Avalon trunklid latch: I WAS WRONG

Sounds like what you are saying is if you loose the key you can't open the trunk OR the fold down rear seat to open the trunk lid, correct? ;)

mike hunt

Brent wrote:

Thanks for doing the research and getting at the real facts. You would think any salesman would have been able to point that out, but I find they usually know less than I do, and I am just an average consumer, not an auatomobile mechanic.

Merritt

Most of the salesmen where I work don't know a Toyota from a Fender guitar. They are salesmen. They would sell a product, any product, just to make a living.

Yes, Mike. Of course, that's a smaller problem with the Limited. You can keep the key under a floormat and do everything with pushbuttons.

Brent

When I recently went in to see the salesman who sold me my last Toyota, he was busy at the computer. He said he was taking a Toyota test that qualified him to sell the latest cars. I wonder what they teach them? Probably about the added cost options.

Merritt

Just like in any locked car, right?

Merritt

I still say you will, based on our less than two weeks with the Limited, love it!

Even if you must reach thru the pass thru to open the trunk if the battery dies. (that's a lot of if's)

Ron

Hi Ron,

I know you're right.

And BTW, thanks to you and others who haven't mocked me for my error.

Best wishes, Brent "The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears that this is true. -- James Branch Cabell

would seem to me that Toyota would have made the "emergency" key on the fob to allow access to the trunk as well as the doors.

I had the car at Calif DMV yesterday to get registered in this state. The number verifier was amazed at it. "Is it a hybrid?" only 399 miles? Wow, what a beautiful car. I can see why you went to Oregon to get it etc.

The whole DMV thing (with an appointment) was about 20 minutes or so - maybe it WAS the car..

Maybe I can drive it again sometime!!!

Ron

I would not worry about the letter you sent to Consumer Reports. The editors automatically discard any negative comments directed towards a Toyota.

Ed

If you had a key, you would have to have two keys, one that opens everything and a "valet" key that doesn't open the trunk. The Toyota solution takes care of that with one key.

Merritt

If the key is lost in my BMW, and the doors are locked, the Auto Club can't even open the doors.

It's true. If the doors are locked with the key, they can only be unlocked with the key. Even if the windows are down and you can pull the door lock button, the doors will not unlock. The trunk is locked too. If there is a passenger inside the car, and the doors are locked by the key, the passenger is trapped inside the car until the key returns. That's scary.

You could use a BFH or a BFR to open the windows. If you need the doors unlocked, apply a BFT to the front end, you will have the benefit of also turning on the interior dome lights at the same time.

Maybe you're right, Ed. I confess to a bias myself.

I came to buy an Avalon after a series of betrayals by Honda, Mercedes, Chevy and Lincoln. I had two excellent Volvos in the late 50's/early

Even my beloved '89 Scorpio was a maintenance disappointment; to my eyes it remains the most beautiful machine i've ever owned, though. I think it will be displaced by the new Avalon.

Brent

BFT? Is that a large truck?

I'm not sure if a large truck applied to the front end will unlock a parked car. It will unlock a running car, but if the car is running, the keys aren't lost.

What Honda models did you own and what were the most significant problems?

Yup.

I believe that airbags in your BMW will deploy regardless of whether the engine is running or not. BMW and Mercedes unlock the locks if the airbags deploy. I had heard that thieves used to use this method to unlock BMW's and Mercedes cars before they realized that the airbags are probably more valuable than the radios they used to steal.

I don't know if other makes besides Ford have the airbag system energized all the time or not.

Keys? KEYS? He HEE, We don't need no stinkin' keys amigo!! ;)

mike hunt

Brent wrote:

That is an outright falsehood. You know very well only every other one is discarded. ;)

mike hunt

"C. E. White" wrote: