Toyota Avalon Problems by Year
NHTSA has 3,403 owner complaints and 34 safety recalls on file for the Toyota Avalon, across 28 model years (1995–2022). The 2006 model year has the most complaints (360). The most reported problem area overall is vehicle speed control.
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Toyota Avalon years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Avalon year: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2006 Avalon: 360 complaints, 7 recalls
- 2008 Avalon: 349 complaints, 6 recalls
- 2003 Avalon: 293 complaints, 2 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2022 Avalon: 8 complaints, 0 recalls
- 2020 Avalon: 10 complaints, 3 recalls
- 2017 Avalon: 14 complaints, 2 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Toyota Avalon problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 602 | 27 | 251 |
| Air Bags problems | 586 | 28 | 173 |
| Steering problems | 361 | 22 | 27 |
| Electrical System problems | 295 | 27 | 15 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 291 | 19 | 1 |
| Power Train problems | 211 | 25 | 21 |
| Structure problems | 197 | 25 | 17 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 196 | 18 | 8 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 150 | 18 | 28 |
| Suspension problems | 126 | 17 | 6 |
| Visibility problems | 115 | 20 | 0 |
| Service Brakes problems | 104 | 25 | 30 |
| Engine | 96 | 23 | 10 |
| Tires | 92 | 20 | 3 |
| Visibility/wiper | 72 | 15 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 68 | 21 | 13 |
| Equipment | 62 | 16 | 3 |
| Seats | 54 | 20 | 4 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 52 | 15 | 9 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 51 | 12 | 2 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 51 | 18 | 7 |
| Wheels | 30 | 16 | 7 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 25 | 14 | 3 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 25 | 12 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 15 | 8 | 8 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 14 | 10 | 4 |
| Lane Departure | 9 | 6 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Other | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| Back Over Prevention | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Interior Lighting | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Parking Brake | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Traction Control System | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Child Seat | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Toyota Avalon problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2008: exterior lighting (209)
- 2007: vehicle speed control (85)
- 2006: vehicle speed control (103) · engine and engine cooling (57) · power train (52)
- 2005: vehicle speed control (72)
- 2004: air bags (127)
- 2003: air bags (184) · vehicle speed control (51)
All Toyota Avalon model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Avalon | 8 | 0 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | |
| 2021 Avalon | 21 | 2 | 5★ | Air Bags | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2020 Avalon | 10 | 3 | 5★ | Fuel/propulsion System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2019 Avalon | 71 | 4 | 5★ | Electrical System | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2018 Avalon | 24 | 2 | 5★ | Air Bags | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2017 Avalon | 14 | 2 | 5★ | Engine | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2016 Avalon | 23 | 3 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2015 Avalon | 41 | 2 | 5★ | Forward Collision Avoidance | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2014 Avalon | 96 | 4 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2013 Avalon | 137 | 4 | 5★ | Structure | More complaints than other years |
| 2012 Avalon | 30 | 4 | — | Air Bags | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2011 Avalon | 106 | 1 | — | Steering | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2010 Avalon | 46 | 7 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2009 Avalon | 91 | 7 | — | Exterior Lighting | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2008 Avalon | 349 | 6 | — | Exterior Lighting | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2007 Avalon | 243 | 6 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2006 Avalon | 360 | 7 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2005 Avalon | 228 | 7 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2004 Avalon | 205 | 3 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2003 Avalon | 293 | 2 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2002 Avalon | 116 | 1 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2001 Avalon | 134 | 2 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | More complaints than other years |
| 2000 Avalon | 173 | 2 | — | Steering | More complaints than other years |
| 1999 Avalon | 92 | 1 | — | Air Bags | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1998 Avalon | 178 | 1 | — | Electrical System | More complaints than other years |
| 1997 Avalon | 125 | 1 | — | Steering | More complaints than other years |
| 1996 Avalon | 109 | 0 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1995 Avalon | 80 | 0 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Fewer complaints than other years |
More from Toyota: all Toyota models · Toyota VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Avalon years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2003 (293), 2004 (205), 2005 (228), 2006 (360), 2007 (243), 2008 (349) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Avalon year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Toyota Avalon?
Vehicle Speed Control, with 602 complaints across 27 model years.
How many recalls does the Toyota Avalon have?
34 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.