Yours is the first report I've seen of this. Has there been any work done on the center console or under the dash? Any smell of vermin?

I've removed my center console before and the vent tubes were very simple. Each piece of tube just slides into the next. I didn't follow it up under the dash, though.

 

Thanks for your reply!
No vermin smell so I doubt it is that. Just bought from a dealership, no mention of anything done by them other than the usual pre-sale checklist. It only had 12,500 miles when I purchased it so it might have been a defect from the plant that was never caught. No warranty, the bumper to bumper timed out and I did not pay for an extension. Rest of venting in car is fine, including the under-seat vents from the front.
Is the center console tough to remove? I searched YouTube and didn't find any specific videos showing how it is anchored.

 

Thanks for your reply!
No vermin smell so I doubt it is that. Just bought from a dealership, no mention of anything done by them other than the usual pre-sale checklist. It only had 12,500 miles when I purchased it so it might have been a defect from the plant that was never caught. No warranty, the bumper to bumper timed out and I did not pay for an extension. Rest of venting in car is fine, including the under-seat vents from the front.
Is the center console tough to remove? I searched YouTube and didn't find any specific videos showing how it is anchored.

Ok, it turned out to be what I first thought, a hose that feeds the vent was not connected to the fan/control box under the dash. I took it to the dealer closest to me and they fixed it quickly and at no charge to me, even though I did not purchase it at that dealership and it was no longer under warranty. I am amazed since I have never had that happen before, ever. Apparently customer satisfaction is a real thing at Toyota! On that happy note, this thread is complete.

I have the same issue as you. 2016 Avalon XLE. The center console for the rear passenger provide no air flow. I have been playing with Environment control setting, but to no avail. Everything else worked except the center console air for rear passenger. I just noticed a few months after my warranty ended and did not extend(thought it was a scammer from some 3rd party company). Anyway, how did you figure it out? How many blower Moyer are there, is there a sub motor that goes bad.. please help.

 

I didn't have any issues taking it apart. Of course, I already had the seats out so it was easy for me to get to.

Since there isn't any sign of a mouse nest, my guess is that something was disassembled and not put back together properly. That's just a guess, though.

 

Can you get the vehicle history report from the dealership? You may be able to see if there’s been work performed regarding interior repair/warrant work/some repair performed inside.

Also, do the rear vents always direct AC back there? Or do you have to have it on a certain mode? Does the direction selection matter? I’d cycle through all the air flow directions and see if it makes a difference. Probably not but it’s worth a quick check. I’d also crawl under the dash in front of the center console and look for AC duct work heading into and under the console. See if it’s disconnected.

I don’t exactly have “great” AC flow coming out of those rear vents, there’s no fans back there (if there was an option for that, I don’t have it). So there very well could be air coming out but perhaps it’s not as strong as you’re used to if your previous car had rear AC controls? Put the AC fan on high and feel if there’s anything coming out at all, it’s not going to feel all that strong regardless (I think).

But this is a strange situation for sure.

 

No record of the dealer doing anything. Yes, the rear vents should always be 'on', no combo of air flow settings change anything. But thanks for your suggestions.

 

in my 2013 avalon limited i can control (turn on/off) the rear control from the front control system. check if the rear control has been turned off from there. if not, since you just purchased the vehicle, the dealership should be obliged to fix the problem under warranty.

 

I have the XLE, so there is no control as on the limited. Also, car is used and has no warranty. But thank you for your reply anyway.

 

Thank you to Shortstop2014!!, you posted how to get a look inside the center console by pulling up on the cup holder section (in a thread about seat heaters quitting). This gave me access to 2 pieces of ductwork that run from under the dash to the ducts for the rear vents. Unfortunately there was no air fed to those ducts either, so the problem must be under the dash. I may have to break down and let the dealer tackle it.

 

I would start with the easy stuff first B4 I bring it to the dealer.
Select the driving mode to normal not eco.
Turn ac on to auto. mode, and in recirculted air mode.
Select thru and check each of the air outlet options one by one.
Listen for any air loss under the dash and console area like a vacume leak or.no airflow. Close some of the dash vents to see if it improves.
Remove the cabin air filter behind the glove box, and check for clogs or any blockage, that you can find.
I use a small piece of heater hose held to one ear to amplify and pinpoint weak sounds. It might end up being the climate control panel has a problem?

 

Ok, it turned out to be what I first thought, a hose that feeds the vent was not connected to the fan/control box under the dash. I took it to the dealer closest to me and they fixed it quickly and at no charge to me, even though I did not purchase it at that dealership and it was no longer under warranty. I am amazed since I have never had that happen before, ever. Apparently customer satisfaction is a real thing at Toyota! On that happy note, this thread is complete.

 

We love to hear good news. And fixed for free with no hassle is as good as it gets. Thanks for the follow up. And way to go to the dealer for stepping up to fix the easy problem. That is the type of salesmanship that goes a long way, for bringing back returning customers.

 

I just found this post while searching for this very same issue on my 2014 Avalon Limited (35,500 miles). I also noticed, at certain times, the center console (both driver’s and passenger sides nearest the shifter) gets very warm when the heat is on. I will reach out to the dealership to schedule an appointment.

 

The Limited`s 2014 don`t have a seperate fan motor for the rear vent heat either. They do have a temperture settings for heat temp.controled by rear seat passengers. A heating element inside is my guess?. I have to Sync the 3 zone heating to include rear air flow. Also I have to make sure the vent in the rear seating area is open, and place the mode setting to upper body air flow if I want to get the most amount of air flow (fan speed still controled by drivers setting on the dash) to the rear seating area. Newer models may all have 3 zone heating by now ?

 

In case this helps…

I found that with my 2019 RAV4 it was just a setting that turns off the flow to the rear vent (why does this exist?). The Toyota dealership wanted to charge me a $150 diagnostic fee, but I was getting a bunch of stuff done and refused to pay. Good thing I didn’t.

It’s the last button on the console (right side).