2100 to 4800. *kb the consumer stated the cruise control worked well until the road conditions changed. If the road conditions changed the consumer had to touch the brake and take the vehicle off cruise control temporally. When the road conditions changed again, and the speed was no more than 6-7 MPH below the speed set on the cruise control the tachometer reading was 2,100 the consumer restored the cruise control to the setting being used. The vehicle suddenly jolted ahead as if the consumer pressed the accelerator to the floor. The tachometer suddenly jumped from 2,100 to 4,800 RPM to raise the vehicle speed 6 or 7 MPH. The dealer informed the consumer it was a normal operation of the vehicle.