2000 Toyota Avalon

Typical pattern

17.7% of complaints about the 2000 Toyota Avalon came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2000 vehicle — around the middle of the 213 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is steering (28 complaints), typically at 9.8 yr or about 110,900 miles.

Complaints: 158
Median age at failure: 6.8 yr
Median mileage: 88,677 n=82
Crash / fire / tow: 22.8% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

10V345000 2010-07-29

Steering

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 LOCK AND UNLOCK OPERATIONS, AND EVENTUALLY THE LOCK BAR COULD BREAK.

SHOULD THE STEERING LOCK BAR BREAK, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK AND THE DRIVER WOULD LOSE THE ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

00V154000 2000-06-05

Suspension:rear

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO IMPROPER HEAT TREATMENT, THE REAR AXLE MAY NOT HAVE ADEQUATE STRENGTH IN SOME AREAS.

AFTER EXTENDED USE OF THE VEHICLE, THE REAR AXLE SHAFTS COULD FAIL OR BREAK.

In owners’ own words

Air bags mileage not reported 7 mo in service crash / fire / tow

CONSUMER WAS PULLING OUT OF INTERSECTION & WAS HIT ON FORNT DRIVER SIDE. AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. SERVICE MANAGER INDICATED THAT AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE COME OUT. THEY TOOK PICTURES & SENT THEM TO A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE. CONSUMER WAS SENT TO AN AUTO REPAIR GARAGE. THERE, A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE INVESTIGATED FURTHER & SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH AIRBAGS. CONSUMER DISAGREED WITH THE CONCLUSION & WAS UNSATISFIED. *AK

Air bags mileage not reported 1.6 yr in service crash / fire / tow

CAR WAS STRUCK ON DRIVER'S SIDE (MAINLY DRIVER'S DOOR) BY ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WENT THROUGH A RED LIGHT, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

Air bags mileage not reported 1.8 yr in service crash / fire / tow

DRIVER SIDE IMPACTED BY OTHER VEHICLE AT APPROX. 35-45 MPH--SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

Steering mileage not reported 8 mo in service crash / fire / tow

STEERING WHEEL INSTALLED 30-45 DEGREES OFF CENTER. AFTER CORRECTING/ALIGNMENT CAR EXHIBITED EXTREME PULL TO LEFT. 3 PLUS FURTHER ATTEMPTS DO NOT CURE PULL TO LEFT. PULLING CONTRIBUTED TO ACCIDENT 5/13/2000. REQUESTED ARBITRATION, UNSATISFIED. CURRENTLY SUING UNDER FEDERAL MAGNUSON-MOSS WARRANTY ACT AND OHIO LEMON LAW. DASH LIGHTS ALSO ANNOYINGLY REFLECT IN WINDSHIELD IN DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT. *AK

Other Avalon model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2000 Toyota Avalon

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Avalon model years

How to read this