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1997 Toyota Avalon

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1997 Toyota Avalon do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 101.

About this comparison →
125Owner complaints

Model-year median: 101

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

1Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
80
1995109
1996125
1997178
199892
1999173
2000
Compare all Avalon years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Steering
40Suspension
26Power Train
9Tires
9Engine And Engine Cooling
8
All reported categories
Vehicle Speed Control
8Service Brakes, Hydraulic
7Air Bags
5Seat Belts
5Electrical System
4Visibility
4Exterior Lighting
3Seats
3Service Brakes, Air
3Unknown Or Other
3Electronic Stability Control (esc)
2Latches/locks/linkages
2Structure
2Equipment Adaptive/mobility
1Fuel System, Gasoline
1Fuel/propulsion System
1Parking Brake
1Service Brakes
1Wheels
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 25 of 125 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Steering. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports0 fire reports6 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

3 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Sep 18, 2002
Engine And Engine CoolingUnknown Or Other

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON; THEN, CONSUMER CAN HEAR WATER IN ENGINE.THIS CAN RESULT IN A FIRE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #8018999

Mileage unknown · May 24, 2001
Engine And Engine CoolingUnknown Or Other

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. OXYGEN SENSOR AND OTHER COMPONENTS HAD GONE BAD. CONSUMER WILL ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ODI #889091

Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 1999
Unknown Or Other

CUP HOLDER FAILED. YH

NHTSA ODI #606697

Official recalls

1

97V156000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist

Sep 17, 1997

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALASKA, COLORADO, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, IOWA, KANSAS, MAINE, MICHIGAN,MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, NOTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, AND WYOMING. A CONDITION CAN OCCUR WHERE ACCUMULATED MOISTURE CAN TEMPORARILY FREEZE IN THE BRAKE VACUUM HOSE IF THE VEHICLE IS USED IN EXTREMELY COLD CLIMATES FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN THE ELIMINATION OF VACUUM ASSIST TO THE BRAKES THAT CAN INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCES AND COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW DESIGN BRAKE VACUUM HOSE.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP02004 · Engine Seizure

Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling

No summary supplied.