Toyota Avalon reliability by year
9 recalls and 1,921 owner complaints across 18 model years. Best year to buy: 2021. Year to avoid: 2008.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 4 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and others. Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 18 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Avalon aggregated across 18 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Toyota Avalon?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2021 Toyota Avalon scores 8.4/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2022 range. 21 complaints on file, 1 active recall. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Toyota Avalon year should I avoid?
The 2008 Toyota Avalon scores 7.2/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 349 owner complaints with NHTSA, 0 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2008 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Toyota Avalon should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2007 (avoid — the cruise-control — 3 fatality reports and 1 fire-related complaint on the cruise-control); 2006 (avoid — the cruise-control — 1 fatality report and 26 crash-related complaints on the cruise-control); 2005 (avoid — the cruise-control — 1 fatality report and 21 crash-related complaints on the cruise-control); 2008 (high-risk ownership — electrical system: 44 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 43,542–95,000 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Toyota Avalon are tracked?
18 model years (2005 through 2022) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 9 recalls and 1,921 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Toyota Avalon?
cruise control is the most-reported category — 320 complaints across 12 model years. Average shop repair runs about $600.