RoadVitals

1998 Toyota Avalon

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
178
Latest Jun 26, 2023
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Oct 19, 1998
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
26
25 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 178 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Toyota Avalon, most frequently naming the visibility, suspension and electrical categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 78 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
98E035000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE

Oct 19, 1998
1,960 units potentially affected
The defect: EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION: AFTERMARKET THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEMS USED ON 1998-1998 TOYOTA RAV4, AVALON, AND SIENNA MODEL VEHICLES 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.
The 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.
The remedy: 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.
AUDIOVOX CORPORATIONView on NHTSA.gov
98V278000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE

Oct 19, 1998
1,960 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The 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.
The remedy: 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.
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORSView on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

DP02004ClosedDefect Petition

ENGINE SEIZURE

Opened Apr 30, 2002
Closed Jun 20, 2002
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 178
Seat belts
Filed Jun 26, 2023
2 injuries reported

All plastic parts are disintegrating, seer belts, door locks, door handles, AC vents , body trim, steering wheel, lights, & anything made of plastic

NHTSA ID
11528800
Incident
Jun 30, 2015
SteeringSuspension
Filed Jun 26, 2023
Crash reported

Tie rods detached from frame, along with steering parts became unsafe on minor highway speed turnes

NHTSA ID
11528799
Incident
May 12, 2022
Driver assistanceElectricalSuspension
Filed Dec 3, 2018

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 TURNED ON AT NIGHT, CAR LOOSES TOTAL POWER. I HAD TO DRIVE FIVE BLOCKS AT NIGHT WITHOUT LIGHTS ON RALPH DAVID ABERNATHY BLVD, ATLANTA GEORGIA, EVEN THE HAZARD LIGHTS DRAINED A BRAND NEW BATTERY PURCHASED 12/02/2018.

NHTSA ID
11155533
Incident
Nov 9, 2018
Mileage
131,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 25, 2018

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 THE FAILURE, ESTABLISHED A CASE NUMBER, AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO CENTRAL FLORIDA TOYOTA (11020 S ORANGE BLOSSOM TRAIL, ORLANDO, FL 32837, (407) 641-0600). THE DEALER SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED NO REMEDY OTHER THAN THE DEALER REPAIRING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT CONTACT NO LONGER OWNS VEHICLE. *TT

NHTSA ID
11090044
Incident
Apr 24, 2018
Mileage
183,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Feb 11, 2017

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 MECHANIC SAID IT IS A DEFECTIVE AIRBAG. THEY SAID IT MIGHT NOT DEPLOY AS ITS SUPPOSED TO DURING AN ACCIDENT. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOVLED SOON. AIRBAGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND LIFE SAVING.

NHTSA ID
10954002
Incident
Feb 6, 2017
Electrical
Filed Nov 1, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT PERFORMANCE OF VARIOUS ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 98V278000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE, BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.....UPDATED 02/06/17 *BF CONSUMER STATED HAS NO DEFROSTER FOR THE FRONT WINDOW. UPDATED 7/2/18*JB *TR

NHTSA ID
10920585
Incident
Nov 1, 2005
Mileage
30,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Aug 10, 2016

WHEEL LOCKED THEN THE CAR WILL NOT START, ALARM SYSTEM LIGHT WON'T BLINK AND I'M HEARING A WINEING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD.

NHTSA ID
10894942
Incident
Aug 6, 2016
Electrical
Filed May 9, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON START UP, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION NOR WOULD THE VEHICLE START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO ALSO REPLACED THE IGNITION CYLINDER AND PROVIDED A NEW KEY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

NHTSA ID
10587509
Incident
Aug 9, 2013
Mileage
64,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

T-SB-0043-14

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

OBSOLETE NOTICE January 22, 2024: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0057-18.

TSB003220

AIR BAGS; EQUIPMENT; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2023 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate.

T-SB-0057-18

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT

TSB: The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master keys are lost. Once the system is reset, all previously registered keys will be erased. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to reset a vehicle Immobilizer or Smart Key system.

TTT063620

BACK OVER PREVENTION; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions

Toyota PRO19-02

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; TIRES; WHEELS

POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Toyota. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Toyota.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well.

Toyota Safety Re

AIR BAGS

Toyota Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Toyota Avalon by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2022800—
2021212047.5
2020103053.4
2019684055.9
2018242161.1
2017142162.7
2016233158.2
2015412159.1
2014964155.5
20131374158.8
2012304163.1
20111061043.2
2010467059.1
2009917055.6
20083496052.6
20072436057.9
20063597056.2
20052287056.1
20042053054.1
20032932055.2
20021161049.8
20011342055.9
20001732160.7
1999922157.2
1998Viewing1782157.1
19971251148.3
19961090346.1
1995800144.6

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.