IllustrationDT: 1999 TOYOTA AVALON. HAD THE EVAPORATIVE CANISTER SYSTEM TANK REPLACED ON OCTOBER 18,2005. THE TANK WAS LEAKING GAS, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOT RECALL. HAD NOT CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP, AND I HAD NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED BEFORE. *AK
1999 Toyota Avalon
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
50–25K
925–50K
750–75K
375–100K
4100–150K
6150K+
34 reports with mileage · 58 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports1 fire reports7 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
6 reportsSTRUTS AND STRUT PLATES, ENGINE SMOKING AT 40,000 MILES. *AK
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AT 25-30 MPH. DEALER ADVISED CONSUMER TO KEEP DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL LIGHT MIGHT GO OFF ON IT'S OWN. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON FOR 4 WEEKS, COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC WAS DONE AT THAT TIME, AND IT SHOWED THAT CHARCOAL CANISTER VACUUM SWITCHING VALVE HAD TO BE REPLACED. TOYOTA PAID FOR PART UNDER …
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CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AT 25-30 MPH. DEALER ADVISED CONSUMER TO KEEP DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL LIGHT MIGHT GO OFF ON IT'S OWN. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON FOR 4 WEEKS, COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC WAS DONE AT THAT TIME, AND IT SHOWED THAT CHARCOAL CANISTER VACUUM SWITCHING VALVE HAD TO BE REPLACED. TOYOTA PAID FOR PART UNDER GOOD WILL PROGRAM.*AK *PH
ENGINE WAS HESTITATING AND SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF TAIL PIPE. MILEAGE JUST TURNED OVER 21,000, AND DEALER WOULD NOT HONOR WARRANTY. DEALER WAS REFUSING TO REPAIR VEHICE UNLESS CONSUMER COVERED THE COST. DEALER STATED THAT OIL CHANGES WERE DONE ON TIME, BUILDING UP SLUDGE IN ENGINE. *AK
ENGINE DEVELOPED SLUDGE AT 18,000 MILES AND DEALER SAYS THE ENGINE WILL SEIZE UP SOON. REGULAR OIL CHANGES WERE PERFORMED AND PROVED TO THE DEALER, BUT THE DEALER SAYS SLUDGE IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY AND I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THE ENGINE. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT IN MY ENGINE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY TOYOTA. …
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ENGINE DEVELOPED SLUDGE AT 18,000 MILES AND DEALER SAYS THE ENGINE WILL SEIZE UP SOON. REGULAR OIL CHANGES WERE PERFORMED AND PROVED TO THE DEALER, BUT THE DEALER SAYS SLUDGE IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY AND I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THE ENGINE. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT IN MY ENGINE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY TOYOTA. I AM AFFRAID OF ENGINE SEIZURE WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.*AK
PROBLEM 1: THE CAR SHIFTS POORLY WHEN YOU LET OFF THE GAS AND THEN ACCELERATE OR DO A ROLLING STOP. TOYOTA'S FIELD TECHNICAL SPECIALIST, RON WYTOCK SAID THAT THOSE DRIVING SITUATIONS PRODUCED A 2 GEAR DOWNSHIFT WHEN IT SHOULDN'T BUT THAT WAS NORMAL AND NOT REPAIRABLE. PROBLEM 2: THE CAR HAS A VERY NASTY, ACRID ODOR, THAT GIVES U…
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PROBLEM 1: THE CAR SHIFTS POORLY WHEN YOU LET OFF THE GAS AND THEN ACCELERATE OR DO A ROLLING STOP. TOYOTA'S FIELD TECHNICAL SPECIALIST, RON WYTOCK SAID THAT THOSE DRIVING SITUATIONS PRODUCED A 2 GEAR DOWNSHIFT WHEN IT SHOULDN'T BUT THAT WAS NORMAL AND NOT REPAIRABLE. PROBLEM 2: THE CAR HAS A VERY NASTY, ACRID ODOR, THAT GIVES US HEADACHES AND MAKES US NAUSEOUS WHEN WE DRIVE IT. WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN MORE THAN 4 TIMES IN ATTEMPTS TO GET IT REPAIRED, BUT THE SMELL IS STILL THERE. WE ARE CONCERNED BECAUSE THE SMELL MAKES US ILL: WE ARE CONCERNED THE CAR MAY CATCH FIRE; AND WE ARE CONCERNED CAR COMPONENTS MAY FAIL WHILE WE ARE DRIVING. TOYOTA HAS GUESSED AT SEVERAL CAUSES OF THE SMELL, BUT NOW SAYS THE SMELL IS NORMAL AND NOT A CAUSE OF CONCERN. *AK
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.