1998 Toyota Avalon Problems, Recalls & Reliability
205 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1998 Toyota Avalon, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 48/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Other leads the reports.
Below average
Where 1998 sits among all Avalon years
What owners report
“This system malfunction is a serious harzard. When the electronic temperature control system fails, the defroster also fails. The loss of defroster has put me in jeopardy many times during poor weather. Because i don't know when the failure will occur, and only own one car, i can't choose not to…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Avalon
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 60 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 73,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 45,920 and 115,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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,…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
78 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on brakes & stability and airbags — are on file for the 1998 Toyota Avalon. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1998 Avalon TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1998 Toyota Avalon reliable?
The 1998 Toyota Avalon drew 205 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 48/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 1998 Toyota Avalon problems?
The top reported problems for the 1998 Toyota Avalon are other (25 complaints), electrical (23), and visibility & wipers (19).
At what mileage do 1998 Toyota Avalon problems show up?
Owners most often report 1998 Toyota Avalon problems around 73,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 45,920 and 115,000 miles.
Does the 1998 Toyota Avalon have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 1998 Toyota Avalon. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.