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1997 Toyota Avalon

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1997 Toyota Avalon do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 101.

About this comparison →
125Owner complaints

Model-year median: 101

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

1Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
80
1995109
1996125
1997178
199892
1999173
2000
Compare all Avalon years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Steering
40Suspension
26Power Train
9Tires
9Engine And Engine Cooling
8
All reported categories
Vehicle Speed Control
8Service Brakes, Hydraulic
7Air Bags
5Seat Belts
5Electrical System
4Visibility
4Exterior Lighting
3Seats
3Service Brakes, Air
3Unknown Or Other
3Electronic Stability Control (esc)
2Latches/locks/linkages
2Structure
2Equipment Adaptive/mobility
1Fuel System, Gasoline
1Fuel/propulsion System
1Parking Brake
1Service Brakes
1Wheels
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 25 of 125 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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.

  • Steering. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports0 fire reports6 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

7 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Dec 20, 2000
Engine And Engine CoolingSeatsService Brakes, Hydraulic

RACK AND PINION STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED/ LEAKING OIL, AND FRONT STRUT SUPPORT HAD TO BE REPAIRED. VEHICLE WAS RATTLING CONSTANTLY FROM TIME OF PURCHASE. ALSO, HAD A BRAKE PROBLEM. WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED THERE WAS SOUND. ONLY AFTER BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED A SECOND TIME KNOCKING SOUND STOPPED. IN ADDITION, DRIVER'S S…

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RACK AND PINION STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED/ LEAKING OIL, AND FRONT STRUT SUPPORT HAD TO BE REPAIRED. VEHICLE WAS RATTLING CONSTANTLY FROM TIME OF PURCHASE. ALSO, HAD A BRAKE PROBLEM. WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED THERE WAS SOUND. ONLY AFTER BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED A SECOND TIME KNOCKING SOUND STOPPED. IN ADDITION, DRIVER'S SEAT MOVED WHEN MAKING TURNS. CONSUMER FELT UNSAFE IN VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #876830

Mileage unknown · Mar 30, 2000
Service Brakes, AirService Brakes, Hydraulic

BRAKES FEEL SOFT AND MUSHY, FRONT BRAKES APROX 9.5MM REMAIN AND REARS APROX 9MM REMAIN.TEST DROVE AND ADJUST PARK BRAKE. ADJUST BRAKE PEDAL HEIGHT PEDAL TO LOW, CHECKED AND RESET PEDAL TO SPECS, PER CUST REP AIR MANUAL. 6 INCHES FROM THE FLOOR

NHTSA ODI #9000593

Mileage unknown · Mar 28, 2000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

BRAKES HAVE A BANG NOISE.*ET

NHTSA ODI #783665

Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 1999
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

REAR CYLINDER HEAD FAILURE CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK ON TO SPARK PLUGS. YH

NHTSA ODI #608677

Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 1999
Air BagsService Brakes, HydraulicCrashInjury

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS DURING ACCIDENT. NLM

NHTSA ODI #605890

Mileage unknown · Apr 9, 1998
Service Brakes, HydraulicTires

VEHICLE HYDROPLANES ON THE SLIGHTEST WET PAVEMENT. ALSO PULLS TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT DUE TO WRONG TIRES ON VEHICLE. TOYOTA REFUSES TO REPLACE THE BRIDGESTONE TIRES WITH AN ALTERNATE MAKE DESIGNED FOR THIS VEHICLE. ALSO ABS BRAKES ENGAGED MANY TIMES DUE TO THE SLIDING.

NHTSA ODI #534132

Mileage unknown · Jul 25, 1997
Power TrainService Brakes, Hydraulic

TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO LOSE INTERNAL PRESSURE, THEREBY LOOSENING GEAR CONNECTION. THE RESULT OF THE LOST PRESSURE CAUSEDLLO THE VEHICLE TO LOSE SPEED SUDDENLY, EVEN AS THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO "REV". THE TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY FAILED.

NHTSA ODI #521594

Official recalls

1

97V156000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist

Sep 17, 1997

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN THE ELIMINATION OF VACUUM ASSIST TO THE BRAKES THAT CAN INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCES AND COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW DESIGN BRAKE VACUUM HOSE.

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

1

DP02004 · Engine Seizure

Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling

No summary supplied.