IllustrationWHILE DRIVING ABOUT 25 MPH ON ICY ROAD CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND WAS SIDE SWIPED, RESULTING IN A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Avalon years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
30–25K
1325–50K
1050–75K
975–100K
9100–150K
7150K+
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
What owners actually said
178 reportsWHILE REFUELING VEHICLE AT A GAS STATION CONSUMER SET THE PUMP ON AUTOMATIC AND WALKED OFF A FEW FEET, TURNED AROUND AND NOTICED FLAMES SHOOTING OUT OF FILLER NECK. FLAME WAS PUT OUT WITH A EXTINGUISHER, AND VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO DEALER. FIRE DEPT REPORT STATED GAS STATION PUMP IGNITED FIRE FROM SPARK OF UNKNOWN SOUCE. NO SMOK…
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WHILE REFUELING VEHICLE AT A GAS STATION CONSUMER SET THE PUMP ON AUTOMATIC AND WALKED OFF A FEW FEET, TURNED AROUND AND NOTICED FLAMES SHOOTING OUT OF FILLER NECK. FLAME WAS PUT OUT WITH A EXTINGUISHER, AND VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO DEALER. FIRE DEPT REPORT STATED GAS STATION PUMP IGNITED FIRE FROM SPARK OF UNKNOWN SOUCE. NO SMOKING OR PEOPLE AROUND AT THE TIME. *AK
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY VEHICLE CONSTANTLY PULLS TO THE LEFT . *AK
ELECTRONIC CLIMATE CONTROL AND DASH LIGHTS/WARNINGS CUT OFF WITHOUT NOTICE AND CANNOT BE RESTARTED UNLESS IGNITION TURNED OFF AND ALLOWED TO SIT >1MIN, DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY SPECIFIC PROBLEM RECOMMENDS TRYING TO REPLACE MODULE FOR $1200 ALTHOUGH THAT MAY OR MAY NOT FIX PROBLEM, MORE FREQUENT FAILURE IN SUMMER MONTHS
TOXIC SUBSTANCE VIA VENTILATION DUCTS CAUSING DROWSINESS AND NUMEROUS OTHER POTENTIALLY FATAL HEALTH RELATED SYMPTOMS. A/C SYSTEM INDEPENDENTLY SWITCHES FROM FRESH AIR TO RECIRCULATED AIR WHICH MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROBLEM.
THERE IS EXCESSIVE WIRING BY THE KICK PANEL WHICH CAUSES THE KICK PANEL NOT TO STAY ON BEACUSE THE WIRES ARE RUBBING. THIS COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SHORT OUT AND STALL. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
CONSUMER WAS NEVER MADE AWARE OF RECALL 98E035000 AND HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE WIRING OF THE TDS SYSTEM. *SLC
I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SINCE APRIL OF 1998 COMPLAINING ABOUT THE KICKPANEL NOT STAYING ON, NEVER GETTING SATISFACTORY RESULTS, I CONTACTED TOYOTA USA AND REQUESTED ARBITRATION, THEY FAILED TO RESPOND. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DAYTONA BEACH TOYOTA AT 451 N. NOVA RD DAYTONA BEACH FL 32114 AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE …
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I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SINCE APRIL OF 1998 COMPLAINING ABOUT THE KICKPANEL NOT STAYING ON, NEVER GETTING SATISFACTORY RESULTS, I CONTACTED TOYOTA USA AND REQUESTED ARBITRATION, THEY FAILED TO RESPOND. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DAYTONA BEACH TOYOTA AT 451 N. NOVA RD DAYTONA BEACH FL 32114 AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS "EXTRA WIRING ADDED TO HARNESS UNABLE TO REPAIR WIHT OUT REMOVING WIRES" THIS WAS ON 06/21/99. AT NO TIME DID ANY DEALER OR THE MANAFACTURER INFORM ME OF THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 98E03500. I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RECALL NOTICE AND AM AWAITING ARBITRATION WITH TOYOTA ON NOVEMBER 1,1999 AT THE STATE LEMON LAW OFFICE 1300 RIVERPLACE BLVD. JACKSONVILLE, FL 32207. AS OF 10/15/1999 I RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM DAVID ADAMS WITH TOYOTA THE REGIONAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION MANAGER INFORMED ME HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM MY CAR IS EXPERIENCING ON ANY OTHER AVALON! ALTHOUGH TOYOTA HAS AN ATTORNEY REPRESENTING THEM AT THE ARBITRATIN HEARING ON NOVEMBER 1,1999, MR ADAMS HAS ASKED THT WE SETTLE THIS MATTER BY MY PURHCASING ANOTHER TOYOTA AVALON WITH HIM ASISTING US AT DAYTONA BEACH TOYOTA.
NO SUMMARY
SEAT BELT BUCKLE SLIPS BELOW SEAT.
Official recalls
198V278000 · 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 ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP02004 · Engine Seizure
Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.