Steering Column problems of the 2008 Toyota Avalon

The lever to adjust the telescoping steering wheel on my 2008 Toyota Avalon does not stay in the locked position. It falls down, releases the streeing whieel and then it slides in and out while driving. In the lowered position I have torn clothing getting in/out of the car. I have permanently scared my knee as well. I've taken the car in for warranty repair three times. The first time they replaced the steering column. Not sure what they did the 2nd time. The 3rd time they said there's nothing wrong with it! yeah, right! very poor design and dangerous. And injurious.

The lever that locks the telescoping steering wheel in place loosens/disengages, resulting in the steering wheel 'lurching' forward. I have experienced this issue multiple times now. The lever is underneath the steering wheel column and engages/tightens by pushing it up toward the steering wheel. The lever engages by 'compression' only - there is not clip or spring that physically 'locks' the lever in place. Over time, for whatever reason (road bumps/vibrations/etc. And with the help of gravity) the lever loosens/disengages. This is an inherent safety design flaw in the telescoping function, and could result in a serious/tragic accident if this occurs while driving at a higher speed or while in the middle of making a turn. There were numerous similar complaints logged by other Toyota Avalon owners on various websites when I searched this issue on the internet.

Tilt steering column lock does not stay in place and will drop down any time. The steering wheel can change position any time and my knee hits the locking lever.

I have a 2008 Toyota Avalon. The telescopic steering column will randomly depress. The latch that holds it in place will randomly loosen up and the steering column will go all the way in. I asked my dealer about this and they said it wasn't under warranty. I asked Toyota and they said there had been no recall on this item. Just thought I might mention it with all the other problems Toyota has been having.

Steering wheel column adjustment lever drops down allowing the steering column to collapse forward (or move back if holding on to it during vehicle entry). Lever interferes with entry and exit of the vehicle and hurts the leg. Another safety issue is that the collapsible steering column is not locked and if it collapses during a crash could contribute to less effectiveness of the airbag. The problem started soon after the vehicle was purchased new and is getting progressively worse -- sometimes unlocking daily.

Vehicle is a 2008 Toyota Avalon. The safety issue is with the steering column adjustments of which there are two on our vehicle. The greater concern is with the locking latch on the telescoping steering column. In approximately six separate incidents, the latch for unknown reason slowly drops without warning. The latch can not be seen from the driver position. An alarming shock occurs when you brake hard and lean on the wheel causing the steering wheel to telescope downward suddenly. Loss of control is temporary but is dangerous. The up and down adjustment latch similar drops without warning but not as often as the telescope lock. These concerns have been reported to the dealer where we bought our vehicle. According to the dealer they noted no defect. We have our doubts and concerns in view of the recent accelerator pedal recalls. Our Avalon accelerator has already been repaired, but we remain apprehensive. The transportation department should open an investigation on the steering columns.