Cruise Control Problems of Toyota Avalon - part 2

My 2008 Avalon experienced unexpected acceleration twice,,,once in 2008 and once in 2009. . . Both times I had the cruise control on, which has a safety feature, a laser, which keeps you from getting too close to the car in front of you. . . . My car accelerated and ignored the safety laser. It slowed down immediately when I applied the brakes. The key is, the pedal was not stuck, I did not have to do anything with the floor mats, I did not have to keep applying the brakes, they worked as designed. Therefore it, in my opinion, was all electronic, as far as the acceleration malfunction.

See all problems of the 2008 Toyota Avalon 🔎.

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.

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2000 Toyota Avalon car unexpectedly accelerated while car was in cruise control. Could not disengage cruise control. Check engine light also came on. Condition was verified by teach when serviced by dealer. Cleaned and serviced mass air flow sensor and reset. Clean and serviced idle air control valve.

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The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Avalon. While driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle spontaneously began accelerating on its own. The contact depressed the brake pedal with maximum force and placed the vehicle into neutral, but it continued to accelerate to 70 mph. He smelled a burning odor and the vehicle began decelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated on the instrument control panel and the cruise control was not engaged. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure and provide a remedy. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 11,000.

My 2006 Toyota Avalon is equipped with a laser cruise control. On 06/14/08, I was using the control when it failed. I was forced to suddenly apply the brakes to avoid crashing into the vehicle traveling in front of me on interstate 495. I have tested the unit several times since the initial failure and found it to be intermittent and unreliable. I have found it is unsafe to use the system.

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The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that the vehicle that he purchased was equipped with a safety feature which was the laser cruise control. The laser in the vehicle malfunctioned and it did not warn him that he was getting close to the vehicle in front of him. The contact had to apply the brakes in order to deactivate the laser cruise control in order to drive the vehicle. The dealer stated that he needed to replace the laser beam in the cruise control. The vehicle was not serviced. The failure mileage was 10000. The current mileage was 52000.

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. 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.

(02/19/2008) was driving my 2002 Toyota Avalon just before 9 am se in the l lane on rte. 2 (CT) at 65 mph with the cruise control on. There was an obstruction in the l lane so I put on my signal, pushed on my brakes and proceeded into the r lane. Instead of slowing down, my vehicle continued to speed up. I lost control of the vehicle depits having both feet on the brakes and both hands on the steering wheel. I was swerving from lane to lane in rush hour traffic attempting to avoid the other vehicles. After about a mile, I was able to steer the vehicle into the r guardrail, enabling me to keep the car straight (and out of traffic) so I could use one hand to shift into neutral to stop the vehicle. The entire passenger side of my vehicle was ripped off and strewn along the r shoulder of the highway for about 1/4 mile. The vehicle was totaled and I was fortunate to not hit another car nor suffer any serious injury. Obviously, the failure occurred only once.

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The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Avalon. She stated that since the vehicle was purchased the vehicle accelerated excessively when the cruise control was engaged at various speeds including 35 mph. The vehicle began to slow down when the brake pedal was engaged. The vehicle will be diagnosed the by dealer. The failure mileage was 305 and the current mileage was 10,400.

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.

- 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 NHTSA 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.

Driving on a two lane highway, using the ir laser cruise control, and following a pickup truck at a speed below the "set" speed of the cruise system. As we approached a traffic signal the truck slowed and my cruise applied the brakes on my 2006 Toyota Avalon as it should. I applied the brake to disengage the cruise and to bring the car to a stop behind the pickup. At that point, everything appeared to be totally normal. But at a speed of approximately 30 mph the brake petal suddenly went to the floor and there was no evidence of any brakes. (total brake failure). I managed to find a hole thru the traffic, by entering the oncoming lane, and ran thru the intersection (against the red light), and managed to avoid vehicles at the light by turning left 90 degrees. Fortunately, other drivers at the intersection apparently saw me coming and held their positions. The car finally stopped rolling about 100 yards beyond the intersection. I shifted into "park" and tried to assess the situation. The engine continued to run, and when I stepped on the brakes again, the pedal responded as normal. The light on the dash indicated that the cruise control was disengaged, and there was no other warning light noticed. I had the vehicle transported to scottsboro, al by flatbed truck. It has been at the Toyota dealers for the past six days. They checked the computer for codes, and tell me that no codes were stored. They also said they called Toyota to see if they have any experience with a failure of this nature, and Toyota apparently told them they did not. Inspection of the vehicle did turn up a problem with the ir laser sensor, which was misaligned, but the dealer told me that would not cause a brake failure. Inability to stop a vehicle is a significant safety issue. Had the traffic pulled into the intersection as they should have, I would have had no place to go, and an serious accident would have occurred.

I am on highway with 65mph speed. I turned the laser cruise control on. When the vehicle in front of me is slowing down, the laser cruise control detects the speed and slow down automatically. However, the defect the braking lights never light up while the car is slowing down. It almost causes me an accident because the car behind me can not recognize my car being braked. It happens many times at cruising with highway speed.

2007 Toyota Avalon,27. 00 miles. When in cruise going up hill car races to get to cruise speed. Has been doing this since day one of purchase. I have reported sever times. Dealer says they all do it and there is no fix for it.

I had multiple incidences of my car surging in my Toyota Avalon. I would put my foot on the brake but the car wouldn't stop but would surge forward. At first this didn't scare me and I got a little used to it actually so that I thought I could handle it. But it kept getting worse. I drove on the highway between iowa city and cedar rapids a lot. I would always use cruise control. I would say it happened to me 10-15 times on the highway between cedar rapids and iowa city. I remember coming very close to rear ending someone when I had to slow down to exit but the car wouldn't slow down.

See all problems of the 2005 Toyota Avalon 🔎.

I was driving on the high way with cruise control set to 65 mph. When I tapped on the brake to reset the cruise control, not only that the car did not slow down, it actually picked up the speed and started turning around all over the high way in a big s shape. Neither the brake nor the steering wheel was functioning. The car was totally out of my control. The car eventually stopped after hitting the side rail on the road. The weather was good and the road was clear. As an engineer, I suspect the electronic sensor(s) of the car was the cause of the malfunctioning.

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, im thinking that I could have a more serious problem in the future.

The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Avalon. While driving 50-55 mph with the cruise control activated, the vehicle automatically shifts to the lowest gear. As a result, the engine revs and the tires skid. The failure occurs while driving up the slightest incline. He called the dealer and was informed that this was the vehicle's new drive by wire system and all of the new Toyota's perform in this manner. The VIN and engine size were unavailable. The current mileage was 7,800 and failure mileage was 100.

We have a 2006 Toyota Avalon. When that vehicle is in cruise, and accelerates for a hill, the force is so strong that it's like the accelerator was punched for passing. That behavior has existed since the vehicle was new. Since we live in the hilly part of arkansas, we never use our cruise control on local roads. We have noted many recent reports of sticking accelerator pedals, and have wondered if the resultant crashes were actually caused by a malfunctioning cruise control system, in conjunction with the reported pedal sticking issue. If that is true, then Toyota's current plans to add shims will not resolve the problem.

Laser guided cruise control is unsafe. . . On curves it identifies cars approaching as in front and puts on the brakes and motor activates to stop the car. Had this in a couple of times but did not get better. Have to drive with it turned off. Believe that Toyota has now quit offering this unsafe option on their newer models. Should have reported this earlier.

Our 2006 Toyota Avalon (limited) was in cruise control set to highway speed, about 60 to 70 mph. For a reduced speed zone, the car was slowed by 10 mph using cruise control. After the reduced speed zone, cruise control setpoint was increased 10 mph to return to the previous highway speed, and the car continued to accelerate uncontrollably to more than 80 mph. Then, the brake was applied which took car out of cruise control. The car slowed, and cruise control was reset to highway speed. The problem did not recur on that trip in 2006, but there have been other cases of uncontrolled acceleration since the above incident.

Laser cruise control system: when the system detects a vehicle/object within the programmed following distance it slows the vehicle as designed. When the vehicle/object then leaves the detection zone the vehicle will, if it has slowed significantly, suddenly down shift and accelerate very quickly. This could lead to loss of control and possibly cause a collision with another vehicle if you have changed lanes to overtake the vehicle that caused you to slow. I cannot think that the manufacturer intended the system to work in this manner , but it seems to be common across all of these vehicles and not a failure.

On a flat surface in cruise control traveling at 40+mph, brakes applied, then resume is activated, and vehicle surges ahead unexpectedly. On a hill at 50 mph, with cruise control on, the vehicle suddenly accelerates excessively causing the vehicle to veer right or left. This condition has existed since I purchased the the vehicle new. After complying numerous times, the authorized Toyota dealer could "detect nothing wrong with the cruise control". They did not offer to do a test drive. I have put up with this condition for a long time, but the problem is now much worse and dangerous to drive.

2006 Avalon accelerates from 40 miles per hour to 100 miles per hour when in the cruise control -- I feel my life is in danger and I do not use my cruise control because of this, but I am afraid that it may come in accidentally -- please help me!.

: the consumer stated the cruise control engaged with the control switch in the off position; however the cruise control lamp illuminated. The vehicle's speed rapidly increased to over 70 mph, although the brake pedal was being depressed. The consumer disengaged the cruise control by shutting the engine off. The vehicle was towed to the local dealership for inspection where they replaced the cruise control switch. Updated 02/13/06.

See all problems of the 1999 Toyota Avalon 🔎.

With cruise control (cc) on, between about 30 & 70 mph, on inclines that cause a speed decrease of 3+ mph, car downshifts more than the normal 1 gear, & surges ahead quite violently, with large rpm increases, to 3+ mph above that set, then slowly settles to the set speed. With the cruise control set at 70 mph on a level interstate, I slowed to 60 mph & set the "resume" function; it downshifted once, accelerating normally, until, @ 64 mph, downshifted again, more than one more gear & surged violently ahead, up about 3000 rpm & to 72-73 mph before returning to 5th gear, & slowing to 70 mph. The rapid increases are startling to all occupants, and could cause a loss of control, and the often rapid braking to maintain control, a real challenge for the tailgater behind on a cell phone! downhill, with cruise control on, it usually, but not always, speeds up excessively; more than with cruise control off. It usually acts normal on flat roads, and, except as stated, on high speed highways with gradual inclines. With cruise control off, none of these abnormal things happen. When the dealers shop foreman had me test drive a 2006 with him as passenger. And both cars did it he decided it was "normal". But even if all 05/06 Avalons do, it's not "normal". While I do know that downshifting gently in the right circumstances is normal, as a highly experienced commercial driver & aircraft pilot/mechanic, & avid cc user, I have never had a vehicle act like this. When I phoned corporate Toyota, they opened case #2005 0921 1138; had the "area rep. " investigate (he/she never contacted me, or drove my car); told me that since the "area rep" considers it "normal" my only recourse with them is to enter "arbitration". We like this car very much, & would like to keep it if this can be rectified. Surely it's a software glitch or something along that line. Please help solve this obvious design flaw, before a tragedy forces it. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that when the cruise control activated it surged automatically and then level ed off two gears. The failure gave the impression that the vehicle lost control. While driving in light rain at 50 mph the cruise control caused the vehicle's front wheels to spin. Toyota stated that the failure was caused by a programming failure that needed to be repaired. The current mileage is 242,000 , and failure mileage was 3,000.

No accidents so far. Problem sonar cruise controlled cars. I have anew Toyota Avalon limited. I have the sonar cruise contol which works very well. Ptroblem when my car slows down suddenly becauseof the car in front, there is no warning for the car behind me. . Toyota was notified of this [problem and told me not to use the sonar in heavy travelled roads. That is no souution. There should be a fix to make the brake lights go on when the car is slowed down by the sonar. Toyota says that they do not go on. That is the problem no waarning to the driver in the rear of my car. Can anything be done to correct that problem? please let mer know. Shapm@bellsouth. Net. See also voq 10119009.

While driving at low speed vehicle suddenly accelerated. Also, a loud noise was coming from under the hood when vehicle was started early in the morning. Dealership inspected vehicle eight times, but could not duplicate or correct the problem.

See all problems of the 1998 Toyota Avalon 🔎.

When using the cruise control on a downgrade, the vehicle accelerates up to 20 mph. It seems as if you are going out of control. The vehicle does not downshift at all.

When the steering wheel is in the drive position, it can't be seen from 40mph and up. In order to set the cruise control, the driver would have to take the attention off of the road because they're unable to view the speedometer due to the steering wheel or the dashboard design. Ts the brakes needed excessive effort in order to stop. Upon the second application of the brakes, the cruise control was disengaged. Scc.

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Vehicle suffered sudden acceleration when shifted from neutral into drive, vehicle collided with a door. Dealer and manufacturer has been notified. Please provide further information. Ts.

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My 1999 Toyota Avalon periodically surges when I use cruise control on an uphill incline. To stop the surge in speed, I take the car out of cruise control.

When cruise control switch is pushed into "decelerate" mode, vehicle does not decelerate. Must push switch very hard in order for deceleration to occur. Unless a great deal of force is exerted on the switch in a situation where you want to coast, the cruise control system will engage inadvertantly.

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2002 Toyota Avalon experienced sudden acceleration after cruise control was disengaged. ** answer required***. The first incident of sudden acceleration caused the vehicle to impact low trees branches which scratched the hood of the vehicle. The second incident resulted in no damage.