1998 Toyota Avalon Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Avalon years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 178 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Toyota Avalon. That ranks 7th out of 28 Avalon model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (19 complaints, 11%), typically at around 64,000 miles. Complaints mention 25 crashes, 1 fire, 25 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 178owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 25complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 19 | 11% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 19 | 11% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 19 | 11% | 58,853 | — | — |
| Equipment | 17 | 10% | 46,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 16 | 9% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 16 | 9% | 86,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 14 | 8% | 117,176 | — | — |
| Power Train | 11 | 6% | 69,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 6% | 45,920 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 5% | 104,183 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 5% | 170,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 4% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 3% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 3% | 66 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 3% | 64,797 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 3% | 148,971 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 1% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 115,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Toyota Avalon recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:ignition:anti-theft:control module
Problem: Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles, mini vans and passenger vehicles equipped with a theft deterrent systems (tds) supplied by audiovox corporation and distributed by southeast toyota distributors, inc. In the states of alabama, florida, georgia, north and south carolina. The alarm wiring harness plugs into the vehicle's ignition switch and the vehicle's ignition switch wiring harness plugs into the alarm harness to complete the circuit. A percentage of the female terminals used in the alarm connector were found to be defective, causing an 'open circuit' condition when mated to the male ignition switch terminals.
Risk: This condition can cause intermittent performance of the vehicle's electrical components such as the dash warning lights and/or hvac fan speed controls. Also, the vehicle may not run smoothly and could stall.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the date code label on the security system harness and any displaying the manufacturing/final date code will be replaced with newly produced harnesses. The date codes are: rav4 - 6/24/98, 6/25/98, 6/26/98; sienna - 6/25/98, 6/26/98; and avalon - 6/30/98, 7/1/98, 8/31/98, 9/1/98, 9/2/98, and 9/3/98.
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.
Tie rods detached from frame, along with steering parts became unsafe on minor highway speed turnes
All plastic parts are disintegrating, seer belts, door locks, door handles, AC vents , body trim, steering wheel, lights, & anything made of plastic
Electrical system shut down in traffic at the light, alternator was tested. Battery light stay on, lights dimmed out, lost speed. Had to get pushed out the road at a busy intersection in atlanta georgia on cleveland avenue.. Bought a second alternator, same exact incident . Once headlights are…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE THROTTLE BECAME STUCK WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT DROVE THROUGH TWO RED LIGHTS. THE CONTACT HAD TO MANEUVER BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF…
One day when my car was stationary and after it had set for a few days i started it normally and noticed the srs airbag warning light on my dash came on. This is been about a month now and a local mechanic said the code reading indicates there is an issue with the passenger side airbag. The…
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 | 178 | 1 |
| 1997 Avalon | 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.
Similar Toyota models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Toyota Avalon?
Owners most often report electrical system, suspension, visibility problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 19 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Toyota Avalon?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 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 1998 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.