2003 Toyota Avalon Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 51 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the 2003 Toyota Avalon, 17% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 58,180 miles. The words owners use most often: “suddenly accelerated” (20% of reports).
- 51vehicle speed control complaints
- 58,180median miles at failure
- 37mention a crash
- 13mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 14%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Suddenly accelerated: mentioned in 10 of 51 complaints (20%)
- Sudden acceleration: mentioned in 6 of 51 complaints (12%)
- Parking space: mentioned in 5 of 51 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 37 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 51 complaints, 37 mention a crash, 13 an injury.
Toyota Avalon vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Avalon | 3 | 14% | 15,000 |
| 2020 Avalon | 1 | 10% | — |
| 2019 Avalon | 4 | 6% | 5,117 |
| 2018 Avalon | 2 | 8% | 11,000 |
| 2017 Avalon | 3 | 21% | — |
| 2016 Avalon | 2 | 9% | 63,000 |
| 2015 Avalon | 5 | 12% | 40,000 |
| 2014 Avalon | 5 | 5% | 3,150 |
| 2013 Avalon | 22 | 16% | 45,000 |
| 2012 Avalon | 4 | 13% | 17,000 |
| 2011 Avalon | 11 | 10% | 15,000 |
| 2010 Avalon | 13 | 28% | 3,813 |
| 2009 Avalon | 18 | 20% | 16,000 |
| 2008 Avalon | 45 | 13% | 22,750 |
| 2007 Avalon | 85 | 35% | 35,000 |
| 2006 Avalon | 103 | 29% | 38,750 |
| 2005 Avalon | 72 | 32% | 47,900 |
| 2004 Avalon | 25 | 12% | 56,541 |
| 2003 Avalon | 51 | 17% | 58,180 |
| 2002 Avalon | 25 | 22% | 83,555 |
| 2001 Avalon | 24 | 18% | 52,500 |
| 2000 Avalon | 20 | 12% | 57,918 |
| 1999 Avalon | 20 | 22% | 34,930 |
| 1998 Avalon | 16 | 9% | 86,500 |
| 1997 Avalon | 8 | 6% | 86,500 |
| 1996 Avalon | 10 | 9% | 188,000 |
| 1995 Avalon | 5 | 6% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists vehicle speed control for the 2003 Toyota Avalon. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota avalon. The contact stated that the rear brake lights were permanently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to kendall toyota (10943 s dixie hwy, miami, fl 33156) where it was diagnosed that the rear brake light sensor was damaged and needed replacement. The battery…
Car was idling in park, placed shift into reverse, car accelerated forward with motor racing into a bench, destroying it. Jammed shift back into park shut off motor. Restarted car. Place shift in rev and backed off bench. Car worked properly. Had car towed to repair shop.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE STATIONARY, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BACKWARDS RAPIDLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE DRIVE GEAR IN AN EFFORT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, BUT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD ON ITS OWN A SECOND TIME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Toyota Avalons have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 51 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the 2003 Toyota Avalon (17% of the 293 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Toyota Avalon vehicle speed control?
No recall currently lists vehicle speed control for this vehicle.
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems start?
The median reported mileage is 58,180 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the 2003 Toyota Avalon?
The most frequent phrase is “suddenly accelerated”, in 10 of 51 complaints, followed by “sudden acceleration” (6).
Other 2003 Toyota Avalon problems
- Air Bags problems (184)
See all 2003 Toyota Avalon problems or vehicle speed control problems across all Avalon years.