This is similar to many of the prior complaints. As I was entering my driveway, I saw blue smoke from the back of my car. There was oil on my driveway and garage. Mechanic told me Toyota used a cheap hose and it failed causing a loss of engine oil. He repaired the hose and was not sure if there was subsequent damage. I tried driving it for a couple of days but found a banging noise at lower speeds. I brought it back today and the mechanic gave me the bad news that the engine needed extensive repair, exceeding $3,500.

My story is the same as everyone's...wife came home from work, she smelled something funny, I checked out the car to find a pool of oil in the garage. I am reporting this to Toyota today and will report back to this web site on what they tell me. I have had the local Toyota dealer here in Colorado Springs give me bad information before and and outrageous fee to fix my heater in my 4runner. Come to find out they never checked it and just wanted to replace it. I am curious on what line they will give me. Report back soon.

While driving on the highway the 2006 Avalon stalled, vehicle towed to dealership. After $500.00 for an inspection, dealer informed owner that the engine is seized and a bearing exploded, yes exploded and right through the valve cover. I pointed out to dealer that a service bulletin exists for the oil flow to the Variable Valve Timing that indicates severe failure if occurs at highway speed. Dealer ignored request for support and indicated repair is $13,000.00 in parts plus labor to rebuild. Gave me the option to find a used motor and have it shipped and they would exchange for an additional $2100.00.

Complained to Toyota customer call center and received case number 0905111933, informed by call center the the toyota Regional Parts representative denies any support for the failure. Now looking for legal advise as the car was misrepresented at the time of sale as a high quality "top of the line" product. The service bulletins were issued prior to the sale and the "Full Disclosure Policy" of the dealership never indicated any quality concerns.

One day I'm driving and saw smoke coming from my car. I said no, this isn't happening, my service isn't due until 31,000 miles. I had just reached my 31,000 mile mark. I drove for two more days and my car was loud and started putting. The next thing I know, I hear a click click and my oil light comes on. I ran into the store that was across the street and bought some oil to put in the car. I drove it right back home and I saw the oil I just put in on the ground. I called the dealership and they had my car towed to them.

The service manager told me exactly what was happening to my car and that they were having problems with the Avalon engines and that they would take care of me. I was upset. I told them this is a Toyota. Toyota's aren't supposed to have these problems, especially at 31,000 miles. They gave me a rental and I've had it for over a week. Guess what? The brand new 2010 Camry rental they gave me makes a lot of noise when I start it up. What's going on with Toyota? I love my Avalon, but if it's going to be problematic for me, I'd rather get a Jaguar.

Update from Jun 16, 2009: The Toyota dealership had my car for almost a month. I've had it back for a little over a week and so far I haven't had any problems. They had to replace the oil hose, some valves and chains and other things. I basically got a lot of parts replaced in the engine. Good thing I have a warranty until 75,000 miles. I love my Avalon, but I think I'm turned off now and may want to trade it for something else. This car was too expensive to have had any engine problems so soon, not to mention it's a TOYOTA.

I went to attend a graduation for my nephew in Santa Barbara, CA over 100 miles away. Upon arrival I notice the car was running funny and had a smell. Upon checking the oil level there was none. My car left a trail of oil throughout the parking lot however there was not puddle under the car as all the oil was already gone. No warning, No light. Upon assessing my car looking under the hood and under the car a gentleman passing by said he knew exactly what was wrong cuz the same thing happened to him. We had to have the car towed to the nearest Toyota dealer in Golita. Of course it was Saturday and they did not have the part to fix the car so we had to leave it there and come back home to Rosemead (LA) without the car.

We now have to wait for the car to be fixed, hopefully that is all that is wrong and then drive back up to Golita to pick up the vehicle which will result in taking a day off from work to retrieve my car. I am also without a car from Sat - whenever the car is fixed. What a headache.

With so many complaints already made about this problem there should be a recall and we should all be reimbursed for the expenses and inconvenience. Especially when many have been for us being away from home some distance away.

I have had check engine light on since the first month of purchasing this lemon. I've gone for repair at least 5 times. I told them if they didn't fix it I was going to get a lawyer They did a temporary fix. I went to work Thursday evening, when I got off the check engine light came on, the skid light came on, the oil light kept flashing, and the maintenance light kept flashing. I heard a ticking noise and rattling noise. I made it to the dealer the next morning and they said oh that was 3 years ago. Not! They checked the car and they came back with a completely different attitude. All of my oil had leaked out, they said I was "still under warranty, don't worry we need to get a part for your motor, we have arranged for a rental car".

Well, you always think it'll happen to the other guy. Wrong. It just happened to me or shall I say my wife. I get a call from her saying that smoke is pouring out of the back of the vehicle while she's driving down the freeway. After reaching her employment parking lot she notices a pool of oil under the car. We had the vehicle towed 10 miles to our repair shop and the leaking hose on the top of the engine is spotted. The repair cost us around $350 including the towing but it could have been so much worse.

I feel for the folks who lost major engine components and were out of warranty (we were but the repair cost wasn't horrible). I contacted Toyota. They were apologetic and explained that a recall on the issue could come up in the future. If a recall does occur, we would be reimbursed for the out of pocket costs but I'm not holding my breath. So sad when a company with a once great reputation starts to cut corners. This type of defect and its potentially catastrophic implications is too big to sweep under the carpet.

While out of town, approximately 2 hrs from home, My car lost all of its oil in about 12 minutes. I first noticed the smell that I thought was really strong exhaust. After about 10 minutes I began to lose power and my oil light started flashing. I stopped and looked under the hood to find the entire right ( passenger) side of the engine compartment saturated with oil. I checked the dip stick and it showed no oil. I put 4 quarts of oil in before it showed on the dip stick. Someone else started the car and I observed oil pouring out of an oil tube connected to the rear head. We turned the engine off and called to have it towed to the nearest Toyota dealer. This was on Sunday, so I called the Dealership first, I was instructed by an automated system to call an emergency number. That number instructed me to leave detailed information and someone would call me back as soon as possible. After waiting about 2 hours I called Triple A. The emergency contact called me back at 10 am on Monday. What was the sense in having an emergency number???? They should just say "sorry we are closed". I called the service department at 7 am, they said they had just opened and knew my car was there and would contact me as soon as they knew something. I called them back at 11:00, to find out the repair had been made and they were cleaning my engine compartment. I picked up my car at about 1 pm. They replaced the oil tube, 2 gaskets, and the timing chain cover. Luckily.....my warranty covered the repair cost. When I asked the technician if they did any testing to check for engine damage they said they couldn't and 'IF" the engine light came on just bring it back. I hope the problem is fixed and I pray I don't have any other damage. I missed a day of work and was very stressed out. Like everyone else I don't expect this from a Toyota. I had a 13 year career at the Toyota plant in Georgetown, KY. Through one of my contacts in powertrain, I learned that an ECI (complete parts change) was implemented last year. I suggest that EVERYONE that has had this problem, print out these complaints and ask your local news stations to investigate it. ONLY through negative publicity will Toyota publicly acknowledge this problem and do something about it.

Well, it seems like a lot of people are having the same type of problem. Basically, my oil leaked out without warning. I ended up getting quite a bit of work done on it: cam bearings, oil tube and gaskets had to be replaced. I was out of my car for about a month, and Toyota didn't even give me a loaner. I was and still am up to a certain extent a big fan of Toyota cars, but they should have had a recall on it or at least admit that there is a problem, which Toyota still hasn't admitted. And only God knows how many more people have had the same problem. But as far as dependability, I don't think I will be taking my Avalon on any long trips anytime soon. And o yea, now I have to take it back in again to see what is going on with the sensor that tells you if there is something or someone behind you while you are backing your car. As soon as I put it in reverse, it continuously goes off for no reason, which is very annoying.

My Avalon has experienced complete oil loss after driving for 25 miles, the oil light flashed for a brief moment and the engine started to run as if it was being muffled. I had the car towed to the dealership and was told the following day that the oil loss was the result of a ruptured oil line which is currently on back order for 3 to 5 weeks due to the high demand for the replacement part. Fortunately, I have been given a rental for this time period. My concern at this point is whether there have been any engine damage due to the lack of oil.

I noticed a small amount of oil under the car so I backed it up a couple of feet and opened the hood to check. Oil was pouring out of the timing chain and oil transfer tube area so we shut it off FAST. I had it towed to a dealer to find out that serious damage had been done to our 2006 Avalon. Without even driving it any they said the Cam bearings, oil tube and gaskets would need to be replaced costing $3,500. What if I had been driving when this happened? I thought I was lucky till I heard that price.Why is this not a recall? Why didn't we receive some notice like all the repair shops did? My first foreign car...what a disappointment!

