Problems · by component

2004 Toyota Avalon vehicle speed control problems

25 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2004 Toyota Avalon cite vehicle speed control, 12% of all 205 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
25
12% of all complaints
Crashes
16
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
8
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the vehicle speed control

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND THE SPEED ERRONEOUSLY INCREASED TO 105 MPH. DURING THE INCIDENT, THE BRAKES ALSO MALFUNCTIONED AND THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT SWITCHED THE SHIFTER TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN AND STOP. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 11, 2015Vehicle speed control, Service brakesODI 10715595
“MY DAUGHTER WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT IN DEC 2013 INVOLVING OUR 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. WE SUSPECT THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT RELEASE AS IT SHOULD HAVE. SHE HAD BEEN USING THE CRUISE CONTROL AND TAPPED THE BRAKE TO RELEASE IT AS SHE EXITED A HIGHWAY SHE THEN STEPPED ON THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN AS SHE EXITED THE EASTBOUND HIGHWAY TO MANEUVERE THE EXIT CURVE TO MERGE ONTO A SOUTHBOUND INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. ON THE CURVE SHE NOTICED THE CAR WASN'T SLOWING DOWN AS IT SHOULD, AND WHEN SHE BRAKED HARDER, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP SENDING HER INTO A SWERVE. THE CAR TRACED A PATH SIMILAR TO AN UPSIDE DOWN QUESTION MARK. SHE CROSSED TWO LANES, AND THE REAR OF THE CAR HIT A WALL LANDING HER FACING TRAFFIC RIGHT NEXT TO THE ROADWAY. WHEN THE CAR CAME TO A STOP, BOTH THE GAS PEDAL AND THE BRAKE WERE COMPLETELY DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR, AND THE ENGINE HAD SHUT OFF. HER FOOT HAD NOT BEEN ON THE GAS PEDAL FOR SOME TIME SINCE SHE WAS USING THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED OUT THE CAR. THANKFULLY, THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS INVOLVED, BUT MY DAUGHTER WAS PRETTY SHAKEN UP AND HAD TO BE TREATED FOR HEADACHES/NECK SORENESS DUE TO WHIPLASH. WHEN SHE RESTARTED THE CAR (SHE HAD TO TURN THE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 3, 2014Vehicle speed control, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 10630302
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHILE SHE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS OF UNDER 10 MPH. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, TRAVELED OVER THE CURB AND CRASHED INTO A MAIL BOX. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS PRESENT HOWEVER, NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,600. ..UPDATED 12-26-13 *BF”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 28, 2013Vehicle speed controlCrash reportedODI 10549858
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE ON AND WHEN HE SHIFTED INTO DRIVE GEAR, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DEPRESS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVEN SINCE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR WAS IT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 9, 2013Vehicle speed controlODI 10523854
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH INTO A PARKING SPACE AND DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY SURGED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 8, 2013Vehicle speed controlCrash reportedODI 10511086

Showing 6 of 25 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

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

Other 2004 Avalon problem areas