TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 189,047.
2001 Toyota Avalon
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2001 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
69 reports with mileage · 65 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.
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. 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.
What owners actually said
134 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A STORE WINDOW. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A STORE WINDOW. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
2001 TOYOTA AVALON. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED AS HE PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE, AT LESS THAN 5 MPH, WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP EVEN WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE AT FULL FORCE AND EVE…
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2001 TOYOTA AVALON. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED AS HE PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE, AT LESS THAN 5 MPH, WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP EVEN WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE AT FULL FORCE AND EVENTUALLY HE CRASHED ONTO A LARGE 12 BY 10 WINDOW OF A BUILDING SOME 50 FEET AWAY. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER SUFFERED SOME BRUISING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *JB
DROVE VEHICLE TO WORK IN AM. NOTICED KEY DIDN'T "CATCH" FIRST TIME, THOUGHT IT WAS HUMAN ERROR AND WROTE IT OFF AND DROVE TO WORK. WENT TO LEAVE WORK AND TURNED KEY IN IGNITION, LIGHTS AND RADIO LIGHT UP BUT KEY FREELY TURNED LIKE BUTTER AND STEERING FELT TIGHTER THAN NORMAL. COULD NOT START VEHICLE. HAD MECHANIC REMOVE IGNITION…
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DROVE VEHICLE TO WORK IN AM. NOTICED KEY DIDN'T "CATCH" FIRST TIME, THOUGHT IT WAS HUMAN ERROR AND WROTE IT OFF AND DROVE TO WORK. WENT TO LEAVE WORK AND TURNED KEY IN IGNITION, LIGHTS AND RADIO LIGHT UP BUT KEY FREELY TURNED LIKE BUTTER AND STEERING FELT TIGHTER THAN NORMAL. COULD NOT START VEHICLE. HAD MECHANIC REMOVE IGNITION ASSEMBLY ON SITE TO DETERMINE THAT THE LINKAGE IN BETWEEN THE LOCK CYLINDER AND IGNITION SWITCH HAD A BROKEN METAL PIECE STUCK OFF INTO THE SWITCH. THIS LINKAGE IS CONTAINED IN A METAL HOUSING UNIT WITH 3 HOLES. WENT TO TOYOTA DEALER AND ASKED FOR THE LINKAGE PART, WAS SHOWN THE HOUSING UNIT IT WAS CONTAINED IN, ONLY AVAILABLE FROM TOYOTA. WAS TOLD BY EMPLOYEE THAT THE PIECE HE WAS SHOWING ME CAME OFF A CAR LIKE MINE THEY HAD JUST REPAIRED BECAUSE OF A RECALL ON THE STEERING LOCK BAR, THIS PIECE IS CONNECTED TO THE PIECE THAT I NEED TO REPLACE. I FEEL MY ISSUE OCCURRED BETWEEN DRIVING AND PARKING AT MY WORK AND IT IS BECAUSE OF THE RECALL ON THIS PIECE. CAR IS NOW AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, SO FAR THEY HAVE PICKED UP THE TOWING BILL BUT GIVEN ME GRIEF THAT I HAVE A "13 YEAR OLD CAR" REGARDLESS OF THE CAR'S AGE I FEEL THAT IF THAT PIECE I NEED CAME OFF A REPAIRED CAR DUE TO RECALL, THEY NEED TO COVER THE BILL FOR THIS REPAIR. *TR
ON MAY 3RD 2014 I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK I LOOKED DOWN AND RAN OFF THE ROAD I WAS TRYING TO SLOWLY GET BACK ON THE ROAD. I DIDN'T STOMP THE BRAKE BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID I WOULD FLIP MY CAR. I FORGOT I HAD MY CRUISE CONTROL ON. MY CAR WAS FRONT WHEEL DRIVE AND AS THE TIRES GRABBED IT THROUGH ME IN TO THE GUARD RAIL ON THE OPPOSITE S…
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ON MAY 3RD 2014 I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK I LOOKED DOWN AND RAN OFF THE ROAD I WAS TRYING TO SLOWLY GET BACK ON THE ROAD. I DIDN'T STOMP THE BRAKE BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID I WOULD FLIP MY CAR. I FORGOT I HAD MY CRUISE CONTROL ON. MY CAR WAS FRONT WHEEL DRIVE AND AS THE TIRES GRABBED IT THROUGH ME IN TO THE GUARD RAIL ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD. MY CAR WENT INTO A SPIN AND FINALLY STOPPED. MY SEAT BELT GRABBED AND KNOCKED THE BREATH OUT OF ME. MY SEAT BELT DID NOT COME OUT. I AM STILL RECOVERING. THE ADJUSTER SAID IT WAS TOTALED. [XXX] MAY 17TH 2014. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *JS
HORN SOUNDED SQUEAKY, THEN INOPERATIVE. AIRBAG LIGHT WENT ON. CRUISE NO LONGER WORKED. TOYOTA DIAGNOSED THE SPIRAL CABLE A/K/A CLOCK NEEDED REPLACEMENT. OTHER VEHICLES, INCLUDING TOYOTAS, HAD RECALLS ON THIS. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE MALFUNCTIONED AT THIS AGE OF THE CAR, ONLY 108,000 MILES. SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL, PAID BY TOY…
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HORN SOUNDED SQUEAKY, THEN INOPERATIVE. AIRBAG LIGHT WENT ON. CRUISE NO LONGER WORKED. TOYOTA DIAGNOSED THE SPIRAL CABLE A/K/A CLOCK NEEDED REPLACEMENT. OTHER VEHICLES, INCLUDING TOYOTAS, HAD RECALLS ON THIS. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE MALFUNCTIONED AT THIS AGE OF THE CAR, ONLY 108,000 MILES. SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL, PAID BY TOYOTA. IT COST ME NEARLY $500 TO GET IT FIXED. MAYBE THE CABLE WAS DAMAGED WHEN THE STEERING LOCK BAR WAS FIXED, ON A PREVIOUS RECALL (YEARS PRIOR).??? *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER THE VEHICLE STOPPED MOVING AND HE RELEASED HIS FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE RPMS INCREASED, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE IN ORDER TO COME TO A STOP. WHEN THE FAILU…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER THE VEHICLE STOPPED MOVING AND HE RELEASED HIS FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE RPMS INCREASED, THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE IN ORDER TO COME TO A STOP. WHEN THE FAILURE RECURRED THE CONTACT PLACED THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS . *TR
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE USUALLY THE FIRST WEEK OF THE MONTH AND NEVER HAD PROBLEM OF TIRES LOSING 60% OF AIR BETWEEN CHECKUPS. I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A PUNCTURE AND TOOK IT TO DISCOUNT TIRE IN ROMEOVILLE(WHERE I BOUGHT YOKOHAMA TIRES). CHECKED ALL THE FOUR TIRES AND FOUND NO NAILS OR OTHER. THEY HOWEVER FOUND TWO WHEELS WITH CO…
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CHECK TIRE PRESSURE USUALLY THE FIRST WEEK OF THE MONTH AND NEVER HAD PROBLEM OF TIRES LOSING 60% OF AIR BETWEEN CHECKUPS. I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A PUNCTURE AND TOOK IT TO DISCOUNT TIRE IN ROMEOVILLE(WHERE I BOUGHT YOKOHAMA TIRES). CHECKED ALL THE FOUR TIRES AND FOUND NO NAILS OR OTHER. THEY HOWEVER FOUND TWO WHEELS WITH CORROSION(WHITE FLAKING) AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT I REPLACE THE WHEELS FOR THIS WEATHER DAMAGE WILL ONLY ACCELERATE. THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ALLOY WHEELS AND HOW CAN THERE BE WEATHER DAMAGE. I HAD ALL THE FOUR WHEELS GROUND AND BUFFED. SIX MONTHS LATER, AIR LEAKAGE WAS BACK WITH VENGEANCE AND SINCE IT COST ME ONLY $19.00 A WHEEL TO GRIND AND BUFF - I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS INSTEAD OF SHELLING OVER $500.00 TO HAVE THE WHEELS REPLACED. THESE WHEELS ARE NOT GENUINE TOYOTA. I HAD CELICA ST BACK IN THE 70S AND 80S AND I HAD NONE OF THIS NONSENSE WITH ITS ALLOY WHEELS. *TR
2001 TOYOTA AVALON. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE VEHICLE WHEELS LEAKING AIR. *SMD
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE HORN AND THE CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTION WERE INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAIL…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE HORN AND THE CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTION WERE INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 225,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 230,000. *TR
Official recalls
210V345000 · 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.
01V072000 · Structure:frame And Members
Mar 5, 2001
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE FRONT SUB FRAME ASSEMBLY HAS NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY WELDED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE FAILURE OF THE ASSEMBLY FOLLOWING LONG-TERM USAGE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE FRONT SUB FRAME, IF NECESSARY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 9, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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