Toyota Avalon Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy

Every Toyota Avalon model year from 1995 to 2022, benchmarked against each other with 4,245 federal complaints, 35 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.

Avoid: 2000, 2003, 2005–2008. These years top the Avalon's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 1995, 2010, 2012, 2015–2016, 2018–2019 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.

The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the Avalon's own worst year — full methodology.

4,245Complaints on file
35Recall campaigns
28Model years

The trouble strip

One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

The defining problem

Electrical tops the Toyota Avalon file with 599 complaints, concentrated in the 2008 model years, most often reported around 59,400 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.

Every year, ranked

YearVerdictComplaintsRecallsTop problemTrouble index
2022 Few reports 13 0 — 3
2021 Few reports 29 2 Airbags 4
2020 Few reports 13 3 — 4
2019 Better year 98 4 Fuel system 16
2018 Better year 31 2 — 11
2017 Few reports 17 2 — 9
2016 Better year 33 3 — 10
2015 Better year 64 2 Brakes & stability 14
2014 Typical 123 4 Other 22
2013 Below average 187 4 Visibility & wipers 40
2012 Better year 35 4 — 11
2011 Typical 130 1 Steering 25
2010 Better year 53 7 Speed control 11
2009 Typical 110 7 Electrical 21
2008 Avoid 417 6 Electrical 73
2007 Avoid 313 6 Speed control 80
2006 Avoid 449 7 Speed control 100
2005 Avoid 303 7 Speed control 68
2004 Below average 252 3 Airbags 54
2003 Avoid 353 2 Airbags 83
2002 Below average 148 1 Airbags 41
2001 Below average 168 2 Speed control 51
2000 Avoid 220 2 Steering 59
1999 Typical 113 2 Airbags 28
1998 Below average 205 2 Other 48
1997 Typical 155 1 Steering 32
1996 Typical 121 0 Engine 25
1995 Better year 92 0 Electrical 19

Technical service bulletins

Beyond complaints and recalls, 5,580 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Toyota Avalon. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

Browse the Toyota Avalon TSB list by year →

Questions buyers ask

What Toyota Avalon years should I avoid?

Federal complaint records point to 2000, 2003, 2005–2008 as the Toyota Avalon years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.

What is the most common Toyota Avalon problem?

Electrical tops the Toyota Avalon file with 599 complaints, concentrated in the 2008 model years, most often reported around 59,400 miles.

What are the best Toyota Avalon years to buy used?

The quietest Toyota Avalon years in federal records are 1995, 2010, 2012, 2015–2016, 2018–2019 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.

Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Toyota Avalon only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.