Steering. Review the 34 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
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NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

43 crash reports2 fire reports24 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

18 reports

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Mileage unknown · Mar 17, 2003

Engine And Engine Cooling

THE ENGINE WOULD CUT OFF TWICE WHILE DRIVING 40 TO 65 MPH. DEALER TEST DROVE VEHICLE FOR 125 MILES HOWEVER WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG THE VEHICLE. *TT *NLM

NHTSA ODI #10009774

40,000 miles · Feb 11, 2003

Engine And Engine Cooling

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CHANGED ENGINE OIL AS DIRECTED BY TOYOTA DEALER ON MY NEW 2000 TOYOTA AVALON (EVERY 3,000 MILES). WHITE SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM EXHAUST IN LATE 2001. TOOK IT IN TO TOYOTA SERVICE DEPT. WAS ACCUSED OF NOT KEEPING UP ROUTINE MAINTENANCE (OIL CHANGES) ON THE VEHICLE, AS SLUDGE HAD BUILT UP UNDER VALVE COVER AND IN ENGINE. WAS TOTALLY LIVID AT THIS UNTRUE ACCUSATION. WAS TOLD I NEEDED $4,000 TO REPAIR. I HAD TO TRADE THE VEHICLE IN ON A NEW TOYOTA VEHICLE -- STARTING AT $4,000 IN THE RED. FOR EXAMPLE, NEW VEHICLE WAS APPROXIMATELY $26,000. TO THAT TOYOTA ADDED THE $4,000 TO IT. I NOW OWE $30,000 ON A VEHICLE WORTH MUCH MUCH LESS. I'M ENRAGED AND WANT A $4,000 CREDIT BACK TO MY BALANCE ON MY NEW VEHICLE AFTER LEARNING OF THE OBVIOUS RELEVATION THAT TOYOTA IS TO BLAME FOR A FAULTY ENGINE PROBLEM ON MANY OF ITS VEHICLES. I WORK FOR A LAW FIRM AND WILL STOP AT NOTHING SHORT OF THIS OUTCOME. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ODI #10005687

Mileage unknown · Nov 14, 2002

Engine And Engine CoolingCrash

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 1MPH (ONE MILES) BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC, VEHICLE SUFFERED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN SHIFTED FROM PARK INTO DRIVE, VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER CAR, SHIFTED AGAIN FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE AND SMASHING THE VEHICLE BEHIND. DEALER HAS BEEN REPORTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. MR

NHTSA ODI #8022770

Mileage unknown · Jul 12, 2002

Engine And Engine Cooling

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THE VEHICLE HAS A STALLS FROM TIME TO TIME WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. ALREADY I'VE HAD FIVE DIFFENT OCCASIONS WHERE THE VEHICLE WON'T START. I 'VE TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER TWICE THEY TELL ME THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING. THE LAST TIME I TOOK IT ITHEY KEPT IT OVERNIGHT, AND WAS TOLD BY THE ASSISTANT MANAGER THEY CHECKED THE COMPUTER, STARTER, ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, AND THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VERY NEXT MORNING IT WOULD NOT START. I'M VERY UPSET BY THIS MATTER, AND NOT TO MENTION THE SAFETY ISSUE I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE CAR IS GOING TO STALL. I CAN'T TRAVEL FAR FOR THIS REASON. I ALSO LEFT TWO MESSAGES WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO HAVE NOT RETURNED ANY OF MY CALLS. I FEEL THAT THE CAR HAS SOME TYPE OF DEFECT AND WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE JUSTICE IN THIS MATTER.&*AK

NHTSA ODI #764158

Mileage unknown · Jun 6, 2002

Engine And Engine CoolingUnknown Or Other

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. WE TOOK IT INTO THE TOYOTA DEALER WHO SAID THAT THE CHARCOAL CANNISTER IN THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE SERVICE PEOPLE ALSO INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE A LOT OF CANNISTERS ON VARIOUS TOYOTA MODELS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #762729

Mileage unknown · Jan 18, 2002

Engine And Engine CoolingUnknown Or Other

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON DASHBOARD. SLUDGE LIKE SUBSTANCE IN OIL MAKES VEHICLE INOPERABLE. ALSO, WATER PUMP WENT OUT, CAUSE KNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, AND VEHICLE INDENTIFICATION NUMBER. *AK

NHTSA ODI #8002510

Mileage unknown · Aug 23, 2001

Engine And Engine Cooling

ANYTIME VEHICLE IS STARTED UP MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF WHITE SMOKE COMES OUT FROM REAR FOR AS LONG AS 3 MINUTES, AND VEHICLE RUNS HARD. DEALER STATED IT WAS NEGLECT, NOT GETTING ENOUGH OIL CHANGES. VEHICLE NEEDED A TOTAL OF 6 OIL CHANGES, AND CONSUMER HAD ONLY GOTTEN 5 OIL CHANGES. VALVE CAP WAS REMOVED, AND BLACK SLUDGE HAD B…

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NHTSA ODI #895013

Mileage unknown · Dec 22, 2000

Engine And Engine CoolingCrash

IMPACT ON RIGHT FRONT, SEVERE ENOUGH TO KNOCK ENGINE OUT OF MOUNT. *AK

NHTSA ODI #738143

Official recalls

10V345000 · Steering

Jul 29, 2010

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2000-2004 AVALON VEHICLES. DUE TO IMPROPER CASTING OF THE STEERING LOCK BAR, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A MINUTE CRACK MAY DEVELOP ON THE SURFACE OF THE LOCK BAR. SUCH A CRACK MAY EXPAND OVER A LONG PERIOD OF REPEATED LOCK AND UNLOCK OPERATIONS, AND EVENTUALLY THE LOCK BAR COULD BREAK.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: SHOULD THE STEERING LOCK BAR BREAK, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK AND THE DRIVER WOULD LOSE THE ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING INTERLOCK DEVICE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

00V154000 · Suspension:rear

Jun 5, 2000

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO IMPROPER HEAT TREATMENT, THE REAR AXLE MAY NOT HAVE ADEQUATE STRENGTH IN SOME AREAS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: AFTER EXTENDED USE OF THE VEHICLE, THE REAR AXLE SHAFTS COULD FAIL OR BREAK.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE REAR AXLE HUB ASSEMBLIES.

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

DP02004 · Engine Seizure

Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling

No summary supplied.