I purchased a new 2012 Toyota Avalon and had the dealer install a trunk spoiler before I picked it up. Unless the trunk is completely opened and seated, the lid falls down–most times while your head or hands are in the way. I went back to the dealership and they told me that the lifting mechanism was working correctly and that they had never heard of this happening before. They also said Toyota does not make a heavier duty lifting mechanism. Their advise was basically get used to it because, after all, it is my fault because I requested the spoiler in the first place or to see a member of their sales staff and try to work out a deal on a new 2013 car. I cannot believe that I am the only Avalon owner who has a spoiler on their car. I have talked to the owners of other makes of cars who have spoilers on their cars and not one of them has this problem. Most will hold its position when lid is even less than 1/2 opened.
Has anyone heard of this problem with the Avalon or have any ideas on what I can do? I found a video on line where an ingenious man fixed the problem with his 2008 Avalon using a bungee cord but I hate to think that this is my only option to fix a car that is still under warranty.
hmm … well if the spoiler weighs more than the lifting mechanism is designed for, I suppose this will happen. But you need a solution, not a excuse. What is the trunk lifting mechanism for the Avalon? My Corolla uses a torsion bar to hold the trunk lid up. What about the Avalon. If you can describe how it works, maybe the experts here can suggest some tweaks.
The spoiler is made of either fiberglas or high-impact plastic. The weight is negligible vs the weight of the trunk lid. I think the trunk struts are defective. They should be more than strong enough to keep the lid and spoiler up. But, if one is shot, the other may not be strong enough on its own. Decent struts should be able to last nearly 7 years,if not longer.
This car should be under warranty, and if your dealer refuses to honor it, you may need to go to a regional representative. Call Toyota Customer Care and complain. The number should be in the owners manual and other new car papers.
It does not appear that the lid opens to a vertical position (or beyond). Obviously the added weight of the spoiler is beyond the engineering parameters of the lifting apparatus. By having the spoiler added, the OP proved that he is not smarter than Toyota’s engineers.
Perhaps a gas filled lift strut could be added as a helper. It’s either that, or the OP needs to carry a length of used broom handle.
In the past while working at dealerships I installed some spoilers or luggage racks on trunk lids that used torsion bars.
There was another set of torsion bars provided that had a slightly different twist to them and which kept the lid up under the additional weight.
About all I can suggest is that contact be made with the manufacturer of the spoiler and see what they say about the issue and one would think that someone at the dealer would have considered this.
If a different set of torsion bars is not available then there is the possibility of removing the current ones and bending them a bit to gain a bit more oomph…
Oops, I guess I just assumed gas struts, since all my Toyotas have had them. I did have two cars with torsion spring lifters, one Honda and one Ford. The Ford never gave me a problem, and would easily lift the trunk lid to full extension when you hit the trunk release. The Honda did have issues staying up until I looked at the springs. The spring mount had three slots in it, and each slot would add a bit of extra torsion pressure. The springs were set on the slot of least adjustment. I moved them up to the max adjustment, and the trunk lid would lift itself to full open if you lifted it up passed halfway. I still say to call customer care if your dealer proves worthless. I’m sure Toyota has a solution.
Count me in as one who has never heard of a spoiler on an Avalon. I’ve never seen one on a Rolls Royce either. To each his own however…I’m not making a judgement on this decision.
I have the same problem with my 2010 Corolla and it has no spoiler. It bonks my head and this is after the wife warns me every time to open it all the way. I guess I have been hit so many times stupid has taken over.
If it is anything like the torsion bars on my Camry, they can be adjusted a little for more lifting power. You have to take out the sides of the trunk liner and there are different positions for the bar to go into the body. But on the other hand why would you need the trunk to stay at anything other than full open or full closed?
Why would the trunk lid be purposely raised to some level short of fully opened? Is there some peculiar circumstance that requires having the trunk lid stationary at some angle short of fully open, @Treasurer?
“Why would the trunk lid be purposely raised to some level short of fully opened? Is there some peculiar circumstance that requires having the trunk lid stationary at some angle short of fully open, @Treasurer?”
That is exactly what I was thinking, RodKnox!
I won’t even get into the intriguing question of why somebody would mount an aftermarket spoiler on a decidedly non-sporting Toyota Avalon, but…Why would somebody want to open the trunk of their car only part way?
Exactly @pvtpublic. I was interrupted between reading the thread and posting and find that a “ditto” of your thread would have been appropriate. I am very curious why there is any problem with opening the lid fully when accessing the trunk.
If the spoiler fitted to the trunk lid was the Toyota designed spoiler that is offered for the 2012 Avalon then the dealer that sold and installed it for you should ensure that the trunk lid still functions normally. If the spoiler is an aftermarket part designed and sold by an independent company then the trunk design has been altered and the problem is yours to live with.
I’ll disagree with the others here, I don’t think I’ve had a car that wouldn’t hold the trunk lid at about a halfway position. Oftentimes that’s all you want or need to trunk open. My current daily driver wouldn’t hold at half-open and I had to adjust the torsion rods so the trunk now functions properly.
Some Toyota sites reference a spoiler kit as being provided with other torsion rods or gas struts to aid in keeping the trunk lid up.
Some aftermarket spoilers may not be so gifted as per the cut and paste below.
Includes all mounting hardware to ensure proper deck lid performance; aftermarket spoilers are typically heavier and may not include hardware and compatibility to ensure proper deck lid functionality (aftermarket spoiler kits do not include torsion rod spacers or modified replacement gas struts, if needed).
Count me in as one who has never heard of a spoiler on an Avalon. I've never seen one on a Rolls Royce either. To each his own however....I'm not making a judgement on this decision.
You can get them…they just don’t make any sense. They are fine for RWD race cars…but they are there for looks ONLY in a FWD street car.
Now the spoiler on my Pathfinders actually had a purpose. They kept the rear window clean as the spoiler forced the air down as it swept over the truck. But some people think it’s for performance…which is clearly is NOT.
My wife just got 4 stitches due to her 2012 Avalon trunk lid falling on her head. So for those asking why you would not put it all the way up - she is short (so are kids). For those thinking it only happens with a spoiler - ours is stock, no spoiler. For those thinking it is age or wear related - we noticed it was weak when it was new. It is especially susceptible to falling when the car is facing up hill - it has fallen on me several times in our steep driveway. You would think I would learn. This was simply poor design. Now how to fix it short of keeping a stick in the trunk?
And you did nothing then and are asking what to do years later ? Sorry about the stitches but seriously find a body shop and see if they have a solution. Also your problem is different then the one in this old thread.
If it uses the torsion bar method, perhaps that can be adjusted. Most garage doors using the torsion bar method have an adjustment mechanism. If it is like garage doors, best to have that done by a pro as the spring tension can be quite strong, possibly harm a diy’er attempting the job themselves. My Corolla uses the torsion bar method, and I’m not aware of any adjusting mechanism. If that’s the case w/your car, you’d have to have the entire torsion bar mechanism replaced. On my Corolla anyway, never noticed any drooping in the trunk lid in 25 + years. It makes a lot of squeaking noises now, but works the same as day 1.
If it uses the pressurized strut method, those go flat over time and you have to buy new ones. My auto parts store has a whole section of the wall for those struts, b/c there are so many different designs to cover all the dimensions needed by various cars.
If the problem is just that your wife can’t physically move it to the full upright position b/c of her height, maybe put a stick in the trunk so she can push it up all the way.