NHTSA Complaint #10260606 — 2006 TOYOTA AVALON

VVT OIL LINE FAILURE-AS I WAS DRIVING, I HEARD A ?WHIRRING? NOISE FOR 1-2 MINUTES. THEN IT STOPPED, AND THE OIL LIGHT FLASHED ON AND OFF. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD, AND OIL WAS SPRAYED ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THERE WAS NO OIL LEVEL INDICATED ON THE DIPSTICK. WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE REMAINING OIL DRAINED OUT UNDER THE CAR. THE TOYOTA DEALER INDICATED THEY HAD 3 OTHER AVALONS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, AND PARTS WERE BACKORDERED. NO REPAIR DATE WAS PROMISED. FROM ON-LINE MESSAGE BOARDS, THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE 05-06 AVALON. TOYOTA IS APPARENTLY WELL AWARE OF THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM, BUT HAS DONE NOTHING TO PROACTIVE REPAIR/REPLACE THE LINE. THERE IS NO WARNING OF THE PROBLEM UNTIL IT HAPPENS, AND IT MAY LEAVE THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS OF THE CAR IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR