IllustrationENGINE SURGING WHEN BREAKING AT INTERSECTIONS. MUST HOLD BREAK PEDAL AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO STOP VEHICLE FROM ENTERING INTO INTERSECTION.
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
What owners actually said
92 reportsERRATIC OPERATION OF SPEED CONTROL. IT TURNS ITSELF OFF DURING OPERATION WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKE PEDAL OR TOUCHING OFF SWITCH. DEALER INSPECTED / REPLACED SOME PARTS, BUT NOTHING CAN CORRECT THE PROBLE. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER OR PROVIDE ADDTIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
THIS CAR SUDDEN ACCELERATES AND WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE GOES 10MPH. THE BODY TRIM BY THE DOORS IS SEVERLY WORN AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO REPLACE IT AND SAYS IT CANNOT DUPLICATE THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM.
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES, INDICATING A MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER CAN NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CONSUMER WAS AFRAID THAT THE STRUTS WERE WEARING OUT ABNORMALLY BECAUSE HE KEPT HEARING NOISES COMING FROM VEHICLE. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT DID NOT HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY, AND SHOULDER BELT FAILED TO HOLD CONSUMER FROM HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL, RESULTING IN A BROKEN STERNUM. *AK
WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLSION. UPON IMPACT, BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK
VEHICLE INVOLUNTARY ACCELERATED AS SOON AS PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. STEPPED ON BRAKES, VEHICLE KEPT ACCELERATING. DEALER CONTACTED, AND COULD NOT REMEDY PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN VEHICE WAS INVOLVED IN A RIGHT FRONT AND LEFT FRONT CRASH THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS. VEHICLE WAS HIT ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SPIN AROUND AND HIT ON THE LEFT FRONT SIDE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
THE CONSUMER STATE'S WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, AND TURNING TO THE RIGHT, THE STEERING WILL GO TO THE LEFT AND THE DEALER REPLACE THE STERRING RACK PINION AND THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INTO THE SHOP FOR REPAIR'S SEVEN TIME'S AND THE DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM.
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.