2010 Toyota Avalon Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jul 22, 2026 · 46 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Avalon years
Far fewer complaints than other years 20th of 28 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 46 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Toyota Avalon. That ranks 20th out of 28 Avalon model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is vehicle speed control (13 complaints, 28%), typically at around 3,813 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 6 injuries. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year.

Toyota Avalon
TOYOTA AVALON China. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2010 Toyota Avalon problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Vehicle Speed Control13 · ~3,813 mi
Steering10 · ~50,380 mi
Unknown or Other6 · ~1,000 mi
Exterior Lighting4 · ~54,500 mi
Electrical System3 · ~780 mi
Visibility/wiper3 · ~58,000 mi
Air Bags2 · ~70,000 mi
Power Train2 · ~10,000 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)1 · ~12,050 mi
Engine1 · ~900 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Vehicle Speed Control1328%3,813——
Steering1022%50,380——
Unknown or Other613%1,000——
Exterior Lighting49%54,500——
Electrical System37%780——
Visibility/wiper37%58,000——
Air Bags24%70,000——
Power Train24%10,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)12%12,050——
Engine12%900——
Engine and Engine Cooling12%800——
Equipment12%900——
Equipment Adaptive/mobility12%1,000——
Seats12%100——
Service Brakes12%78,000——
Structure12%99,700——
Suspension12%83,000——
Traction Control System12%10,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2010, with 17 complaints
2009: 2200922010: 172010172011: 2201122012: 1201212013: 6201362014: 2201422015: 3201532016: 4201642017: 1201712018: 1201812019: 1201912020: 3202032021: 1202112026: 220262

n = 46 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2010 Toyota Avalon recalls (7)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Seats:front assembly:seat heater/coolerJun 2, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V396000 · 7,749 vehicles

Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.

Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.

Seats:front assembly:seat heater/coolerNov 19, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V743000 · 3,233 vehicles

Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.

Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

Seats; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactiveJan 16, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V014000 · 3,235 vehicles

Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.

Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

Equipment:other:labelsFeb 3, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V035000 · 271,417 vehicles

Problem: Gulf states toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between september 1, 2005 and june 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

Risk: This does not meet the standard requirements.

Fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. Dealers will also correct the owner's manual. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact gulf states toyota at 713-580-3300.

Equipment:other:labelsFeb 3, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V036000 · 153,418 vehicles

Problem: Southeast toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

Risk: A driver may overload a vehicle which may increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact southeast toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedalJan 21, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V017000 · 2,230,661 vehicles

Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 avalon, model year 2007-2010 camry, model year 2009-2010 corolla, corolla matrix, rav4, model year 2010 highlander, model year 2008-2010 sequoia, and model year 2007-2010 tundra vehicles. Due to the manner in which the friction lever interacts with the sliding surface of the accelerator pedal inside the pedal sensor assembly, the sliding surface of the lever may become smooth during vehicle operation. In this condition, if condensation occurs on the surface, as may occur from heater operation (without a/c) when the pedal assembly is cold, the friction when the accelerator pedal is operated may increase, which may result in the accelerator pedal becoming harder to depress, slower to return, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position.

Risk: The accelerator pedal may become hard to depress, slow to return to idle, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will install a reinforcement bar in the accelerator pedal which will allow the pedal to operate smoothly. Gm will notify owners for the pontiac vibe please see 10v-018. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on february 5, 2010 and will be completed on march 15, 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedalOct 5, 2009 · NHTSA campaign 09V388000 · 4,445,056 vehicles

Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2010 passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.

Risk: A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.

Fix: Toyota filed an amended defect report on november 25, 2009, stating that dealers will modify the accelerator pedal and, on certain vehicles, alter the shape of the floor surface under the pedal. These changes address the risk of pedal entrapment due to interference with the floor mat. Redesigned accelerator pedals will become available beginning in april 2010 and dealers will replace any modified pedal with the new pedal if desired. Also, dealers will replace any genuine toyota or lexus all-weather floor mats with redesigned all-weather mats, or repurchase the previous mats from owners who do not want the new ones. Additionally, software modifications will be installed on camry, avalon and lexus es 350, is 350 and is 250 models that will ensure that the brake overrides the accelerator in the event both brake and accelerator pedals are applied. Toyota will begin mailing letters to owners on december 31, 2009. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331, lexus at 1-800-255-3987.

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.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

2010 Toyota Avalon [XXX] purchased used. Sticker on driver’s door post states 32PSI for all tires. Low tire pressure light activated, XXX Toyota dealer ordered 5 new tire sensors and installed them XXX. Light reactivated in fall, I put 32 PSI in all tires, light stayed on. I used Costco air…

Unknown or Other · received Jul 22, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11752086

Our 2010 toyota avalon limited with 126537 total miles as of 07/09/2026, sits in our garage all the time except when it somewhere. The problem is the dash is cracking everywhere. I can understand if it was parked outside all the time. But sitting in the garage. We keep it clean and even the…

Unknown or Other · received Jul 9, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11749357

Good day! I understand there were defective dashboards reported for certain 2010 toyota avalons. My 2010 toyota avalon was not on the toyota warranty list to have the dashboard replaced due to the class action lawsuit. Now, i am seeing the dashboard cracking in two spots. Thank you, [xxx] [xxx]…

Unknown or Other · received Apr 30, 2021 · NHTSA complaint 11414639

The latch on the lower left of the steering column that controls the positioning of the steering wheel constantly comes loose. I discovered that as i was driving on the highway, going straight, and the steering wheel suddenly slid in and down. Almost causing me to loose control with my children in…

Steering · received Jun 25, 2020 · NHTSA complaint 11330837

Lever that adjusts tilt steering wheel does not stay in place and when it falls it disengages the steering column lock at any time.

Steering · received Apr 20, 2020 · NHTSA complaint 11321649

Other Toyota Avalon years

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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 2010 Toyota Avalon?

Owners most often report vehicle speed control, steering, unknown or other problems. The top one, vehicle speed control, accounts for 13 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2010 Toyota Avalon?

Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2010 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 2010 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.