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U.S. public vehicle records

1996 Toyota AVALON: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

48 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

116,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1996 model year. Data snapshot: . 19 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Vehicle Speed Control is the most frequently named component, appearing in 7 of 48 complaints (14.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Steering behavior714.6%
Engine operation510.4%
Braking behavior48.3%
Transmission and shifting24.2%
Electrical and battery issues24.2%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Vehicle Speed Control
7
Engine And Engine Cooling
6
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
4
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
3
Air Bags:Frontal
2
Electrical System
2
Engine
2
Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System
2
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Vehicle Speed Control7
Engine And Engine Cooling6
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine4
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline3
Air Bags:Frontal2
Electrical System2
Engine2
Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System2

Vehicle Speed Control: 7; Engine And Engine Cooling: 6; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 4; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 3; Air Bags:Frontal: 2; Electrical System: 2; Engine: 2; Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
4
75,000 to 99,999
4
100,000 to 149,999
4
150,000 and above
7
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0000
25,000 to 49,9990
50,000 to 74,9994
75,000 to 99,9994
100,000 to 149,9994
150,000 and above7

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 4; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 7

150,000 and above miles has the most reports with usable mileage (7). 29 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

1996
5
2000
7
2001
7
2002
3
2003
7
2004
7
2006
1
2007
2
2008
1
2009
1
2010
1
2011
1
2012
2
2013
2
2014
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
19965
20007
20017
20023
20037
20047
20061
20072
20081
20091
20101
20111
20122
20132
20141

1996: 5; 2000: 7; 2001: 7; 2002: 3; 2003: 7; 2004: 7; 2006: 1; 2007: 2; 2008: 1; 2009: 1; 2010: 1; 2011: 1; 2012: 2; 2013: 2; 2014: 1

Pattern summary

Vehicle Speed Control leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 7 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 5 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 4 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10007422 · 2003-02-14 (February 14, 2003)

THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10007422 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10007640 · 2003-02-17 (February 17, 2003)

ENGINE CUT OUT/STALLED IN MIDDLE OF EXPRESSWAY WITH NO WARNING. PULLED TO EMERGENCY LANE, TURNED OFF ENGINE, WAITED A WHILE, TURNED ENGINE BACK ON, ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP, WHO INDICATES IT IS OIL SLUDGE DUE TO FAILURE TO CHANGE OIL. OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED EVERY 4000 MILES. GETTING NO SATISFACTION AT THIS POINT FROM DEALER, WHO INDICATES MINIMUM REPAIR COST WILL BE $3300 - $3500 FOR REBUILT ENGINE. MADE COMPLAINT TO TOYOTA CORPORATE, WHO ALSO ARE NOT PROVIDING ASSISTANCE. GETTING RUN AROUND AS COMPLAINT WAS FILED, WHICH THEY…

Owner-reported narrative. 63,348 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007640 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10010272 · 2003-03-11 (March 11, 2003)

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1996 TOYOTA AVALON AND NEED A NEW ENGINE DUE TO OIL SLUDGE PROBLEMS. MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER TOYOTA'S CSP PROGRAM ALTHOUGH IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THE ENGINES COVERED UNDER THIS PROGRAM. THIS HAS CAUSED MY FAMILY EMOTIONAL AND FINANCIAL STRESS. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 116,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010272 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10026077 · 2003-07-14 (July 14, 2003)

I OWN A 1996 TOYOTA AVALON. MY CAR HAS BEEN PUTTING OUT A WHITE SMOKE DURING COLD START-UPS. I AM ADDING TWO QUARTS OF OIL A WEEK. I CHANGE MY OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES. I EVEN REPLACE SOME SEALS, BELIEVING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. NOW THE PROBLEM HAS COME TO A-HEAD. MY CAR STALLED ON THE INTERSTATE GOING TO WORK ON JULY 13, 2003. THE CAR ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER IT STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO PARK THE CAR AND IT WILL BE MY MECHANIC. I HAVE READ ON THIS SITE THAT THERE HAS BEEN OTHERS COMPLAIN OF THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP US IN NOT ONLY FIN…

Owner-reported narrative. 180,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10026077 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10037371 · 2003-09-07 (September 7, 2003)

I BOUGHT A USED 1996 TOYOTA AVALON. IT WAS COVERED UNDER 6 YEAR / 100,000 MILE WARRANTY. THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN MARCH OF 2002. I NOW HAVE JUST OVER 100,000 MILES ON IT.*AK WHEN PUTTING THE AUTO TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE FROM PARK OR NEUTRAL THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGES VIOLENTLY. ALTHOUGH IT DOES NOT "BARK" THE TIRES, IT IS QUITE SEVERE. MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY GASKET(S) WERE THE LIKELY CAUSE AND THEY HAD MY CAR FROM 9-3-03 TO 9-5-03 REPLACING THEM. THEY SAID THAT A TSB HAD BEEN ISSUED DETAILING THE REPLACEMENT O…

Owner-reported narrative. 100,475 miles reported. Look up ODI 10037371 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10046584 · 2003-11-07 (November 7, 2003)

DURING THE WINTER SEASON THE DEFROSTER FAILED. CONSUMER HAD TO USE THE AIR CONDITIONER TO DEFROST THE WINDSHIELD.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 54,704 miles reported. Look up ODI 10046584 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10046698 · 2003-12-10 (December 10, 2003)

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. VEHICLE STALLED. THEN, VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS, AND MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE CAM HEAD BROKE OFF. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE WAS REQUIRED.*AK THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE MECHANIC WAS NOTIFIED. WHEN PULLING INTO THE PARKING LOT, THE ENGINE DIED. THE OIL WAS CHECKED AND IT WAS FINE. HE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE CAM HEAD BLEW OFF. CONSUMER NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AND THE DEALERSHIP WOULDN'T HELP SINCE …

Owner-reported narrative. 117,417 miles reported. Look up ODI 10046698 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10063675 · 2004-03-23 (March 23, 2004)

FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS AND INVESTIGATION.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10063675 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.