1996 Toyota Avalon: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 109 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine and engine cooling (18% of complaints).
Data updated weekly
0
recalls
109
owner complaints
0
fire reports
116,000
typical failure mileage, mi
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
No fire reportsNo recall campaignsProblems tend to appear late (median 116,000 mi)
Common problems
Computed from 109 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
Engine And Engine Cooling (engine, radiator, overheating)18% · 19 complaints
Visibility (windshield, wipers, defroster, mirrors)10% · 11 complaints
Service Brakes, Hydraulic (brakes)9% · 10 complaints
Steering (steering wheel, rack, power assist)9% · 10 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control (unintended acceleration, cruise control)7% · 8 complaints
Exterior Lighting (headlights, taillights)7% · 7 complaints
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 toyota avalon. The contact stated the front drivers side seat belt was stuck and would not retract. The contact stated there was no seat belt light warning light on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure and current mileage was 240,000.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Jun 2012
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 toyota avalon. The contact stated that while in reverse with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle accelerated suddenly and without warning. The contact was unable to regain control of the vehicle, crashing into the front of a parked vehicle. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 97,909.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Feb 2012
“Tl*the contact owns a 1996 toyota avalon. The contact was involved in a crash and the vehicle was destroyed. The contact had to be cut out of the vehicle in order to be transported to the hospital via ambulance. The contact sustained a fractured hip. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal remained stuck to the floor when the pedal was engaged which caused him to crash into a building. Both the dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The failure mileage was 226,444. A police report was filed. The VIN was unavailable.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Jan 2011
Show 7 more owner reports
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 toyota avalon. While pulling up to a curb, the consumer attempted to stop, but the vehicle accelerated forward. The consumer tried to stop the vehicle by using repeated brake application, then putting the gear in park which made the vehicle go into reverse. The vehicle then accelerated backwards 50 feet and pinned a pedestrian under the vehicle dragging him approximately 50 feet. The pedestrian died from his injures. The vehicle continued backwards until it hit a utility pole. The failure mileage was 68,047. Updated 02/19/10 *bf updated 09/02/10*jb updated 9/27/11*cw”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Aug 2009
“Tl*the contact owns a 1996 toyota avalon. While turning the steering wheel to the left or right he lost power steering. The dealer diagnosed the failure on the incident date; however, the vehicle was there for 14 days. The axle shaft assembly was repaired at the owners expense for $984.51. The failure mileage was 85,290 and the current mileage was 85,300. Updated 07/29/08 *bf updated 07/29/08. *jb”Owner report · Steering · Apr 2008
“Britax marathon e9l09ds. Consumer states that rear facing lock off clips do not hold. When pressure is applied the clips pop off with or without a seatbelt inside of it. *mc *jb”Owner report · Child Seat · Jun 2007
“Tl*the contact owns a 1996 toyota avalon. While driving 32 mph, the vehicle began to fishtail and drove head on into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact was ejected through the sun roof and sustained a severe head concussion. She also lost complete vision in one eye, acute memory loss, and is unable to perform certain functions on the right side of her body. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. The dealer and manufacturer have not been notified. The contact cannot remember any other vehicle information due to her memory loss.”Owner report · Air Bags · Apr 2007
“I have a 1996 toyota avalon and the engine seems to be burning a lot of oil and sending off a lot of smoke related to the sludge problem known to have been investigated by the NHTSA. I just wanted to make the problem known once more. *jb”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Nov 2006
“The vehicle was taken to dealer for an oil change, and consumer found that there was sludge in the engine. A recall was issued for avalons of 1997, but not for this year.*ak”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jul 2004
“Purchased used 1996 toyota avalon in march 2002 with 72,000 miles. At that time I also purchased a 2 year/24000 mile extended warranty through universal underwriters. Engine failed in early december 2003 at 92000 miles due to sludge buildup in oil pan. Oil had been changed every 3,000 miles. Toyota not covering engine replacement because it is not a 97 model. Extended warranty not coving because failure caused by "fluid contamination". *ak”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Dec 2003
When filing, owners marked a crash in 10 of these complaints and injuries in 10 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 1996 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
Engines3.0L
Cylinders6
FuelGasoline
Drive type4x2
Body stylesSedan/Saloon
How other years compare
Check your exact Avalon by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1996 Toyota Avalon reliable?
NHTSA has 109 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 1996 Toyota Avalon. The most complained-about area is engine and engine cooling (18% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1996 Toyota Avalon problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 116,000 miles or less.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.