I was pulling into a parking spot when my car suddenly accelerated to a very high speed. I traveled over a curb, on some pavement, through some bushes, knocked down a light pole and miraculously came to a stop. My foot was pumping the brakes to no avail. My entire car was damaged but miraculously no one was hurt. Car was towed to a mechanic who confirmed that the car accelerated with him as well. Front, back, underside, roof, tires and frames were all badly damaged.
Toyota Avalon sudden acceleration problems
249 of the 3,402 owner complaints about the Toyota Avalon describe sudden unintended acceleration, most of them for the 2006 model year.
- owner complaints
- 249
- worst model year
- 2006
- typical repair cost reported
- $7,000
- typical mileage
- 39,606
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
No deployment 17Adaptive cruise 13Hesitation 7Jerking 5Brake failure 5Stalling 2Headlights 2Slipping 1
Trouble codes mentioned
P1578 1
What owners say
I was pulling into a parking space when the car suddenly accelerated, jumped the curb and hit a tree. The car has auto-braking but this system did not function to stop the car.
Date of safety issue: July 12, 2023 Location: Piper Glen Shopping Center, Rea Road, Charlotte NC (destination was Run For Your Life at 6416 Rea Road - within the shopping center). Time: Approximately sometime between 1:30 and 2:00 ET Police Report Complaint # - [XXX] On July 12, 2023 I entered a parking lot at a busy retail establishment. I chose a parking space that has a curb and bushes between the space and Rea Road. Due to the busyness of the parking lot it is imperative to drive slowly and cautiously. As I turned into the parking space the car suddenly accelerated, jumped the curb and crashed into the bushes. The brake did not stop the car until it jumped the curb. I then put the car in reverse and it again accelerated and the car spun to the left and then finally stopped. Thank God for the curb and the bushes which prevented the car from surging into traffic on Rea Road. And, thank God no one was in the path of the car when the car accelerated in reverse. That was a miracle at this shopping center since it is very busy. I went into Run For Your Life and told them what happened. The salespeople looked on line to see if there were other similar incidents associated with Toyotas, specifically the Avalon model. They printed out 10 pages of incidents over various years. The experience was horrific and clearly the car is dangerous to drive. I called Rock Hill Toyota and spoke with the service advisor I've dealt with for several years. The car was towed to the dealership. The dealership's attitude is another story - very disappointing. A report was made at the dealership with Toyota Brand Engagement. I do not want this car back. Based on my research I found that Toyota cars have a history with the acceleration issue. In some cases there were serious injuries and fatalities. This issue is not resolved. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The steering wheel telescoping lever is faulty in that it will loosen in its own causing the steering wheel to lunge forward toward the dash unexpectedly with little pressure while driving.
The contact owned a 2006 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle accelerated independently without warning. The contact heard an abnormal noise as he pressed on the brake pedal; the vehicle eventually came to a stop. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and resume normal driving operation. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer and was informed that a mechanical fault was found with the vehicle. The manufacturer was also informed of the failure and a complaint was filed. The contact continued to experience multiple failures after the vehicle was inspected. On the latest incident, the contact stated that he had entered a car wash on the left lane and attempted to enter the right lane by reversing the vehicle. Once the vehicle was placed into drive, the vehicle made an abnormal, squealing noise and independently accelerated without warning into a concrete wall. The airbags did not deploy upon impact. A police report was filed with Apex City, NC police department. The contact sought medical attention from his doctor for the soreness to his right hand and right knee. The contact had the vehicle initial towed to a dealer where it was deemed a total loss. The vehicle was then towed to an independent tow yard. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was 155,835
Driver seat rear driver side leg failed and cracked making seat separate from the rail and chair. Drivers seats rocks loosely. Other 3 legs functions properly but if you are rear ended then the seat would lunge forward towards steering wheel. No insurance review brought it to a welding shop to spot weld and rebrace the leg.
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 toyota avalon . The contact stated that while driving at various low speeds, light pressure was applied to the brake pedal and the vehicle inadvertently accelerated. The contact stated that there were four incidents of unexplained acceleration when the brake pedal was applied. The fourth incident resulted in a collision when the contact's wife was pulling into a parking space and applied light pressure onto the brake pedal, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated and hit another parked vehicle in the parking space ahead. No medical treatment was required. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to lia toyota of rockland (618 ny-303, blauvelt, ny 10913) where a diagnostic test and a test drive was performed and informed the contact that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer had a third-party test drive and diagnosis the vehicle however, the failure could not be replicated. The failure mileage was 75,000.
On march 7, 2020 the driver entered a parking lot of a retail establishment. The driver, using the brakes and traveling at less than 5 miles per hour, turned into a parking space. As the driver negotiated the turn into the parking space, the car suddenly accelerated and crashed headfirst into a retail signage pole. Despite depressing the brakes as hard as possible, the driver could not stop the car once the car suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated. The car would have landed in a busy four-lane road, if it had not crashed into the signage pole. Fortunately, there was no fatality. The car was totaled and there was some property damage to the retail establishment. It was truly a horrific experience for the driver.
On feb. 5, 2020 at about 6:30 am, my wife was pulling up behind cars stopped at a red light, as she applied the brakes to stop, the car suddenly accelerated, she pressed the brakes as hard as she could, the car continued to drive forward hitting the car ahead of her in line. She could hear the car engine racing and tried to put the car in park, but it went into reverse and rapidly moved backwards, even with her foot on the brake, hit the car behind her. She than once again tried to up the car in park, but put it back in drive and the our car accelerated forward again fill speed hitting the car ahead for a second time, all the time holding her foot down as hard as she could on the brake. After hitting the car ahead for the second time, she pushed the engine stop button and the engine stopped running at full RPM. She noted that there the front tires were smoking alot since the tires were rotaing even though the car was at a stop, due to the engine racing full RPM. Police were called and they dispatched a tow truck for our car. The police never arrived, the tow truck loaded our car and towed it to the aaa storage yard .
2013 toyota avalon. Consumer writes in regards to unintended acceleration. *ld the consumer stated the unintended acceleration caused a crash into a wall and another vehicle. The aibags deployed. The driver and to passenger received minor cuts and bruises. The vehicle was totaled.
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 avalon, model year 2007-2010 camry, model year 2009-2010 corolla, corolla matrix, rav4, model year 2010 highlander, model year 2008-2010 sequoia, and model year 2007-2010 tundra vehicles. Due to the manner in which the friction lever interacts with the sliding surface of the accelerator pedal inside the pedal sensor assembly, the sliding surface of the lever may become smooth during vehicle operation. In this condition, if condensation occurs on the surface, as may occur from heater operation (without A/C) when the pedal assembly is cold, the friction when the accelerator pedal is operated may increase, which may result in the accelerator pedal becoming harder to depress, slower to return, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position.
- Risk
- The accelerator pedal may become hard to depress, slow to return to idle, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a reinforcement bar in the accelerator pedal which will allow the pedal to operate smoothly. Gm will notify owners for the pontiac vibe please see 10v‑018. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on february 5, 2010 and will be completed on march 15, 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 10V017000 · Recall details
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2010 passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
- Risk
- A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Toyota filed an amended defect report on november 25, 2009, stating that dealers will modify the accelerator pedal and, on certain vehicles, alter the shape of the floor surface under the pedal. These changes address the risk of pedal entrapment due to interference with the floor mat. Redesigned accelerator pedals will become available beginning in april 2010 and dealers will replace any modified pedal with the new pedal if desired. Also, dealers will replace any genuine toyota or lexus all-weather floor mats with redesigned all-weather mats, or repurchase the previous mats from owners who do not want the new ones. Additionally, software modifications will be installed on camry, avalon and lexus es 350, is 350 and is 250 models that will ensure that the brake overrides the accelerator in the event both brake and accelerator pedals are applied. Toyota will begin mailing letters to owners on december 31, 2009. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331, lexus at 1‑800‑255‑3987.
Recall number 09V388000 · Recall details
Questions about the Toyota Avalon sudden acceleration
Which Toyota Avalon years have sudden unintended acceleration problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2006 (42 complaints), 2007 (38 complaints) and 2003 (22 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix sudden unintended acceleration on the Toyota Avalon?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $7,000 (median of 10 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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