2006 Toyota Avalon steering problems

“ON JUNE 7, 2019, I WAS DRIVING THE AVALON, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON CITY STREET. WITH THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES, I WAS TRAUMATIZED AND DID MY BEST TO GUIDE THE VEHICLE TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED HOME AND HOOKED UP TO A CODE READER, WHICH YIELDED CODES P0345, P0300, P0302, P0304, P0306. WE DID FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS AND DISCOVERED THE 3 BOLTS THAT HOLD THE VARIABLE-VALVE TIMING (VVT) GEAR TO THE INTAKE CAMSHAFT CAME LOOSE, THESE BOLTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TEMPER-RESISTANT AND NEVER BE REMOVED WHICH LED ME TO BELIEVE THE RESULT OF ENGINE DYING IS CAUSED BY SERIOUS MANUFACTURING AND DESIGN DEFECTS. PLEASE REFER TO ATTACHED THREE PICTURES SHOWING 3 BOLTS LAYING NEXT TO VVT GEAR, VVT GEAR LOOSELY HELD ON AND THE VIBRATION OF BOLT LEFT CUTTING MARK ON THE GEAR, AND ALL INTAKE CAM ROCKERS FALLING OUT. I DID MORE RESEARCH AND CONCLUDED THE ROOT CAUSE OF ENGINE STOPPED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN IN OUR AVALON IS IDENTICAL TO TOYOTA SAFETY RECALL 13V-395 IN LEXUS VEHICLES 2006 TO 2011. PLEASE FIND ATTACHED TWO DOCUMENTS, RCRIT-13V395-3180.PDF ON RECENT RECALL FOR TOYOTA SAFETY RECALL 13V-395,…”

“ISSUES I'VE COMPLAINED ABOUT FOR YEAR TO TOYOTA ONLY TO FIND OUT NOW TOYOTA WAS AWARE OF THEM ALL ALONG THERE WERE RECALLS & SERVICE BULLETIN. THAT SHOULD HAVE COVERED MY TOYOTA ISSUE THE INFORMATION BELOW CAME FROM SITES TOYOTA ISSUED THIS WARNING TOO. THE RECALL FOR STEERING COLUMN WAS ON 2005 MINE IS A EARLY MODEL 2006 WITH THE EXACT SAME SAFETY ISSUE. THE RESOLVE FOR ME IS THAT TOYOTA FIX THE VEHICLE AND NOT TRY AND HOLD ME RESPONSIBLE FOR HALF THE COST AS THE ARE NOW DOING. MY CAR HAS BEEN CARED FOR ONLY BY TOYOTA SERVICE SINCE THE DAY IT WAS PURCHASE FROM TOYOTA NEW IN 2006, THE DISTRICT MANAGER FOR TOYOTA [XXX] MADE THE CALL NOT TO HONOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE SERVICE BULLETIN NO.: 00306 COMPONENT(S): STEERING NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10019689 VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL YEAR(S)TOYOTA AVALON2005-2006 VEHICLE SLIGHT PULL/DRIFT FEELING IMPROVEMENT PROCEDURE. *TT TOYOTA: A NEW ADJUSTMENT LEVER DETENT CLIP WAS DEVELOPED TO CORRECT THE LOOSENESS OF SECURING THE TELESCOPIC ON STEERING COLUMN FOR SOME VEHICLES. MODEL 2005-2012 AVALON. *PE ITEM AFFECTED: STEERING: COLUMN DATE ANNOUNCED: 05/18/2005 DESCRIPTION OF RECALL: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE STEERING YOKE WAS NOT WELDED…”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ADJUSTABLE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT LOCK SECURELY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000.”

“THE STEERING COLUMN TELESCOPIC ADJUSTMENT LEVER HAS "SLIPPED OUT OF ITS LOCKED POSITION" FOR AT LEAST SEVERAL YEARS. THIS IS THE PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA JUST ISSUED THE "WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT" FOR, AND WHILE I AM GRATEFUL FOR THAT, I RESENT THEIR SAYING "...THE MAJORITY OF VEHICLES WILL NOT EXPERIENCE THIS CONDITION." FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM OTHER AVALON OWNERS, THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. *TR”

“TELESCOPING STEERING WHEEL COLLAPSES WHILE DRIVING CREATING HAZARDOUS CONDITION. FRICTION RELEASE DOESN'T STAY LOCKED, AND DRIVER MUST CHECK IT REGULARLY WHILE DRIVING. *TR”

“ON 03/22/2010 TOYOTA REPLACED A VVTI OIL HOSE UNDER RECALL # 90K BECAUSE THE RUBBER PORTION OF THE HOSE WAS SUBJECT TO FAILURE THAT WOULD CAUSE THE ENGINE OIL TO SPAY OUT. ON 07/24/2012 THE REPLACEMENT HOSE RUPTURED CAUSING ENGINE OIL TO SPRAY OUT. THE ENGINE OIL SOAKED THE SERPENTINE BELT WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP AS WELL AS OTHER COMPONENTS. THIS CAUSED A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL WHICH NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR”