1997 Toyota Avalon Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Avalon years
- More complaints than other years 11th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 125 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Toyota Avalon. That ranks 11th out of 28 Avalon model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (40 complaints, 32%), typically at around 83,732 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 8 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 125owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Toyota Avalon problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 40 | 32% | 83,732 | — | — |
| Suspension | 26 | 21% | 134,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 9 | 7% | 99,521 | — | — |
| Tires | 9 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 6% | 86,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 6% | 86,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 4% | 220,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 3% | 97,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 2% | 142,206 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 2% | 142,206 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 2% | 189,500 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 142,206 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 170,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 295,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Toyota Avalon recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of alaska, colorado, idaho, illinois, iowa, kansas, maine, michigan,minnesota, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new york, noth dakota, south dakota, vermont, wisconsin, and wyoming. A condition can occur where accumulated moisture can temporarily freeze in the brake vacuum hose if the vehicle is used in extremely cold climates for an extended period of time.
Risk: This can result in the elimination of vacuum assist to the brakes that can increase stopping distances and could lead to a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will install a new design brake vacuum hose.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine seizure (DP02004) — opened Apr 30, 2002, closed Jun 20, 2002.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota avalon. While driving 40 mph, the rear passenger tire made loud noises. The failure occurred constantly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lateral arm snapped off the subframe due to severe corrosion. The vehicle was…
When i brought my car into the tire dealership where i had purchased my tires complaining of a shaking steering wheel (thinking one of my tires had lost a balance weight), that's when i discovered 3 of the 4 tires i had purchased a year ago september (and which had only 14,000 miles of wear) had…
Making a left hand turn after stopping at a stop sign, going approx. 10 mph, the right front tire (only) bumped into a railroad track and the sensors told the car it had a front end collision and both airbags deployed even though no one was in the passenger seat. This explosion busted the front…
The tubing from the filler neck to the fuel tank is subject to rust. The rust results in holes in the tube. Fuel spills out during refueling and acceleration. *js
Auto locking system locks doors while doors are open or closed and you are getting out of car or putting grocers in if ur keys are in car it still locks i have been locked out many times it is very frustrating and dangerous especially when ur daughter borrows your car and gets her9 month old baby…
Other Toyota Avalon years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Avalon | 8 | 0 |
| 2021 Avalon | 21 | 2 |
| 2020 Avalon | 10 | 3 |
| 2019 Avalon | 71 | 4 |
| 2018 Avalon | 24 | 2 |
| 2017 Avalon | 14 | 2 |
| 2016 Avalon | 23 | 3 |
| 2015 Avalon | 41 | 2 |
| 2014 Avalon | 96 | 4 |
| 2013 Avalon | 137 | 4 |
| 2012 Avalon | 30 | 4 |
| 2011 Avalon | 106 | 1 |
| 2010 Avalon | 46 | 7 |
| 2009 Avalon | 91 | 7 |
| 2008 Avalon | 349 | 6 |
| 2007 Avalon | 243 | 6 |
| 2006 Avalon | 360 | 7 |
| 2005 Avalon | 228 | 7 |
| 2004 Avalon | 205 | 3 |
| 2003 Avalon | 293 | 2 |
| 2002 Avalon | 116 | 1 |
| 2001 Avalon | 134 | 2 |
| 2000 Avalon | 173 | 2 |
| 1999 Avalon | 92 | 1 |
| 1998 Avalon | 178 | 1 |
| 1997 | 125 | 1 |
| 1996 Avalon | 109 | 0 |
| 1995 Avalon | 80 | 0 |
See all Toyota Avalon problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Toyota Avalon?
Owners most often report steering, suspension, power train problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 40 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Toyota Avalon?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Toyota Avalon a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Avalon model years, the 1997 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.