Problems · NHTSA complaints

2004 Toyota Avalon problems

Owners filed 205 complaints about the 2004 Toyota Avalon with NHTSA between Jul 2004 and Aug 2024. The most-cited component is air bags (127).

Complaints
205
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
27
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
17
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags127
  2. Steering28
  3. Vehicle speed control25
  4. Electrical system11
  5. Seat belts7
  6. Engine and engine cooling5
  7. Suspension4
  8. Power train4
  9. Structure4
  10. Fuel system, gasoline4
  11. Service brakes, hydraulic4
  12. Engine3
  13. Latches/locks/linkages3
  14. Equipment3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20044
20056
20065
20073
20087
20092
201025
20116
20126
20138
201432
201551
201636
20175
20184
20192
20200
20212
20220
20230
20241

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

127 reports8 crashes1 related recall
“AIR BAG DASHBOARD LIGHT OCCASIONALLY FLICKERS AND BEGINS TO GLOW FOR A FEW SECONDS. SEEMS TO OCCUR MORE FREQUENTLY IN WET WEATHER. MY STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK WHEN I TURN LEFT OR RIGHT WHILE DRIVING. REVERSED BACKWARDS A LITTLE BIT AND WIGGLED THE STEERING WHEEL, IT WOULDN'T BUDGE THEN I WENT FORWARD AND WIGGLED AND IT FINALLY LOOSENED. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES AND USUALLY IN WET WEATHER. MY CAR IS LISTED IN THE AIR BAG RECALL OF 2015; HOWEVER, I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF WHAT TO DO NEXT AND IT HAS NOW BEEN MORE THAN 3 YEARS SINCE FIRST NOTIFICATION.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 16, 2019Steering, Air bagsODI 11187211

Steering

28 reports1 related recall
“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 AND IT WOULDN'T BUDGE THEN I WENT FORWARD AND WIGGLED AND IT FINALLY LOOSENED. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES NOW USUALLY IN THE MORNING. AND MY MILEAGE IS 140,822”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 5, 2018SteeringODI 11124569

Vehicle speed control

25 reports16 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND BEING SHIFTED INTO PARK, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT HEARD THE ENGINE REV AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A FENCE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE AND THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH SLOANE TOYOTA OF GLENSIDE (503 N EASTON RD, GLENSIDE, PA 19038) WHO DOCUMENTED THE INCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 2, 2017Vehicle speed controlCrash reportedODI 11012254

Electrical system

11 reports1 crash
“THE ECU ITSELF IS NOT WORKING, WHICH THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO NEVER STOP WORKING. WELL OURS STOPPED WORKING AND THE LICENSED MECHANIC WILL NOT WORK ON IT IF IT IS RECALLED. WE ARE LITERALLY WAITING ON TOYOTA TO FIX OUR CAR. THEY HAVE NOT DONE SO. THE HOLE ECU NOT JUST PART OF IT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 18, 2019Electrical systemODI 11233048

Seat belts

7 reports
“I TRIED TWICE TO GET A SAFETY RECALL FIXED BY KOONS TOYOTA TYSONS CORNER AFTER RECEIVING A NOTICE FROM TOYOTA THAT THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ON MY TOYOTA AVALON (RECALL 15V-043). TWICE THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY WOULD HAVE TO INSPECT THE CAR TO SEE IF IT NEEDED A REMEDY TO THE RECALL AND ONLY AFTER AN INSPECTION WOULD THEY ORDER PARTS. I BROUGHT IT IN THE FIRST TIME, THEY SAID IT DID NEED THE RECALL AND THEY WOULD ORDER THE PARTS. THEY NEVER DID. WHEN I TRIED TO SCHEDULE IT AGAIN, THEY TOLD ME THE SAME STORY THAT I HAD TO BRING IT IN FOR AN INSPECTION AND THEN THEY WOULD DECIDE IF THEY COULD ORDER THE PARTS. IT IS RIDICULOUS TO GO THROUGH SUCH TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND SO THEREFORE THE RECALL HAS NOT BEEN REMEDIED YET.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 22, 2016Air bags, Seat beltsODI 10897761

Engine and engine cooling

5 reports2 crashes1 related recall
“TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS). THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER DID NOT GIVE A SPECIFIC DATE FOR WHEN THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED DATE FOR WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY UPDATES ON THE REMEDY SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2016. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 04/29/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THERE HAVE BEEN NO NEW UPDATES ON THE AIR BAG. HOWEVER, THE ECU WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 05/05/16.*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 3, 2016Engine and engine cooling, Air bagsODI 10839733
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.