The oil line ruptured while on a 300 mile road trip "vacation". Engine completely ran out of oil and now a new engine is needed. Toyota is obviously aware of this issue but has not issued notices to owners or recalled defective part. I have to return to where the problem occurred (yes 300 miles) to recover the vehicle. Hopefully the "new engine" is defect free.

Update from Jul 6, 2009: Complete engine rebuild. Now 3 months later, A/C has run out of freon. Toyota service says not due to oil line failure, but while having this problem addressed, the mechanic found a Valve Cover is leaking!!! Replaced part again.

APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AFTER WE HAD OUR CAR IN FOR ITS 60000 MILE SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE, MY WIFE CAME HOME FROM WORK AND SAID TO ME THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH HER CAR. SHE SAID THERE WAS A NOISE FROM THE ENGINE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A MUFFLED JACK HAMMER AND IT WAS INTERMITTENT. I SAID I WOULD CHECK IT. SHE JUST DROVE 27 MILES TO GET HOME AND THE NOISE STARTED JUST AS SHE LEFT, SO I WAS CONCERNED. I OPENED THE DOOR IN THE KITCHEN THAT LEADS TO THE GARAGE WHERE THE CAR WAS PARKED AND COULD SMELL THE ODER OF BURNING OIL. I STARTED THE ENGINE AND IT SOUNDED NORMAL AND QUICKLY SHUT IT DOWN. I INSPECTED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND SAW OIL ON THE UPPER PORTION OF THE ENGINE, PASSENGER SIDE AND BY THE CYLINDER HEAD FACING THE FIREWALL. I THEN CHECKED THE OIL DIP STICK AND IT WAS DRY. WENT OUT AND PICKED UP 4 QUARTS OF OIL, PUT IT IN, RAN THE ENGINE FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS, SHUT IT DOWN, LOOKED UNDER THE CAR, AND OIL WAS DRIPPING AT A VERY RAPID RATE. I ASKED MY WIFE IF SHE CHECKED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FOR LOW OIL WARNING, SHE SAID THAT WAS THE FIRST THING SHE DID WHEN SHE HEARD THE ENGINE NOISE, BUT NO WARNING INDICATORS WENT ON, AND THEY DID NOT GO ON WHEN I RAN THE ENGINE. I CALLED THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPT. AND DESCRIBED THE CONDITION. THEY SAID BRING IT IN IN THE MORNING AND THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. I HAD IT TOWED IN, COST ME $150.00. I STOPPED BY IN THE AFTERNOON TO SEE HOW THEY WERE MAKING OUT.THE SERVICE WRITER TOOK ME INTO THE SHOP WHERE A TECHNICIAN DIRECTED MY ATTENTION TO A SHORT RUBBER HOSE ON TOP OF THE ENGINE WHILE HAVING SOMEONE START THE ENGINE SO I COULD SEE A STREAM OF OIL SQUIRTING OUT OF THIS HOSE. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD TAKE A FEW DAYS BECAUSE THEY HAD TO ORDER THE REPLACEMENT PART. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED A BULLETIN FROM TOYOTA REGARDING THIS TYPE OF FAILURE, AND BECAUSE I WAS SUCH A GOOD CUSTOMER THEY WOULD COVER THE COST OF REPAIRS AS WELL AS A RENTAL CAR AS A COURTESY EVEN THOUGH THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED BT 300 MILES. I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT HOW THE DEALERSHIP HANDLED THIS, BUT I AM SURE DISAPPOINTED WITH TOYOTA, THEY KNOW THEY GOT A DEFECT IN THE FIELD, THAT COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF AN ENGINE, BUT THEY HAVE NOT IMPLEMENTED A RECALL. I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A COURTESY NEW ENGINE IF MINE SEIZED. AND I'AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL PROBLEMS THAT MAY SHOW UP IN THE FUTURE AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT.

Wife drove to work in the morning (12 miles). Upon leaving from work later in the afternoon she noticed an unusual odor coming through the air vents and heard a clicking sound in the engine. No engine service lights illuminated. She arrived home and I checked under the hood observing engine oil splattered around the right (passenger) side of the engine compartment. Looking under the car revealed that oil was dripping into puddles on my garage floor. I checked the oil dipstick - no oil visible. Wife called her office and learned there was puddle of oil in the parking lot where she had been parked.

