2004 Toyota Avalon: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 205 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (59% of complaints); the 2002 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Jan 2015
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 205 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Car makes a very, very loud screeching sound when started with a/c or heating on (but more commonly with a/c). The sound will sometimes die down or stop once a/c is turned off, but not always. Puddles can trigger the sound as well. Sound can be heard mainly upon inital startup but can occur after car is in motion.”Owner report · Engine · May 2020
“Air bag dashboard light occasionally flickers and begins to glow for a few seconds. Seems to occur more frequently in wet weather. My steering wheel will lock when I turn left or right while driving. Reversed backwards a little bit and wiggled the steering wheel, it wouldn't budge then I went forward and wiggled and it finally loosened. This has happened 4 times and usually in wet weather. My car is listed in the air bag recall of 2015; however, I have not been notified of what to do next and it has now been more than 3 years since first notification.”Owner report · Air Bags · Feb 2019
“(1) air bag dashboard light occasionally flickers and begins to glow for a few seconds this seems to occur more frequently in wet weather.. (2) when moving and making a right turn, the door locks click open and the interior light goes on for a few seconds, this happens daily.”Owner report · Air Bags · Nov 2018
Show 7 more owner reports
“My steering wheel will lock when I turn left or right while driving ..this morning I was just starting my car and was turning left and my steering wheel locked and I went up the sidewalk and almost hit the fence and I couldn't move it I reversed backwards a little bit and wiggle the steering wheel and it wouldn't budge then I went forward and wiggled and it finally loosened. This has happened 4 times now usually in the morning. And my mileage is 140,822”Owner report · Steering · Sep 2018
“The ecu itself is not working, which they are supposed to never stop working. Well ours stopped working and the licensed mechanic will not work on it if it is recalled. We are literally waiting on toyota to fix our car. They have not done so. The hole ecu not just part of it.”Owner report · Electrical System · Aug 2018
“#15v043 the airbag indicator light blinking, never stops, whether driving or parked. I purchased this car used, in maryland, where it passed their inspection and will pass my inspection in pennsylvania, but does concern me. I sold my 1999 toyota avalon xl to my granddaughter and never had this problem. According to the car fax this vehicle never got a recall, but got the recall # from the internet. Seems this is a problem that the toyota avalon has, along with many other vehicles.”Owner report · Air Bags · Nov 2017
“Tl* the contact owned a 2004 toyota avalon. While the vehicle was stationary and being shifted into park, the contact depressed the brake pedal. The contact heard the engine rev and the vehicle accelerated independently, causing the contact to crash into a fence. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed from the scene and the contact's insurance company confirmed that the vehicle was destroyed. The contact spoke with sloane toyota of glenside (503 n easton rd, glenside, pa 19038) who documented the incident. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Jul 2017
“NHTSA recall 15v-043 (1-27-15). On 7/16 I received an urgent safety recall notice via mail. Russel toyota 410-788-8400 said they would call when the part comes in. On 12/6/16 I call mr. Allen, service manager who said the part was on back order and they would call me in 2-3 months. One question: why is toyota allowed to make me drive my car with this unsafe condition for more than 2 years before they think about obtaining the parts necessary to complete the repairs?”Owner report · Air Bags · Dec 2016
“Took car to don mcgill 3times ,took it to joe myers today and the srs light is still on ,they say they completed the recall ,but I need a dr side air bag it has a dtc b0116 I'm going to check connections . It's my moms car and I want to be sure it's working.and safe no shrapmetal.”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2016
“Airbag light came on and spent 2000 dollars at don mcgill toyota to have drivers side airbag replaced. About a 1000 miles ( 3 months) later, the light is back on with the same code. Dealer so far is unable to find the problem. This is a reoccurring problem. I am concerned about inadvertent airbag deployment as well as losing the use of my car while the dealer tries to figure out the problem. I think they are just throwing expensive parts at it hoping something works,”Owner report · Air Bags · Jun 2016
When filing, owners marked a crash in 27 of these complaints and injuries in 17 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2004 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2005, EQUIPPED WITH THE 1MZ-FE OR 3MZ-FE ENGINE. THE AMOUNT OF ADHESIVE AGENT APPLIED BETWEEN THE OUTER RING AND THE TORSIONAL RUBBER DAMPER (INNER RING) IN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY MAY BE INADEQUATE. IF THE ADHESIVE IS INSUFFICIENT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE OUTER RING MAY BECOME MISALIGNED AND IT MAY NOT PROPERLY ROTATE WITH THE INNER RING, CAUSING NOISE AND/OR ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY DISCHARGE INDICATOR LIGHT.
Remedy: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE U.S. SUPPLIER. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULLEY WITH A NEW ONE AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING EARLY JANUARY 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2000-2004 AVALON VEHICLES. DUE TO IMPROPER CASTING OF THE STEERING LOCK BAR, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A MINUTE CRACK MAY DEVELOP ON THE SURFACE OF THE LOCK BAR. SUCH A CRACK MAY EXPAND OVER A LONG PERIOD OF REPEATED LOCK AND UNLOCK OPERATIONS, AND EVENTUALLY THE LOCK BAR COULD BREAK.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING INTERLOCK DEVICE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured December 28, 2001, to May 2, 2004, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2002, to April 29, 2004, 2003-2004 Avalon vehicles manufactured June 5, 2002, to December 20, 2004, and 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured January 18, 2002, to April 27, 2004. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag control module may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Remedy: Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. GM issued an interim notification to owners on March 27, 2015. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Pontiac owners may call 1-800-620-7668. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 13V-029 and 14V-147. Vehicles that had a noise filter installed as the remedy for one of those campaigns need to have the air bag control module replaced under this campaign.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2004 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 2004 Toyota Avalon reliable?
NHTSA has 205 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2004 Toyota Avalon. The most complained-about area is air bags (59% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2004 Toyota Avalon problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 69,000 miles or less.
Does the 2004 Toyota Avalon have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning engine and engine cooling. 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.