'96 Toyota Avalon Cruise Control

Bought it new & it’s been a great car with only 125K miles. Yesterday I was using the cruise control & when I pressed up on the control stalk the control just stopped working and the “CRUISE CONTROL” light on the dash started blinking on & off. Is it possibly a vacuum hose that caused the problem & where might I look for it on the engine? Or should I just take it in to the dealer?

Any help appreciated,

Muchmo

I don’t know if you cars uses vacuum on the cruise or not.

However I suggest that the dealer would not be my first choice for a car not covered by a warranty. Dealers are no better (or worse) than independent mechanics for almost anything you might need done on your car. They will almost always charge more per hour and often more for parts and supplies. They also tend to look at repairs a little different than the independent.

A dealer may well recommend work that strictly may not be needed, but could be connected to the problem or maybe replace a part when a little repair would fix it ALMOST as good a new.  

There is no need to bring your car to the dealer for any service other than service that is going to be paid for by a recall or original warrantee. 

I suggest that most people would be better off finding a good independent (Not working for a chain) mechanic.