NHTSA Complaint #10548576 — 2013 TOYOTA AVALON HYBRID

DRIVING ON STRAIGHT LEVEL INTERSTATE WITH LASER CRUISE SET AT 65 MPH AND NO OTHER CARS OR OBSTACLES PRESENT, CAR SUDDENLY BRAKED TWO TIMES (ABOUT 20 MINUTES APART). THE SAME THING OCCURRED ABOUT 7 DAYS LATER ON COMPARABLE ROAD IN LIGHT RAIN. IN THIS LATER SITUATION, WIPERS SUDDENLY WENT ON HIGH SPEED, FOR 5 SECONDS AND CAR BRAKED TWICE IN SPAN OF ABOUT 5 MINUTES. THE SECOND TIME THIS OCCURRED, THE MASTER WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS. WE TOOK IT TO TOYOTA DEALER THE NEXT MORNING IN RAPID CITY, SD, WHO SAID HE COULD NOT WORK ON IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND SUGGESTED WE CALL TOYOTA. TOYOTA SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE A CRUISE PROBLEM AND ASKED IF WE COULD CAREFULLY DRIVE IT TO SALT LAKE CITY TO BE EVALUATED. ON WAY TO SALT LAKE CITY, CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ABOVE THE SETTING OF 65 MPH. PRESSED BRAKES TO CANCEL. DEALER IN SALT LAKE CITY SAID CAR DISPLAYED A DEFECT CODE FOR THE LASER CRUISE AND THE BLIND SPOT MONITORING AND SAID CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE HOME TO ARIZONA IF WE DID NOT USE THE CRUISE. TOOK CAR BACK TO ORIGINATING DEALER IN PHOENIX AREA FOR REPAIRS BLIND SPOT MONITORING APPARENTLY REPAIRED. HOWEVER, FACTORY REP DROVE CAR FOR 25 MILES AND STATED THAT THIS IS THE WAY LASER CRUISE IS SUPPOSED TO WORK AND REFUSES TO AUTHORIZE ANY REPAIRS. WE DO NOT DEEM THE CAR TO BE SAFE TO DRIVE AND ARE AFRAID THAT TOYOTA AND THE DEALERSHIP ARE GOING TO DO NOTHING. *LN