1997 Toyota Avalon: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 125 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is steering (28% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Sep 1997
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 125 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota avalon. While driving 40 mph, the rear passenger tire made loud noises. The failure occurred constantly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lateral arm snapped off the subframe due to severe corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 139,000. Updated 11/03/16*lj *tr”Owner report · Suspension · Aug 2016
“When I brought my car into the tire dealership where I had purchased my tires complaining of a shaking steering wheel (thinking one of my tires had lost a balance weight), that's when I discovered 3 of the 4 tires I had purchased a year ago september (and which had only 14,000 miles of wear) had all experienced the steel belt separating inside the tire. Updated 09/02/15*lj updated 10/31/2017*cn”Owner report · Tires · Jun 2015
“The tubing from the filler neck to the fuel tank is subject to rust. The rust results in holes in the tube. Fuel spills out during refueling and acceleration. *js”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Dec 2014
Show 7 more owner reports
“Making a left hand turn after stopping at a stop sign, going approx. 10 mph, the right front tire (only) bumped into a railroad track and the sensors told the car it had a front end collision and both airbags deployed even though no one was in the passenger seat. This explosion busted the front windshield, passenger side glass, knocked the front grill off, etc.. As the driver my face was cut and my left eye lens was blown out from the explosion and flying shrapnel and so I now have a transplanted left eye lens with a serial number and poor eyesight. *tr”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 2014
“Auto locking system locks doors while doors are open or closed and you are getting out of car or putting grocers in if ur keys are in car it still locks I have been locked out many times it is very frustrating and dangerous especially when ur daughter borrows your car and gets her9 month old baby locked in at 95 degrees at 11am in florida in the sun in a parking lot.the locksmith could not open the door cause every time he pop the lock the system would relock it self immediately .this is a real problem .some times it locks itself in seconds or mins.it has a mind of its own. *tr”Owner report · Equipment Adaptive/Mobility · Oct 2013
“Noise coming from rear of car, upon inspection, rear suspension crossmember was rusted out. No other significant rust under car. Crossmember failed prematurely. *tr”Owner report · Structure · Oct 2012
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota avalon. The contact stated that while having routine maintenance performed on the vehicle, the contact was notified that the driver side control arm was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, shortly after leaving the dealer the vehicle began to swerve from side to side abnormally. The vehicle was taken back to the local mechanic who was then unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the failure was not corrected. The failure and the current mileage was 130,000.”Owner report · Suspension · Feb 2012
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota avalon. The contact stated that the steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn in any direction. The dealer and manufacturer were contacted but denied any assistance with repair to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 95,970 and the current mileage was 96,000.”Owner report · Steering · Oct 2011
“Tl*the contact owns a 1997 toyota avalon. While driving approximately 65 mph, the contact heard a noise coming from the front driver's side seat belt system. Suddenly, the seat belt retractor failed without warning. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN and mileages were unknown.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Aug 2009
“Driver was attempting to park in a legal parking space in the last row of parking lot on 9 mule rd toms river nj- nose in. Weather good. Car accelerated over the curb coming to rest in drainage ditch that backs to the lot. Air bag inflated and driver was pinned and neck broken. The car was totaled and driver taken by ambulance to hospital. No past experience with unexplained acceleration - only time it ever happened. No other cars involved in accident and driver was alone in vehicle. Police report filed. Insurance company took possession of car. *cn”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Feb 2009
When filing, owners marked a crash in 12 of these complaints and injuries in 8 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
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.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW DESIGN BRAKE VACUUM HOSE.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 1997 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
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 1997 Toyota Avalon reliable?
NHTSA has 125 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 1997 Toyota Avalon. The most complained-about area is steering (28% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1997 Toyota Avalon problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 99,000 miles or less.
Does the 1997 Toyota Avalon have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning service brakes, hydraulic:power assist. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.