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Toyota Avalon Steering Questions

67 messages,  Last post on Jan 14, 2009 at 8:38 PM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota Avalon, Steering, Sedan

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#8 of 67 Filter/Steering by nomad56 Oct 31, 2003 (10:29 am)
AB..the fuel line is all a "reinforced flex" line, because it is fuel and some pressure. DON'T pinch it. My Toyo/Lexus buddy says, if you don't want to pull the seat, remove the gas cap and let the car sit a little while. This will relieve alot of the pressure. You'll still have some spillage, but it should be manageable.   Steering! I am excited about what I've learned thus far. My buddy(the racing guy) is going to see how easy/tough this is, from his guys....so, it may be a little while. But, I earmarked this one as a "winter" project. It is an adjustment to flow rate, servo's, torsion bars, and relief valves....all GREEK to me, but he says he'll find out! Excellent!
#9 of 67 Father of Avalon Maintenance by abfisch Nov 18, 2003 (8:02 am)
Nomad56:   I consider you the "father" of the Avalon Maintenance section. See post above. Not sure. A couple of things going on here. Fan speed only one, not multiple. Believe it is the switch itself. Not super familiar with the Auto Climate Controls, nor the older ones. Do not think it is a engine leak.   I think the "Light and fuzzy" steering can be fixed. I am almost convinced part of the problem may be the same soft bushing syndrome, and make it numb. Perhaps starting there, hoping an aftermarket company can come up with better bushing might eliminate some of the vagueness.   abfisch
#10 of 67 Power Steering/Rack & Pinion '97 Avalon by bconsi Dec 01, 2003 (7:00 pm)
I was recently advised by the dealership that my power steering and rack and pinion were both in need of substantial repair ($1900). I am the original owner of our '97 Avalon and have personally put the 76,000 miles we have on the car. I searched past messages and found a note from TiredMom2 who sounded like she had the same exact issues with her '97 Avalon. Is this just a coincidence, or does the '97 Avalon have a particular problem with power steering and the rack and pinion? Does anybody have some insight into this issue? Plus, any thoughts on the most economical solution to this repair problem? I had just been into the dealership considering the purchase of a new Toyota SUV (our family has grown since we bought the Avalon) when I got hit with this news. Kind of took the wind out of my sails for buying another Toyota. I had also just taken my mother (traditional GM buyer) into to look at buying a new Camry.   I'd appreciate anyone's response. Thanks.
#11 of 67 Steering rack... by nomad56 Dec 01, 2003 (8:05 pm)
bconsi-What symptoms yielded this diagnoses???   What PARTS are they selling you??   It is most likely you NEED the rack. I just did mine at 150k. $275 for the part and put it in myself. (NOTE: You will also need to realign the steering wheel. This requires an airbag reset tool.) Also, you WILL need an alignment afterwards.   I wouldn't let a bad rack "steer" you away from Toyo... I have logged over 600k miles on three Toyo's. Even at 250k, I would suggest "I drive my car..." when going out with friends, 'cause I knew we would get there- and BACK! -nomad56-
#12 of 67 97 TOY AVALON STEERING RACK by bigblueky Dec 02, 2003 (5:48 pm)
I have a 97 Avalon, it's been a wonderful car except for the steering rack that went bad at 100k. What causes them to go bad are the seals inside them,and Toyota doesn't sell seal kits, just steering racks themselves. This was told to me by my mechanic and the Toyota dealer. I got lucky though because my wife hit a deer one week after we noticed it leaking fluid, and it got fixed by our insurance company. There's is a service bulletin at WWW.NHTSA.COM on the steering rack and other bulletins for the Avalon. I'm at work on their computer or I would post a link for you to look it up. The website also talks about the other service bulletins that are out on any vehicle. Bconsi if I were you I wouldn't let that one problem scare me off of Toyota. I agree with Nomad56 if you shop it or do it yourself you can save a lot of money. I love my Avalon and wouldn't consider owning anything less, the only problem is that TRD, nor anyone else offers many accessories for performance or looks for these cars. If anybody knows of some performance parts or upgrades for the Avalon please let me know.
#13 of 67 Steering rack problem...... by fin Dec 02, 2003 (6:02 pm)
Your low mileage probably indicates a lot of city driving at low speed and this is much more stressful to steering parts than open road touring. In any case, it is NOT the Toyota brand. The repair frenquency on Avalons, and all Toyotas in general, is quite low regardless of how you drive. Buy another if it suits your current needs.   As for the cost, others who post here are more familiar with that...but for $1900. the dealer throws in a week in Cancun for you and your family while he repairs it. Right? Toyota dealers are much more of a problem than the cars.... Enjoy the Av. Find another dealer. And post the final solution and cost here, if you can, so others will be aware of what the choices are.
