RoadVitals

2011 Toyota Avalon Brakes Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Brakes reportsComplaints 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.
8
Latest Mar 13, 2019
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
8%
of 106 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2011 Toyota Avalon submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming brake

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Brakes
Filed Mar 13, 2019

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY FRONT BRAKE ROTORS 4 TIMES ON MY 2011 AVALON.. I CURRENTLY HAVE 173,800 MILES WITH 75-80% OF THIS MILEAGE ON THE OPEN HIGHWAY. SEVERAL MECHANICS HAVE INDICATED THAT THIS PREMATURE WEAR ON THE FRONT ROTORS IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL. MY ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT TOYOTA ABOUT THIS PREMATURE ROTOR WEAR ISSUE HAVE EITHER NO RESPONSE OR A FORM LETTER STATING THEY HAVE NO ISSUES WITH THEIR BRAKES. MY VEHICLE IS SERVICED REGULARLY AND TO ME THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ISSUE. PERHAPS YOU CAN GET THE ATTENTION OF TOYOTA TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER.

NHTSA ID
11186570
Incident
Mar 12, 2019
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Apr 5, 2017
Crash reported1 injury reported

WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH FROM PARKING SPOT TO FRONT OF RESTAURANT TO PICK UP PASSENGER, CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED VERY FAST WITHOUT DEPRESSING GAS PEDAL. BOTH FEET WERE APPLIED TO BRAKE PEDAL AND CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN OR STOP UNTIL IT HIT CEMENT PILLAR CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, TOTALING THE CAR AND CAUSING INJURY TO DRIVER.

NHTSA ID
10970748
Incident
Apr 4, 2017
Mileage
24,000 mi
BrakesFuel system
Filed Jun 19, 2016

SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE GEAR AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT EVEN SLOW THE CAR. IT WAS ONLY STOPPED BY HITTING A LOW RETAINING WAS, KNOCKING IT DOWN, AND THEN FALLING OVER THE EDGE OF THE DRIVEWAY AND BEING SUSPENDED LIKE A "SEE-SAW" OVER THE EDGE OF THE DRIVEWAY WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A 10+ FOOT DROP OFF INTO A WOODED RAVINE.

NHTSA ID
10875154
Incident
May 13, 2016
Mileage
124,000 mi
BrakesElectricalFuel system
Filed Mar 30, 2014
Crash reported

FEBRUARY 25, 2014, I ARRIVED FOR MY 2 P.M. DOCTOR'S APPT AND DROVE VERY SLOWLY INTO A PARKING SPACE. I WAS CONSTANTLY BRAKING BECAUSE THE TOYOTA AVALON SPORT 2011 HAS LOTS OF LOW TRIM IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND I DID NOT WANT TO SCRATCH THE CAR. I KEPT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, STOPPED THE CAR, THEN OPENED THE DOOR TO CHECK THE WHITE LINE TO SEE IF I WAS IN MY PARKING SPACE. THEN, THE MOTOR BEGAN ACCELERATING VERY RAPIDLY. BEFORE I COULD TURN THE ENGINE OFF, THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD AND I FELT LIKE I WAS AIRBORNE. WITHIN SECONDS, THE CAR HIT THE VERY TALL HEAVY METAL AND GLASS DOORS OF THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE AND STOPPED. THE CAR WAS COVERED WITH GLASS. THE METAL DOORS OF THE OFFICE WERE DAMAGED. PLEASE NOTE, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE CAR: GRILL, HEADLIGHTS, FENDERS AND HOOD WERE DAMAGED. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS INJURED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10575701
Incident
Feb 25, 2014
Mileage
15,610 mi
Brakes
Filed Nov 7, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMED TO GO DOWN CLOSER TO THE FLOOR WHEN BRAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THREE DIFFERENT DEALERS AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. EACH DEALER MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS POSIBILITY THAT THE BRAKES PRODUCE NOISE WHENEVER THEY WERE ENGAGED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE THEN BEFORE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,000.

NHTSA ID
10483569
Incident
Jun 28, 2012
Mileage
27,000 mi
BrakesSteering
Filed Oct 10, 2012

2011 TOYOTA AVALON. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH PARKING BRAKE AND STEERING WHEEL *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE PARKING BRAKE DID NOT HOLD ON A 6% GRADE WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL. THE DEALER ADJUSTED IT TO SPECIFICATION, BUT THE BRAKE STILL DID NOT HOLD. THE STEERING WHEEL TELESCOPE CLAMP LEVEL VIBRATED LOOSE, ALLOWING THE STEERING WHEEL TO TELESCOPE WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER INDICATED THE MALFUNCTION WAS SOMEWHAT COMMON, BUT TOYOTA HAD NOT ISSUED A REPAIR BULLETIN.

NHTSA ID
10480283
Incident
Oct 1, 2012
BrakesSteering
Filed Aug 2, 2011

HAD BRAKE AND STEERING PROBLEMS. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS REALLY LOOSE. I HAD TO APPLY 95% OF THE BRAKE BEFORE THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED. I TOOK IT BACK TO CLAREMONT TOYOTA IN CA WHERE I BOUGHT IT. THEY JUST LOOKED AT IT AND SAID IT'S WORKING LIKE DESIGNED AND SENT ME HOME. NO OTHER RESPONSES OR ASSISTANCE. *KB

NHTSA ID
10416714
Incident
Aug 2, 2011
Mileage
1,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Oct 30, 2010

FOOT FIRMLY ON BRAKE, SHIFTING TO REVERSE. ENGINE ROARED TO LIFE AND VEHICLE THRUST BACKWARD. FOLLOWED BY FOUR OTHER EPISODES OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE FOOT ON BRAKE. THE LAST OF THESE RESULTED IN LIGHT REAR-END COLLISION. NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO STRUCK PICKUP. FRONT GRILL OF AVALON VISIBLY CRUSHED. THESE FIVE INCIDENTS OCCURRED OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT NINE DAYS. I HAVE REFUSED TO DRIVE IT SINCE.

NHTSA ID
10363372
Incident
Oct 3, 2010
Mileage
290 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .