IllustrationDRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE FELL APART WHILE OPENING THE DOOR WITHOUT EXCESSIVE FORCE BEING USED.*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 reportsLOUD NOISE COMING FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE. WAS INFORMED BY TOYOTA THAT FRONT STRUTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. THEY KNOW THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT ARE UNWILLING TO HELP.*AK
THE ENTIRE HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WENT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE SYSTEM FAN REMAINED OFF NO MATTER WHAT SETTINGS I CHOSE. AFTER NOT RUNNING THE CAR FOR A WHILE, THE SYSTEM WOULD WORK AGAIN, ONLY THEN TO SHUT ITSELF OFF WITHIN A TIME PERIOD OF SECONDS TO AS MUCH AS A WHOLE DAY. I HAD THE PROBLEM REPAIRED BY MY …
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THE ENTIRE HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WENT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE SYSTEM FAN REMAINED OFF NO MATTER WHAT SETTINGS I CHOSE. AFTER NOT RUNNING THE CAR FOR A WHILE, THE SYSTEM WOULD WORK AGAIN, ONLY THEN TO SHUT ITSELF OFF WITHIN A TIME PERIOD OF SECONDS TO AS MUCH AS A WHOLE DAY. I HAD THE PROBLEM REPAIRED BY MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, WHO CHARGED ME APPROXIMATELY $1500. THOUGH THE COST OF REPAIR WAS VERY HIGH, I DID NOT HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED, SINCE I COULD NOT USE THE CAR IN THAT UNSAFE AND UNSATISFACTORY CONDITION. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT TOYOTA LIMITED ANY FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THAT REPAIR TO 36,000 MILES OR LESS. MY CAR HAS 67,000 MILES ON IT, SO NO SUPPORT WAS GIVEN. *NLM
VEHICLE'S KEY GETS INTERMITTENTLY STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND WILL NOT TURN. RELATED RECALL 98E035000, BUT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK
THE HEAT DEFROSTER BLOWER HAD CUT COMPLETELY OFF AND DID NOT TURN BACK ON. SCC
PREMATURE FAILURE OF LEFT FRONT STRUT AT 63000 MILES ALONG WITH BOTH STRUT SUPPORTS.
CONSUMER STATED THE ROTORS WERE WORN, WHICH CAUSED A HEAVY VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING.*JB
WHILE MY USUAL MECHANIC WAS PERFORMING PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AT 64,500 MILES, HE DISCOVERED A LARGE, BENT BOLT IN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID PAN WHICH WAS NOT THERE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS LAST SERVICED AT 39,000 MILES. HE DID NOT NOTE ANY METAL SHAVINGS, ETC. AND THE CAR RUNS FINE. HE WAS NOT ABLE T…
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WHILE MY USUAL MECHANIC WAS PERFORMING PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AT 64,500 MILES, HE DISCOVERED A LARGE, BENT BOLT IN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID PAN WHICH WAS NOT THERE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS LAST SERVICED AT 39,000 MILES. HE DID NOT NOTE ANY METAL SHAVINGS, ETC. AND THE CAR RUNS FINE. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE WHERE THE BOLT CAME FROM. HOWEVER, THIS IS AN OBVIOUS CONCERN AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT TOYOTA HAS TO SAY ABOUT IT AND WHETHER IT IS LIKELY TO CAUSE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM OR FAILURE.
CONSUMER STATES WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED CONSUMER NOTICE A LOUD NOISE FLOWING WITH GLASS IN REAR SEAT OF VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY INDICATION REAR WINDOW BLEW OUT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
IN AUGUST OF 2001, THE REAR INSIDE LEFT DOOR HANDLE CEASED TO WORK. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CHILD'S SAFETY LATCH. THE MECHANISM INSIDE THE DOOR BROKE. NOW, IN 2002, THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE DOOR HANDLE MECHANISM INSIDE THE DOOR FRAME QUIT WORKING. THIS SEEMS TO BE MORE THAN JUST A COINCIDENCE THA…
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IN AUGUST OF 2001, THE REAR INSIDE LEFT DOOR HANDLE CEASED TO WORK. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CHILD'S SAFETY LATCH. THE MECHANISM INSIDE THE DOOR BROKE. NOW, IN 2002, THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE DOOR HANDLE MECHANISM INSIDE THE DOOR FRAME QUIT WORKING. THIS SEEMS TO BE MORE THAN JUST A COINCIDENCE THAT FIRST THE LEFT SIDE BROKE AND NOW THE RIGHT SIDE. THIS FAILURE COULD PREVENT PEOPLE FROM EXITING THE VEHICLE SAFELY IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. MR
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.