Toyota Avalon

Where it stands out against its peers

• Structure: more complaints than 93% of 2013 cars — 17% of its 160 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 6%.
• Vehicle speed control: more complaints than 97% of 2013 cars — 16% of its 160 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 5%.
• Visibility/wiper: more complaints than 96% of 2013 cars — 13% of its 160 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 3%.
• Forward collision avoidance: more complaints than 98% of 2013 cars — 7% of its 160 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 0%.
• Visibility: more complaints than 98% of 2013 cars — 6% of its 160 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 1%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• STRUCTURE — 15 owners reported this
• VISIBILITY/WIPER — 14 owners reported this
• AIR BAGS — 11 owners reported this, 6 involving a crash
• FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 11 owners reported this
• VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — 10 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 5 owners reported this
• TIRES — 5 owners reported this
• VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES — 5 owners reported this, 2 involving a crash
• VISIBILITY — 5 owners reported this
• SERVICE BRAKES — 4 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS — 3 owners reported this
• ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — 3 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN — 3 owners reported this
• SEATS — 3 owners reported this
• STRUCTURE,SEATS — 3 owners reported this
• VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE — 3 owners reported this
• EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 2 owners reported this
• SEAT BELTS — 2 owners reported this
• STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER — 2 owners reported this
• AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS — 1 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• AIR BAGS,SEATS — 1 owners reported this
• Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness — 1 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE — 1 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — 1 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE — 1 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES — 1 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY — 1 owners reported this
• ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) — 1 owners reported this
• ENGINE — 1 owners reported this
• EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY,SERVICE BRAKES — 1 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE — 1 owners reported this
• FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — 1 owners reported this
• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 1 owners reported this
• PARKING BRAKE,SERVICE BRAKES — 1 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 1 owners reported this
• STEERING — 1 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER — 1 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• STRUCTURE,SEATS,VISIBILITY/WIPER — 1 owners reported this
• STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 1 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE — 1 owners reported this
• VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 1 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 1 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,VISIBILITY/WIPER — 1 owners reported this
• VISIBILITY,EQUIPMENT — 1 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

61% of 2021 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 4. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 13V442000

  A short circuit may cause the air bags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airbag can increase the risk of injury in a severe crash. The power steering assist could also become inoperable resulting in increased steering effort and can increase the risk of a crash at low speeds.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing and install a protective cover on the airbag control module, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

• 13V505000

  A short circuit could cause inoperative windshield wipers, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiper switch assembly, free of charge. The recall began on November 8, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

• 14V576000

  A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace any of the suspect fuel delivery pipes free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

• 14V715000

  Because of the insufficient clamping force, the lower arm may separate from the ball joint, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left side lower arm, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

• 15V047000

  A constant electrical current flow may cause the sub-woofer to overheat, increasing the risk of fire.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the audio system amplifier and install a protective cover around the sub-woofer, free of charge. The recall began on July 1,2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.

• 15V728000

  A vehicle that unexpectedly brakes increases the risk of a crash.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain PCS components, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this campaign are F1V and F2E.

• 16V215000

  Air bags that do not deploy as intended during a crash increase the risk of injury.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will recalibrate the OCS, free of charge. The recall began by May 13, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G0J.

• 16V906000

  If the air bag was installed with incorrect fasteners, the fasteners may become loose over time, affecting the air bag deployment and increasing the risk of injury.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fasteners, and if necessary, replace the instrument panel brace and body bracket and reattach the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 8, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G05.

9 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Brake Actuator Valve Wear

  Defect petition, opened November 2023, still open.

• Pedestrian alert sounds

  Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.

• Brake Actuator Valve Wear

  Defect petition, opened September 2019, closed January 2021.

• Electrical overstress

  Engineering analysis, opened April 2019, closed September 2024.

• Engine seizure

  Defect petition, opened April 2002, closed June 2002.

• Turn signal failures

  Engineering analysis, opened July 1997, closed September 1998.

• Turn signal failures

  Preliminary evaluation, opened April 1997, closed July 1997.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Toyota filed 130 bulletins about the 2022 Avalon.

• Structure: 32
• Electrical system: 29
• Equipment: 24
• Engine and engine cooling: 22
• Engine: 10
• Fuel system, gasoline: 2
• Air bags: 1
• Communication: 1
• Lane departure: 1
• Seats: 1
• Other: 7

• OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete. · March 2026
• OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26. · February 2026
• Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest,… · February 2026
• Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address… · February 2026
• Some 2021 – 2022 model year Avalon, 2018 – 2024 Camry, 2019 – 2025 model year Corolla, 2022 – 2025 model year Corolla Cross, and 2019 – 2025 model year RAV4 vehicles with A25A-FKS and M20A-FKS… · July 2025
• Some ECUs can set a DTC that is common with other ECUs. This can lead to accidental use of the wrong repair manual when diagnosing these type of DTCs. · July 2025
• Some ECUs can set a DTC that is common with other ECUs. This can lead to accidental use of the wrong repair manual when diagnosing these type of DTCs. · July 2025
• The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in… · July 2025

122 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.