The term “flagship automobiles'' instantly takes us to the pricey and flashy ones out there and the brands that make them. However, the Toyota Avalon is the flagship offering from the humble Japanese automaker and has been around for around a couple of decades now. Apart from giving some prominent rivals such as the Chrysler 300, the Nissan Maxima, and the Buick LaCrosse stiff competition, the Avalon mostly stays true to Toyota’s reliability quotient. Since the current 2013 model of the Avalon saw a complete redesign, the sedan faces more complaints and recalls than the previous model. The sedan has been recalled 4 times due to safety issues and a wiper failure issue. Apart from 143 official complaints, there are 2 investigations for the sedan too which are for the airbag ACU fault and brake actuator fault. Let’s take a closer look at the details of the major complaints faced by the owners below.
Toyota Avalon user complaints and problems
Engine problems
- Sudden acceleration and increase in engine speed: A couple of complaints against the 2013 Avalon reports these issues. In one case, the owner complains that he experienced sudden acceleration from the engine of his Avalon while parking the car. Another owner complains that the engine rpm of his car would go up but the speed of the vehicle would remain unchanged. The issue occurred intermittently and multiple times.
- Transmission failure: A few cases of transmission failures were reported against the 2013 Avalon. Before the failures, the transmissions inhibited symptoms such as going to neutral randomly while driving or slippage.
Safety problems
- Airbag failure: In several instances, the owners of the 2013 Toyota Avalon faced complete airbag failures. Due to the failures, the airbags failed to deploy resulting in injuries to the occupants. Several owners expressed their concerns about the recall that was issued to fix the clogged A/C drain which could affect the deployment of the airbags. According to them, the dealerships failed to perform the fix due to the unavailability of parts or lack of information.
- Brake failure: Complete brake failures troubled several owners apart from the airbag failures. The brake failures resulted in the vehicles being not able to stop when the brake pedals were pressed.
Miscellaneous problems
- Falling headliner: Due to a manufacturing defect, the headliners of several 2013 Avalon models slowly detached from the roof of the vehicles. In some cases, a complete replacement of the headliners did not solve the problem and the issue recurred.
2013 Toyota Avalon recalls
|
S.No. |
Recall Date |
NHTSA Campaign ID |
Issues noticed |
Additional remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
October 17, 2013 |
13V505000 |
Wiper Switch May Fail/FMVSS 104 |
A short circuit could cause inoperative windshield wipers, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. |
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiper switch assembly, free of charge. The recall began on November 8, 2013. |
|
2 |
October 17, 2013 |
13V442000 |
Clogged A/C Drain may cause Airbags to Deploy |
A short circuit may cause the airbags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airbag can increase the risk of injury in a severe crash. The power steering assist could also become inoperable resulting in increased steering effort and can increase the risk of a crash at low speeds. |
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing and install a protective cover on the airbag control module, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2014. |
|
3 |
November 3, 2015 |
15V728000 |
Unexpected Braking due to Pre-Collision System |
A vehicle that unexpectedly brakes increases the risk of a crash. |
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain PCS components, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2016. |
|
4 |
January 17, 2020 |
20V024000 |
Airbags/Seat Belt Pretensioners may not Deploy |
In the event of a crash, airbags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury. |
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the airbag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020, and June 27, 2020. |
Should you buy a used Toyota Avalon?
The Toyota Avalon is the go-to sedan for shoppers looking for a luxurious experience without shelling out a fortune. Moreover, the redesign for the 2013 model year makes the Avalon even more appealing and value for money than the previous model. However, the sedan troubles its owners with the issues and niggles but those are moderately acceptable, given the launch of the sedan in an all-new iteration. Going for a used model is actually a good option but opt for slightly older models with a neat service history.
