Welcome to the Forum. Did you check the fuse?

 

Yes, both the driver's side compartment and under the steering wheel. Didn't see any broken fuses. It's in working order. Also had the dealership look at it.

 

I am assuming the dealership checked the fuses and all.

You can find the part number on the toyota parts website, https://parts.toyota.com/

 

You can find the part number on the toyota parts website, https://parts.toyota.com/

I talked to the service advisor at the dealership again, got the part number: https://parts.toyota.com/p/73183818/86140-07160.html
I'm not paying over 8,800 dollars to listen to the radio and know what time it is. There's got to be another option…

 

Which model of 2019 Avalon do you have?

 

I appreciate the input so far.

XLE

 

This is an apparent software issue that the dealership either refuses to investigate, or is simply incapable of doing so. We know that the screen itself works, and the software “reset” fixed the problem for a certain amount of time. This doesn’t sound like a hardware problem to me; otherwise, the dealer’s reset probably wouldn’t have yielded any results at all. Of course, that’s just speculation based on the facts presented— but it’s worth considering.

Therefore, this could be a looming problem for all of us, and it’s disappointing that the dealership immediately jumped to a $9000 repair conclusion (a price that is literally highway robbery). I’d push the service advisor for more investigation, or try another dealer altogether. Then I’d start escalating through Toyota corporate and maybe even talk to a lawyer.

Either that, or I’d cut my losses and dump the car. There’s no way living with this failure condition is acceptable.

 

And what’s your 2019 XLE even worth? $25,000 or so? This one repair is a third (or more) of the vehicle’s value.

 

I wonder if the dealer would do a software reset for you again - it would be interesting to know if the system works again for an hour like before.

 

This absolutely should be part of their diagnostics. It’s difficult for me to accept this is a hardware problem, but, if it is, Toyota should be eager to investigate this before they have a bigger problem on their hands. Replacing the unit and charging the customer $9000 is a lazy, customer-last approach.

 

There could be a software bug that only shows up under certain circumstances— maybe when a certain type of phone is paired or whatever. Who knows. Maybe it’s hardware, but one thing is clear: There’s not enough effort being demonstrated by Toyota.

If they really think it’s the $9000 unit on a <5 year old car, then they should replace it for free and send it to Toyota Engineering for a comprehensive failure analysis. That’s customer-first. It’s also wise for business because, if more early failures occur, then a class-action lawsuit becomes more likely.

 

If they "reset" the radio 3 times to fix the same problem, wouldn't that fall under the lemon law?

 

Guessing the lemon law takes effect after you’ve spent $18,000 replacing two more failed head units!

 

Every state’s lemon law is different, with California and New York considered the most consumer friendly. In this case, going by California’s lemon law, the OP would not qualify for the lemon law, since the issue occurred outside of the manufacture warranty, unless he complained about it before the warranty expired.

 

When they reset the audio, it goes out in an hour. In that time, did you pair any devices to it?

 

I have a 2018 Avalon Touring with no issues. I thinks it's completely outrageous that the dealer, I assume you bought it from, would be so ridiculous. Definately escalate this to Toyota corporate regardless. That's nuts! Go as far up the corporate chain as possible. You can barely drive the car with this crippling situation. I say get tough!

 

I have a 2018 Avalon Touring with no issues. I thinks it's completely outrageous that the dealer, I assume you bought it from, would be so ridiculous. Definately escalate this to Toyota corporate regardless. That's nuts! Go as far up the corporate chain as possible.

Yeah, I'm gonna talk to them before going to Crutchfield, AudioOne, or any other electronics shop for help. The display kept turning black several times (with the dealership only implementing partial solutions) before the warranty expired, so I will insist that Toyota corporate clean up this mess the dealership has created for me.

You can barely drive the car with this crippling situation. I say get tough!

It's been like this since spring of 2020, and every "solution" they come up with only fixes it temporarily. So, I've been without a clock and listening to the radio for a while. I will find a solution, eventually.

 

FWIW, my 2016 Blue Tooth went out. Luckily, still under warranty, so I took it to the dealer. The unit was $1,000 + $100 in labor, under warranty.

Now, the strange part. The same unit new is like $5,000-$7,000 at the dealer. But used on eBay, you can get one for under $750. Most of them are a little beat up and scratched. Mine is scratched as well over a mishap and is not worth fixing at this point. Hard to tell what these things are brand new, but something just does not add up either.

I would recommend going to a place that installs radios, alarms, etc. These guys are used to taking dashes apart, etc. Then ask them to remove the unit, and check for everything from connections, etc. Maybe they can pinpoint you in some direction. One would think that the hardware either works or it does not. It may be possible that the circuit boards and screen all are separate and there are separate connections. Hard to tell. I would be more inclined to believe this is a software issue.

Please keep us posted ... I have a 2002 Touring with a big screen, but covered for 7 years, or until 05/2029 which is a good thing. At most, that unit should be $2,500-$3,000 brand new. It is an all-in-one computer screen.