2004 Toyota Avalon Problems, Recalls & Reliability
252 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Toyota Avalon, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 54/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 81,482 miles.
Below average
Where 2004 sits among all Avalon years
What owners report
“I received notice for this recall in 2015. Nhtsa recall number: 15v043 recall date: january 27, 2015 manufacturer recall number: esg nothing has been done in 2.5 years.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Avalon
“My steering wheel will lock when i turn left or right while driving ..this morning i was just starting my car and was turning left and my steering wheel locked and i went up the sidewalk and almost hit the fence and i couldn't move it i reversed backwards a little bit and wiggle the steering wheel…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Avalon
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 137 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 42,175 and 116,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured December 28, 2001, to May 2, 2004, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2002, to April 29, 2004,…
Fix: Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Toyota owners…
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2004 THROUGH…
Fix: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE U.S. SUPPLIER. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULLEY WITH A NEW ONE AT NO…
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2000-2004 AVALON VEHICLES. DUE TO IMPROPER CASTING OF THE STEERING LOCK BAR, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A MINUTE CRACK MAY DEVELOP ON THE SURFACE OF THE LOCK BAR. SUCH A CRACK MAY EXPAND OVER A LONG PERIOD OF REPEATED…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING INTERLOCK DEVICE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Technical service bulletins
126 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and electrical — are on file for the 2004 Toyota Avalon. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2004 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 2004 Toyota Avalon reliable?
The 2004 Toyota Avalon drew 252 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 54/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 2004 Toyota Avalon problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Toyota Avalon are airbags (128 complaints), steering (29), and speed control (25).
At what mileage do 2004 Toyota Avalon problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Toyota Avalon problems around 70,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 42,175 and 116,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Toyota Avalon have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 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.