2006 Toyota Avalon Problems, Recalls & Reliability
449 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2006 Toyota Avalon, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Speed control leads the reports, typically around 39,500 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2006 Toyota Avalon sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1995, 2010, 2012, 2015–2016, 2018–2019.
Avoid
Where 2006 sits among all Avalon years
What owners report
“On 2/10/2010 i was driving my 2006 toyota avalon headed to work. I made a complete stop at a stop sign and proceeded to turn right doing about 5 mph.once i turned the corner my car accelerated and went up on the curb and hit a fire hydrant. I was the only person occupying the vehicle and i was not…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Avalon
“When accelerating from a stop the vehicle will sometimes move about 10 feet and then hesitate for about 1 to 2 seconds. It will then accelerate normally. When driving in heavy conditions at speeds under 35 the car hesistates badly when you try to accelerate and then "jumps" forward. Same thing…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Avalon
“Under hard acceleration while turning, you will experience loss of vehicle control. Ie, entering traffic from a cross street.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Avalon
“Dashboard sticky, cracking. Also extreme glare off dash causing sight distraction. Part of a recall and toyota would not assist”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Avalon
“When the vehicle is about to come to a full stop the brake feels like it push back towards me. It almost feel like the car is not going to stop. I brought the car to the dealership. The mechanic observe the same issue but was unable to determine the cause.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Avalon
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 340 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 48,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 23,300 and 81,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011…
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact…
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4,…
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected…
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 AVALON, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 LEXUS RX, AND MODEL YEAR 2006 LEXUS GS AND IS VEHICLES. BRAKE FLUID CONTAINING POLYMERS IS USED THAT ACTS AS LUBRICANTS FOR CERTAIN BRAKE SYSTEM…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAL WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED ONE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331…
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD…
Fix: DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT…
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 AVALON, MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 CAMRY, MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 COROLLA, COROLLA MATRIX, RAV4, MODEL YEAR 2010 HIGHLANDER, MODEL YEAR 2008-2010 SEQUOIA, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 TUNDRA VEHICLES. DUE TO THE MANNER IN…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REINFORCEMENT BAR IN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHICH WILL ALLOW THE PEDAL TO OPERATE SMOOTHLY. GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS FOR THE PONTIAC VIBE PLEASE SEE 10V-018. THIS SERVICE WILL BE…
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT.
Fix: TOYOTA FILED AN AMENDED DEFECT REPORT ON NOVEMBER 25, 2009, STATING THAT DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND, ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, ALTER THE SHAPE OF THE FLOOR SURFACE UNDER THE PEDAL.…
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, DUE TO IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF THE AIR BAG INFLATOR, WHICH IS USED IN THE SIDE AIR BAG, THE CURTAIN SHIELD AIR BAG, AND THE KNEE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY, SOME INFLATORS WERE PRODUCED WITH AN INSUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF THE HEATING AGENTS NECESSARY FOR…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SPECIFIC SRS AIR BAG. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 6, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-888-270-9371, SCION AT 1-866-548-1851, OR LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
Technical service bulletins
205 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2006 Toyota Avalon. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2006 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 2006 Toyota Avalon reliable?
The 2006 Toyota Avalon drew 449 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 2006 Toyota Avalon problems?
The top reported problems for the 2006 Toyota Avalon are speed control (103 complaints), engine (69), and transmission & drivetrain (53).
At what mileage do 2006 Toyota Avalon problems show up?
Owners most often report 2006 Toyota Avalon problems around 48,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 23,300 and 81,000 miles.
Does the 2006 Toyota Avalon have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2006 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.