I called Toyota dealer and arranged for a tow truck. The car was towed to Toyota last night and I spoke with the service rep this morning. I learned that this is not an uncommon problem in this engine, that the oil line has been redesigned and that it is backordered. The service rep advised the part could be available in a couple of days or a couple of weeks. He offered a rental which I will pick up this afternoon.

My concern now is what potential permanent damage may have occurred since the car was driven 12 miles home with what had to be very low oil level. When I expressed that to the rep, he advised that they would completely check the engine out to insure that there was no additional damage beyond the oil line.

Sunday March 1, 2009

The car dumped almost all of it's engine oil onto the carport at home. Monday morning, we had it towed. The local Toyota dealer said it was the third Avalon they'd seen do the same thing recently. Turns out some oil line ruptured. The part is on backorder, coming from Japan -- and I am without a car for a month waiting on the part. No loaner offered since the car is out of warranty; won't help pay for repairs for the same reason. Toyota customer service rep in California admits this is happening nationwide; started happening "a couple of months ago." I asked why they hadn't warned other Avalon owners and he said 'it is being discussed." Sooner or later Toyota will have to issue a recall but in the meantime those of us currently experiencing this problem are on our own. I don't know if my engine is blown or not -- the oil dumped in the carport after we returned from a 100 mile trip. So much was dumped, the tow truck operator put it in neutral to roll it out of the carport. Said he would not turn the engine on. Too dangerous for the engine. Toyota should be forced 1) to notify all Avalon owners of the potential threat and 2) they should be required to pay for repairs since they admit it is a defective part and 3) they should supply Avalon owners a loan car for the duration of the repair time. The mechanics tell me they've never seen anything like it. Why isn't the news media covering this?

I heard a loud "whirring" noise that lasted for a minute or two then stopped. Shortly after it did, my engine oil light flashed on and off. I immediately pulled over at a convenience store and opened the hood. Oil had sprayed all over the engine compartment and was draining out under the car. I had the car towed 25 miles to the nearest dealer. With only 27,800 miles and less than 2 1/2 years in service, my car was under full warranty. I was told by the service adviser that the part to repair was on back order, and there were three other Avalons in the service department with the same problem awaiting repair. No repair date was promised, and I was provided a rental at no charge. This is not the type of reliability I expect from Toyota, especially their top-of-the-line model.

Update from Jul 9, 2009: I finally received my car back after 23 days; however, when I drove my car off the dealer lot, I noticed a clanging noise in the rear of the car. It turns out that a bushing pulled out of the rear sway bar somewhere in the towing or repair process. This was fixed at no charge under warranty; however, I think it is questionable that the service technician did not notice this on their 6 mile test drive of my car.

I am now having a nightmare in trying to get my towing expense reimbursed. The tow provider dispatched by AAA did not accept a check or credit cards, so I had to pay them in cash. They provided a generic receipt with the name and phone number of the tow company handwritten. The dealer sat on the reimbursement request for 5 weeks before telling me that I'd have to file the request directly with Toyota. Toyota sat on the reimbursement request for 11 weeks and kept telling me they were backlogged. My request for towing reimbursement was finally denied by Toyota since my receipt was not on "official company letterhead." Apparently Toyota is not familiar with the tow service providers that are available in rural Alabama.

This whole experience has soured me on Toyota. For years I heard raves about their bulletproof quality. The experience that I had with this repair and Toyota's "customer care" (an oxymoron for sure) has lost them a customer. I will likely be trading this car in another few months close to when the warranty expires. And at this point there is no way I would even consider another Toyota or Lexus product.

My wife was driving her Avalon home from the store (about 7 miles from our house) and it started making a humming noise but it was intermittent. She called me to meet her outside when she drove up because she felt like something was wrong. When I opened the hood in has no oil on the dipstick but oil was dripping all over the driveway. I lifted the car to make sure the drain plug and oil filter housing were still secure (they were) ,but there was oil still dripping from under the car and covering almost every part underneath the car. We called Toyota, but will have to wait till Monday for them to tow and look at it. Sounds like a lot of folks are experiencing this same problem. It will be interesting to see what Toyota does about this.