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1998 Toyota Avalon

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Toyota Avalon do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 101.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →
178Owner complaints

Model-year median: 101

1Recall campaigns

View recall details →

1Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

1998 Toyota Avalon

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 178 owner complaints · 1 recall campaigns · 1 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

  • Electrical System: 19 reports
  • Suspension: 19 reports
  • Visibility: 19 reports
  • Equipment: 17 reports
  • Air Bags: 16 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
80
1995109
1996125
1997178
199892
1999173
2000134
2001
Compare all Avalon years →

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

What owners reported most

Electrical System
19Suspension
19Visibility
19Equipment
17Air Bags
16
All reported categories
Vehicle Speed Control
16Tires
14Power Train
11Service Brakes, Hydraulic
11Engine And Engine Cooling
9Steering
9Structure
7Seat Belts
6Unknown Or Other
6Fuel System, Gasoline
5Seats
5Exterior Lighting
3Latches/locks/linkages
2Service Brakes, Air
2Child Seat
1Equipment Adaptive/mobility
1Interior Lighting
1Wheels
1

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

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

51 reports with mileage · 127 unknown

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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

25 crash reports1 fire reports20 injury reports

Seats complaints

5 reports
Clear category filter
137,642 miles · Nov 11, 2008
Seats

FRONT SEAT POWER MOTOR/SWITCH FAILURE - WENT TO ADJUST SEAT AND IT WENT FORWARD AND WOULD NOT STOP AND I HAD AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TIME EXITING VEHICLE. I AM A WOMAN AND WAS STRANDED AND HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE SMALLER THAN ME DRIVE MY VEHICLE. ALSO UNABLE TO GO TO WORK. SEAT MOTOR SHOULD NOT FAIL - THIS IS A LIFE AND DEATH SAF…

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FRONT SEAT POWER MOTOR/SWITCH FAILURE - WENT TO ADJUST SEAT AND IT WENT FORWARD AND WOULD NOT STOP AND I HAD AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TIME EXITING VEHICLE. I AM A WOMAN AND WAS STRANDED AND HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE SMALLER THAN ME DRIVE MY VEHICLE. ALSO UNABLE TO GO TO WORK. SEAT MOTOR SHOULD NOT FAIL - THIS IS A LIFE AND DEATH SAFETY HAZARD. HAVE TO TAKE TO TORRANCE TOYOTA WHERE PURCHASED VEHICLE FOR REPAIR. LOST DAY'S WORK AT THE COURT OF APPEAL ON SPRING STREET IN LOS ANGELES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10248532

160,300 miles · Jan 19, 2007
Seats

TL* - THE CONTACT HAS A 1998 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT WAS NOT DRIVING HIS VEHICLE WHEN HE FOUND A BEARING NUT LAYING IN THE BACK SEAT OF HIS VEHICLE WHICH CAME FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT. DUE TO THE MISSING BEARING, THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS NOT POSITIONED PROPERLY ON THE TRACK AND HE COULD HEAR METAL GRINDING UNDER THE SEAT. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10179144

Mileage unknown · Oct 11, 2000
SeatsCrashInjury

MY CAR WAS STOPPED AND THEN HIT DIRECTLY IN THE BACK BY A VEHICLE GOING APPROX. 45 MILES PER HOUR. ON IMPACT, THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT FULLY RECLINED RESULTING IN INJURY TO OCCUPANT AND IF THERE WAS AN OCCUPANT ON THAT SIDE IN THE REAR SEAT, THAT OCCUPANT WOULD HAVE HAD CRUSHED LEGS. TOYOTA NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM…

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MY CAR WAS STOPPED AND THEN HIT DIRECTLY IN THE BACK BY A VEHICLE GOING APPROX. 45 MILES PER HOUR. ON IMPACT, THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT FULLY RECLINED RESULTING IN INJURY TO OCCUPANT AND IF THERE WAS AN OCCUPANT ON THAT SIDE IN THE REAR SEAT, THAT OCCUPANT WOULD HAVE HAD CRUSHED LEGS. TOYOTA NEEDS TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM. OCCUPANT SUFFERS BACK MUSCLE INJURY FROM DEFECT. BIGGER INJURIES COULD HAVE RESULTED IF SOMEONE ELSE WAS IN THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT.*AK

NHTSA ODI #734051

Mileage unknown · Sep 1, 2000
SeatsUnknown Or Other

HAVE COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES THAT DRIVER'S SEAT SEEMS TO GO FROM ONE SIDE TO ANOTHER AS THOUGH IT WAS LOOSE. DEALER SAID SEAT NOT LOOSE. ALSO DASH AND HEADLIGHT WENT OUT WHEN DRIVING HOME ONE EVENING. COULD'T GET THEM TO GO BACK ON. AFTER CAR WAS IN DRIVEWAY DOE 5 MINUTES WENT OUT AND TRIED AND THEN THEY WENT ON. DEALER SA…

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HAVE COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES THAT DRIVER'S SEAT SEEMS TO GO FROM ONE SIDE TO ANOTHER AS THOUGH IT WAS LOOSE. DEALER SAID SEAT NOT LOOSE. ALSO DASH AND HEADLIGHT WENT OUT WHEN DRIVING HOME ONE EVENING. COULD'T GET THEM TO GO BACK ON. AFTER CAR WAS IN DRIVEWAY DOE 5 MINUTES WENT OUT AND TRIED AND THEN THEY WENT ON. DEALER SAID NOTHING COULD BE FOUND.

NHTSA ODI #729860

Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 1999
Seats

PASSENGER SEAT MOTOR ASSEMBLY (POWER SEAT) FAILED. *YC

NHTSA ODI #607145

Recall campaigns

1

98V278000 · Electrical SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL Module

Oct 19, 1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, MINI VANS AND PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEMS (TDS) SUPPLIED BY AUDIOVOX CORPORATION AND DISTRIBUTED BY SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, INC. IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA. THE ALARM WIRING HARNESS PLUGS INTO THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH AND THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH WIRING HARNESS PLUGS INTO THE ALARM HARNESS TO COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT. A PERCENTAGE OF THE FEMALE TERMINALS USED IN THE ALARM CONNECTOR WERE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE, CAUSING AN 'OPEN CIRCUIT' CONDITION WHEN MATED TO THE MALE IGNITION SWITCH TERMINALS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE INTERMITTENT PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SUCH AS THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS AND/OR HVAC FAN SPEED CONTROLS. ALSO, THE VEHICLE MAY NOT RUN SMOOTHLY AND COULD STALL.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DATE CODE LABEL ON THE SECURITY SYSTEM HARNESS AND ANY DISPLAYING THE MANUFACTURING/FINAL DATE CODE WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEWLY PRODUCED HARNESSES. THE DATE CODES ARE: RAV4 - 6/24/98, 6/25/98, 6/26/98; SIENNA - 6/25/98, 6/26/98; AND AVALON - 6/30/98, 7/1/98, 8/31/98, 9/1/98, 9/2/98, AND 9/3/98.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

Defect 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.

An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.