#14 of 67 Steering Gear Rack by blackdog4 Dec 02, 2003 (6:39 pm)
The 97 Avalon has a fragile front end. Mine had 52,000 on it this past April when I was told the steering gear rack had to be replaced. I have had several Nisson Maximas, driven also here in New Engand conditions for 8 to 10 years each with out any suspension/steering problems. This same Avalon had the front strut mounts replaced a year earlier. I am a senior citizen who drives carefully and I was not very happy at these two major repairs. I had bought the car from the servicing dealer and I had also bought a 2002 Sequoia Ltd from them.I reminded them of this.At my request they contacted some regional Toyota rep. and they discounted the rack 50%. The total bill for the rack/labor/oil change and aligning all four wheels was $742. The discounted rack was$407.
#15 of 67 '97 Avalon Steering Rack by bconsi Dec 02, 2003 (8:28 pm)
I appreciate all the comments (even the puns!) regarding my post on the power steering/rack and pinion repair issues on my '97 Avalon. I had been very happy with my experience with the car, and knew that my experience was more the exception than the rule. I had also been stung early last summer with an $800+ repair bill for a failed air conditioning condenser unit (apparently it had a hole in it). I appreciate your comments regarding the repair options for my current issues, and what I might be able to target for repair costs. The dealer did offer that I could probably get the cost down $400 or $500 if I went with non-genuine parts. Normally, that isn't my style. I like to buy a quality car, then stay the course with the manufacturer's recommended service schedule and original parts.   As for the type of driving the car has been exposed to, there was little regular city driving. For the most part, it simply was driven a relatively short distance to work and back in fairly small towns that we've lived in. I did run through the Chicago area quite a few times to and from O'Hare, and granted, that can't be the best thing for any car.   Thanks for the tip on the NHTSA, I'm going there next. I'll follow your suggestions, get it repaired at a reasonable cost, and return to refining our strategy for our next vehicle that we've been looking for. We have an Odyssey van for our young family of six, but are strongly considering a second vehicle that can handle the whole bunch. I don't want another van, and I struggle with the poor mileage of the large SUVs and the lack of cargo space in the midsize SUVs -- not to mention the sticker shock from several of the options on the market. I've never had car payments, and I don't intend to start now.   I think the Highlander and the 4Runner are too small and narrow, and the Sequoia is too large, pricey and poor mileage. The Land Cruiser and LX470 are nice, but probably a little more steepeep than I want to get into with our young family. We've taken a long look at the MDX and Pilot, and there's a lot to offer -- with Pilot being the most reasonable price wise. The only shortcoming is the lack of cargo space.   I'd welcome any opinions about the best options in today's market for us. I'd like to make a decision in the next month or so.   Again, thanks for all the terrific feedback.
#16 of 67 Steering Rack by bconsi Dec 02, 2003 (8:32 pm)
Thanks for the feedback blackdog4. I wondered if Toyota might entertain an adjustment, because I still believe my experience is a bit rare. Toyota has a great reputation, and one way to preserve it is to take care customers, like they apparently did with you. The insights into what the charged you is very helpful. Thanks.
#17 of 67 Rack and relays... by nomad56 Dec 02, 2003 (10:40 pm)
Bconsi-Toyo may offer some accommodation...Good Luck! It sounds like you won't do the work, so... If Toyo does not come through, Maval racks have a lifetime warranty, and saves ya' $$$ on the part ...then ask around, there is probably a real good independent guy who will save ya' on the install...get a referral.   danbeth-This may be beyond me. I did NOT see a "blower motor linear controller". This sounds like a "variable" resistor to change the fan speeds beyond the FOUR settings you can choose manually. What I do know is-Toyo has an A/C "amplifier" which is perhaps "SYMANTECS", for a part that offers the same necessary variations in resistance. This piece is below the A/C control panel, perhaps behind the ashetray in the center console, according to the Svc manual. Probably something you can grab a U-Pick-The-Parts yard for a few bucks???? That's the best I can do. I haven't had to do any real work on my A/C, but let me know, I'll try to help. -nomad56-

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