2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes529.4%
- Driver assistance423.5%
- Electrical317.6%
- Engine211.8%
- Airbags15.9%
- Exterior lighting15.9%
- Visibility15.9%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE AVALON HYBRIDS COVERED ONLY BY WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT ZKK ARE SUFFERING THE SAME DANGERS AND FVMSS NONCOMPLIANCE DUE TO BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLY FAILURES AS THOSE TOYOTA COVERED BY SAFETY RECALLS (D0H & K0L). BY EXCLUDING AVALON HYBRIDS WITH DEFECTIVE BRAKES FROM THE D0H AND K0L SAFETY RECALLS, TOYOTA IS LEAVING THE OWNERS TO HELPLESSLY EXPERIENCE LIFE-THREATENING BRAKE FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION BEFORE TOYOTA WILL PROVIDE THE REPLACEMENT BRAKE COMPONENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THE VEHICLE SAFE. THE LAW REQUIRES TOYOTA TO PREVENT THE LIFE-THREATENING DANGERS OF THIS BRAKE DEFECT BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURS. TOYOTA'S COST-CUTTING STRATEGIES ARE CAUSING CRASHES AND INJURIES. INJURIES AND CRASHES CAUSED BY THE BRAKE DEFECT EXPLAINED IN THIS LETTER HAVE OCCURRED AND BEEN REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. TOYOTA'S DECISION TO PROVIDE A REACTIONARY, POST-FAILURE REPAIR - INSTEAD OF A PREVENTATIVE SAFETY RECALL REMEDY - EXPLAINS MANY OF THE CRASHES AND INJURIES ON NHTSA'S SAFERCAR.GOV WEBSITE. RELEVANT COMPLAINTS FROM SAFERCAR.GOV INCLUDE 10515182 AND 11093611. DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES C1256, C1253, C1252, AND C1391 - INDICATING DANGERS AND NONCOMPLIANCE - ARE BEING STORED IN VEHICLES EXCLUDED FROM THE PAST SAFETY RECALLS. TOYOTA HAS LONG HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNREASONABLE RISKS TO SAFETY AND FMVSS NONCOMPLIANCE OCCURRING IN HYBRIDS EXCLUDED FROM THEIR SAFETY RECALLS. TOYOTA GETS REAL-TIME TRANSMISSIONS OF DTCS AND FREEZE FRAME DATA FROM HYBRIDS WITH FAILED BRAKES THROUGH THE TECHSTREAM TOOL AT ITS FRANCHISE DEALERSHIPS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA AVALON HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD BEFORE STOPPING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DAYTONA TOYOTA 1700 (451 N NOVA RD, DAYTONA BEACH, FL 32114, (386) 255-7475), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED AND NO FAILURES WERE FOUND. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNLESS THE BRAKE FAILURE COULD BE DUPLICATED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,251. *JS *LN *TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE AVALON HYBRIDS COVERED ONLY BY WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT ZKK ARE SUFFERING THE SAME DANGERS AND FVMSS NONCOMPLIANCE DUE TO BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLY FAILURES AS THOSE TOYOTA COVERED BY SAFETY RECALLS (D0H & K0L). BY EXCLUDING AVALON HYBRIDS WITH DEFECTIVE BRAKES FROM THE D0H AND K0L SAFETY RECALLS, TOYOTA IS LEAVING THE OWNERS TO HELPLESSLY EXPERIENCE LIFE-THREATENING BRAKE FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION BEFORE TOYOTA WILL PROVIDE THE REPLACEMENT BRAKE COMPONENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THE VEHICLE SAFE. THE LAW REQUIRES TOYOTA TO PREVENT THE LIFE-THREATENING DANGERS OF THIS BRAKE DEFECT BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURS. TOYOTA'S COST-CUTTING STRATEGIES ARE CAUSING CRASHES AND INJURIES. INJURIES AND CRASHES CAUSED BY THE BRAKE DEFECT EXPLAINED IN THIS LETTER HAVE OCCURRED AND BEEN REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. TOYOTA'S DECISION TO PROVIDE A REACTIONARY, POST-FAILURE REPAIR - INSTEAD OF A PREVENTATIVE SAFETY RECALL REMEDY - EXPLAINS MANY OF THE CRASHES AND INJURIES ON NHTSA'S SAFERCAR.GOV WEBSITE. RELEVANT COMPLAINTS FROM SAFERCAR.GOV INCLUDE 10515182 AND 11093611. DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES C1256, C1253, C1252, AND C1391 - INDICATING DANGERS AND NONCOMPLIANCE - ARE BEING STORED IN VEHICLES EXCLUDED FROM THE PAST SAFETY RECALLS. TOYOTA HAS LONG HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNREASONABLE RISKS TO SAFETY AND FMVSS NONCOMPLIANCE OCCURRING IN HYBRIDS EXCLUDED FROM THEIR SAFETY RECALLS. TOYOTA GETS REAL-TIME TRANSMISSIONS OF DTCS AND FREEZE FRAME DATA FROM HYBRIDS WITH FAILED BRAKES THROUGH THE TECHSTREAM TOOL AT ITS FRANCHISE DEALERSHIPS.
TIME TO TIME EVERYTHING ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR SHUTDOWN (LIGHTS, NAVIGATION, STEREO SYSTEM E.T.C. ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES, IT MOSTLY HAPPENS WHEN I DRIVE, ALSO THE DASHBOARD MAKES A NOISE WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A CLICK. ABOUT AN YEAR AGO I GOT A RECALL FOR BUT WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE TOYOTA OF NOHO THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DIDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM, SO NOTHING HAS BEEN REPLACED AND I STILL HAVE BOTH PROBLEMS WHICH HARD TO FIND OUT BY DRIVING COUPLES OF MILES, HOW A TECHNICIAN EXPLAINED TO ME. SO PLEASE REQUEST A REPLACEMENT OR FIX THEM, BECAUSE IT'S DANGEROUS WHEN POWER GOES OFF WHILE YOU ARE ON FREEWAY. I HAVEN'T MENTIONED THAT I GOT LOST MANY TIMES BECAUSE THE NAVIGATION STOPPED WORKING, OR LIGHTS GOT OFF AT NIGHTTIME. SINCERELY [XXX] . TEL: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA AVALON HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION IN THE VEHICLE, WHICH SHORTED OUT THE DISPLAY PANEL WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER (DON MCGILL TOYOTA, 11800 KATY FWY HOUSTON, TX 77079, (281) 496-2000) WAS NOTIFIED AND AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND HAD NOT ISSUED A RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TIME TO TIME EVERYTHING ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR SHUTDOWN (LIGHTS, NAVIGATION, STEREO SYSTEM E.T.C. ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES, IT MOSTLY HAPPENS WHEN I DRIVE, ALSO THE DASHBOARD MAKES A NOISE WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A CLICK. ABOUT AN YEAR AGO I GOT A RECALL FOR BUT WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE TOYOTA OF NOHO THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DIDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM, SO NOTHING HAS BEEN REPLACED AND I STILL HAVE BOTH PROBLEMS WHICH HARD TO FIND OUT BY DRIVING COUPLES OF MILES, HOW A TECHNICIAN EXPLAINED TO ME. SO PLEASE REQUEST A REPLACEMENT OR FIX THEM, BECAUSE IT'S DANGEROUS WHEN POWER GOES OFF WHILE YOU ARE ON FREEWAY. I HAVEN'T MENTIONED THAT I GOT LOST MANY TIMES BECAUSE THE NAVIGATION STOPPED WORKING, OR LIGHTS GOT OFF AT NIGHTTIME. SINCERELY [XXX] . TEL: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWN A 2015 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE HYBRID ENGINE ON THE VEHICLE SWITCHED FROM ELECTRIC TO GASOLINE OPERATION WHICH CAUSE A FASTER ACCELERATION AND JERKING MOTION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO FITZGERALD TOYOTA GAITHERSBURG (907 N FREDERICK AVE, GAITHERSBURG, MD 20879) WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND NO FAILURE WITH VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD A THIRD-PARTY INVESTIGATOR INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND IDENTIFIED THE ACCELERATION AND JERKING IN THE VEHICLE WHEN SWITCHING TO ENGINE FROM ELECTRIC TO GASOLINE HOWEVER, THE INVESTIGATOR STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,696.
MY AVALON HYBRID WAS "RECALLED" OVER 6 MONTHS AGO FOR THE TOYOTA SAFETY SENSE PACKAGE. CONSUMER REPORTS SAYS THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE SO I PURCHASED THE SAFEST POSSIBLE CAR. BUT, THE CAR STILL LACKS THIS FEATURE. WHEN WILL I GET THIS SAFETY FEATURE INSTALLED?
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 TOYOTA AVALON HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BROADSIDED BY A PICKUP; HOWEVER, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HEAD, RIBS AND SHOULDER REQUIRING MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT FACILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
TIME TO TIME EVERYTHING ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR SHUTDOWN (LIGHTS, NAVIGATION, STEREO SYSTEM E.T.C. ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES, IT MOSTLY HAPPENS WHEN I DRIVE, ALSO THE DASHBOARD MAKES A NOISE WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A CLICK. ABOUT AN YEAR AGO I GOT A RECALL FOR BUT WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE TOYOTA OF NOHO THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DIDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM, SO NOTHING HAS BEEN REPLACED AND I STILL HAVE BOTH PROBLEMS WHICH HARD TO FIND OUT BY DRIVING COUPLES OF MILES, HOW A TECHNICIAN EXPLAINED TO ME. SO PLEASE REQUEST A REPLACEMENT OR FIX THEM, BECAUSE IT'S DANGEROUS WHEN POWER GOES OFF WHILE YOU ARE ON FREEWAY. I HAVEN'T MENTIONED THAT I GOT LOST MANY TIMES BECAUSE THE NAVIGATION STOPPED WORKING, OR LIGHTS GOT OFF AT NIGHTTIME. SINCERELY [XXX] . TEL: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA AVALON HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN EXPLOSION AND NOTICED THAT THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT CALLED NEWARK TOYOTA WORLD (230 E CLEVELAND AVE, NEWARK, DE 19711) AND SCHEDULED A DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR APPOINTMENT FOR JUNE 24, 2019. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .