The Avalon is designed in the US. That may be one problem with it. Although it uses many standard components like the annoying seatbelt retractors in every Toyota I've been in lately. They just don't work. Other people have complained about the auto climate control in their Lexus so I would assume that is a standard component too that is poorly implemented. On several Toyota models, including mine, people have complained about clicking in cold weather from the bottom of the windshield. It is easy to see why it happens. The plastic trim over the wipers is not screwed down tightly so in can hit the bottom of the windshield. THey used a cheap clip fastenenr. On my 300M it is tightly screwed down with 8 large screws. Recently I hit pothole and damaged a strut on my 300m. The wiper assemble and cowl trim has to be removed to replace the struts. When they reinstalled it they overtightened the screws and ruined the retainers holding the screws tight. The trim started clicking against the windshield just like on my Avalon. I complained to the Chrysler dealer and they ordered new fasteners and now it is tight again. The Avalon will never be and will continue to click in cold weather because it cannot be fixed.
"C. E. White" wrote in message news:cFQ9f.3594$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...