2014 Toyota AVALON: complaints, problems and recalls

I HAVE A NEW 2014 AVALON WITH HEATED LEATHER SEATS. I DEMAND THAT A RECALL BE ISSUED BY THE TOYOTA COMPANY. I HAVE LESS THAN 700 MILES ON MY CAR, AND TOYOTA DOESN'T WANT THIS TO BE A MANDATORY RECALL? *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10562315 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INFORMATION CENTER BECAME BLANK WHENEVER THE SUN LIGHT REFLECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING TO STANDARD AND THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO ALTER THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 300.

Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10592550 at NHTSA ↗

FEW DAYS AFTER PURCHASING BRAND NEW 2014 TOYOTA AVALON, NOTICED A HIGHLY INTENSE MIRROR LIKE REFLECTION OF THE SUN COMING OFF THE VERY THICK SHINY POLISHED CHROME IN THE DASHBOARD THAT SURROUNDS THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND THE AC VENTS IN THE CENTER. 3 SPOTS IN THE DASH WHERE I GET SEVERE GLARE. IT HAPPENS USUALLY MIDDAY WHEN IT'S SUNNY OUTSIDE AND SUN IS OVERHEAD. THE BLINDING LIGHT IS SO BAD I MUST PUT MY HAND IN A POSITION TO OBSTRUCT THE VIEW FROM MY EYES. I AM SCARED THIS MAY DISTRACT ME FROM DRIVING AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, OR EVEN CAU…

Owner-reported narrative. 120 miles reported. Look up ODI 10598004 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE DASHBOARD CHROME ACCENTS REFLECT THE SUN AT MID-DAY LIKE A MIRROR, BLINDING THE DRIVER. THIS HAPPENED TO ME TODAY WHILE DRIVING. THIS MAKES THE VEHICLE UNDRIVEABLE FOR NEARLY 2 HOURS EACH DAY. THERE ARE MANY SIMILAR REPORTS ONLINE, INCLUDING THIS ONE FROM A PROFESSIONAL REVIEWER: " ALTHOUGH THE CHROME USED IS ?SMOKED? TO LESSEN BRIGHTNESS, MATTE ALUMINUM WOULD HAVE IMPROVED THE OVERALL AMBIANCE IMMENSELY. AT ONE POINT, I WAS ACTUALLY BLINDED BY DAZZLING REFLECTIONS OFF THE BEZEL OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER." - HTTP://REVIEWS.CARREV…

Owner-reported narrative. 24 miles reported. Look up ODI 10598323 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING DURING THE DAYTIME THE SUN LIGHT REFLECTS FROM CHROME LINING OF THE DASH AND AROUND AND UNDER SPEEDOMETER. THIS CAUSES GLARE AS IF I WERE WATCHING A WELDER AT WORK WITH NO SHEILD. THIS WILL BLIND YOU, THIS WILL BLIND YOU, THIS WILL BLIND YOU. NOT ONLY WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING BUT PERMANENTLY,PERMANENTLY, AND EVEN MORE QUICKLY FOR DRIVERS THAT REQUIRE GLASSES THAT MAGNIFY, THAT MAGNIFY THE WELDING SPOTS. THE WELDING SPOTS DO NOT OCCUR IN ONLY ONE SPOT BUT SEVERAL AS THE CAR AND SUN MOVE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10604910 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING SOUTH ON A CITY STREET MIDDAY, IN SUNNY CLEAR CONDITIONS, SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED THE SUNS GLARE FROM AT LEAST 3 SPOTS ON SHINY CHROME COVERED DASHBOARD ALL AT SAME TIME, FROM DIFFERENT SPOTS, BLINDING AND DISTRACTING ME AND ALMOST MAKING ME RUN A RED LIGHT SINCE I COULD BARELY SEE. IT WAS LIKE 3 SUNS IN MY FACE. CHROME IS MIRROR LIKE, QUITE THICK, AND AT AN ANGLE THAT CAUSES SUN TO REFLECT STRAIGHT INTO YOUR EYES WHEN IT'S MIDDAY AND THE SUN SHINES DOWN THROUGH WINDSHIELD FROM OVERHEAD. I HAD TO BREAK HARD WHEN I NOTICED LIGHT WA…

Owner-reported narrative. 270 miles reported. Look up ODI 10608490 at NHTSA ↗

DRIVING DOWN ROAD.. NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME NO OBJECTS IN ROAD. CLEAR SUNNY DAY WHEN THE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM ALARM SOUNDED AND THE PCS INDICATOR LIGHT LITE. THE ABS ENGAGED. AND THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE AND SUDDEN HALT. LUCKILY NOONE WAS BEHIND ME, BECAUSE IF THERE WAS, A REAR END COLLISION COULD HAVE OCCURED. THIS ISSUE DID OCCUR TO A LESSOR EXTENT ON TWO PRIOR OCCASIONS (ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO) BUT THE CAR DID NOT COME TO A COMPLETE HALT AS IT DID ON 7/6. IN BOTH OF THOSE INSTANCES, THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME AND NO OBSTRUCTIO…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10609721 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE SUNROOF GLASS SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUNROOF GLASS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,144. UPDATED 10/7/14*CN

Owner-reported narrative. 11,144 miles reported. Look up ODI 10618823 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2014-09-19 (September 19, 2014)

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Toyota Avalon, Camry, Sienna, and Highlander and model year 2015 Lexus RX350 vehicles. Fuel may leak from the one of the fuel delivery pipes in the engine compartment.

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace any of the suspect fuel delivery pipes free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Reported: 2014-11-07 (November 7, 2014)

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Toyota Camry, Camry HV, Avalon, and Avalon HV vehicles equipped with 16-inch and 17-inch rims. In the affected vehicles, the left-side front suspension lower arm may have been incorrectly manufactured. As a result, the left side lower arm may not have enough clamping surface area for one of the bolts that secures the lower arm to the lower ball joint.

Consequence: Because of the insufficient clamping force, the lower arm may separate from the ball joint, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left side lower arm, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Reported: 2015-11-03 (November 3, 2015)

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles manufactured October 19, 2012 to October 27, 2015 and 2013-2015 Lexus ES350 and ES300h vehicles manufactured June 18, 2012 to July 6, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with a Pre-Collision System (PCS) as optional equipment. In these vehicles, the PCS may unexpectedly activate and apply the brakes when the radar detects a steel joint or plate in the roadway as an object.

Consequence: A vehicle that unexpectedly brakes increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain PCS components, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this campaign are F1V and F2E.

Reported: 2020-01-17 (January 17, 2020)

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.

Consequence: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.