IllustrationCONSUMER COMPLAINS OF THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING AND NOT BEING ABLE TO UNJAM THE STEERING.*JG
1999 Toyota Avalon
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 Toyota Avalon do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 101.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Avalon years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
50–25K
925–50K
750–75K
375–100K
4100–150K
6150K+
34 reports with mileage · 58 unknown
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.
- Air Bags. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports1 fire reports7 injury reports
What owners actually said
92 reportsTHE VEHICLE ACCELERATES INTERMITTENTLY ALTHOUGH THE CONSUMERS FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONSUMER IS FORCED TO SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF IN ORDER TO GET THE PROBLEM TO STOP. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. JB *NLM
WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT WAS HIT BY A BUS, AND THEN CONSUMER HIT ACCELERATOR AND VEHICLE RAN INTO A BUILDING. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK
VEHICLE HAD A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH, FOLLOWED BY ENGINE CHECK" LIGHT COMING ON. DEALER DETERMINED THERE WAS A BAD FUEL INJECTOR AND SAID TOYOTA RECOMMENDED REPLACING ALL SIX INJECTORS TO REPAIR. I ASKED IF THESE WERE DEFECTIVE INJECTORS AND WAS TOLD NO. CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD SAME THI…
Read full complaint
VEHICLE HAD A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH, FOLLOWED BY ENGINE CHECK" LIGHT COMING ON. DEALER DETERMINED THERE WAS A BAD FUEL INJECTOR AND SAID TOYOTA RECOMMENDED REPLACING ALL SIX INJECTORS TO REPAIR. I ASKED IF THESE WERE DEFECTIVE INJECTORS AND WAS TOLD NO. CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD SAME THING. IF THERE IS NO DEFECT, WHY WOULD I REPLACE ALL SIX INJECTORS? THIS WOULD COST ME NEARLY 5 TIMES AS MUCH. EITHER THERE IS A KNOWN DEFECT REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF ALL INJECTORS OR THIS IS A RUSE TO GET UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMERS TO PAY MORE FOR SERVICE. THE CUSTOMER DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO MAKE A DECISION ON THE APPROPRIATE REPAIR. I WAS NOT TOLD AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE THAT THIS CAR MAY CONTAIN DEFECTIVE PARTS. IF TOYOTA KNOWS OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THESE INJECTORS THEY SHOULD REPLACE THEM WHEN A FAILURE OCCURS, NOT THE CUSTOMER. *AK
FRONT STRUTS ON SUSPENSION WERE REPLACED AT ABOUT 24000 MILES DUE TO NOISE INDICATING FAILURE OF SAME. NOW DEALER WON'T REPLACE REAR STRUTS MAKING SAME TYPE OF NOISE WHEN CROSSING BUMP AT LOW SPEEDS. FEAR IS THAT SUSPENSION COULD FAIL AT HIGHER SPEEDS LEADING TO SERIOUS ACCIDENT.*AK
TREAD SEPARATION AND THEN TIRE SIDEWALL FAILURE, CAUSED SIDEWAYS CAR SKID ON SNOW COVERED ROAD, FORTUNATELY THERE WAS A GAP IN TRAFFIC AT THAT TIME IN ONCOMING LANE AND NO ONE FOLLOWING CLOSE BEHIND.*AK (DOT NUMBER: DBUR AA45 TIRESIZE: P205/65R15)
WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND HEADLIGHTS WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIRS, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK *SLC
WHILE DRIVING ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT FUEL INJECTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK
ENGINE WAS HESTITATING AND SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF TAIL PIPE. MILEAGE JUST TURNED OVER 21,000, AND DEALER WOULD NOT HONOR WARRANTY. DEALER WAS REFUSING TO REPAIR VEHICE UNLESS CONSUMER COVERED THE COST. DEALER STATED THAT OIL CHANGES WERE DONE ON TIME, BUILDING UP SLUDGE IN ENGINE. *AK
THE GAS PEDAL BECAME STUCK THREE TIMES WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING, THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *YH
Official recalls
198V278000 · Electrical SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL Module
Oct 19, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, MINI VANS AND PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEMS (TDS) SUPPLIED BY AUDIOVOX CORPORATION AND DISTRIBUTED BY SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, INC. IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA. THE ALARM WIRING HARNESS PLUGS INTO THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH AND THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH WIRING HARNESS PLUGS INTO THE ALARM HARNESS TO COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT. A PERCENTAGE OF THE FEMALE TERMINALS USED IN THE ALARM CONNECTOR WERE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE, CAUSING AN 'OPEN CIRCUIT' CONDITION WHEN MATED TO THE MALE IGNITION SWITCH TERMINALS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE INTERMITTENT PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SUCH AS THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS AND/OR HVAC FAN SPEED CONTROLS. ALSO, THE VEHICLE MAY NOT RUN SMOOTHLY AND COULD STALL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DATE CODE LABEL ON THE SECURITY SYSTEM HARNESS AND ANY DISPLAYING THE MANUFACTURING/FINAL DATE CODE WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEWLY PRODUCED HARNESSES. THE DATE CODES ARE: RAV4 - 6/24/98, 6/25/98, 6/26/98; SIENNA - 6/25/98, 6/26/98; AND AVALON - 6/30/98, 7/1/98, 8/31/98, 9/1/98, 9/2/98, AND 9/3/98.
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
1DP02004 · Engine Seizure
Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.