SkipThatYearREAL DATA. SMARTER CAR DECISIONS.
← New search

2003 Toyota Avalon

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Avalon years

Owner complaints for the 2003 Toyota Avalon are substantially higher than the model-year median of 101.

About this comparison →
293Owner complaints

Model-year median: 101

2Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
173
2000134
2001116
2002293
2003205
2004228
2005360
2006
Compare all Avalon years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Air Bags
184Vehicle Speed Control
51Steering
19Electrical System
18Service Brakes, Hydraulic
11
All reported categories
Suspension
9Engine
7Structure
7Power Train
6Seat Belts
6Engine And Engine Cooling
5Service Brakes
4Unknown Or Other
4Fuel/propulsion System
3Seats
3Tires
3Fuel System, Gasoline
2Fuel System, Other
2Visibility
2Electronic Stability Control (esc)
1Equipment
1Exterior Lighting
1Traction Control System
1Visibility/wiper
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

138 reports with mileage · 155 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 184 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 51 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. 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.

49 crash reports2 fire reports20 injury reports

Power Train complaints

6 reports
Clear category filter
170,000 miles · Apr 27, 2018
Power Train

I DROVE INTO A PARKING SPOT, PUT MY CAR INTO PARK & RELEASED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE. THE CAR ROLLED BACK AS IF IT WAS IN REVERSE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES, SHIFTED THE GEAR INTO DRIVE & DROVE BACK UP INTO THE SPACE. I PUT THE CAR BACK INTO PARK, RELEASED THE BRAKES, ONLY TO HAVE THE CAR ROLL BACK AGAIN. I PULLED BACK UP INTO THE PAR…

Read full complaint

I DROVE INTO A PARKING SPOT, PUT MY CAR INTO PARK & RELEASED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE. THE CAR ROLLED BACK AS IF IT WAS IN REVERSE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES, SHIFTED THE GEAR INTO DRIVE & DROVE BACK UP INTO THE SPACE. I PUT THE CAR BACK INTO PARK, RELEASED THE BRAKES, ONLY TO HAVE THE CAR ROLL BACK AGAIN. I PULLED BACK UP INTO THE PARKING SPOT, SHIFTED BACK INTO PARK & THIS TIME PUT ON PARKING BRAKES. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR & WENT INTO THE STORE. WHEN I CAME BACK, MY CAR WOULD NOT START. NOT ONLY WOULD IT NOT START, IT WOULD NOT MAKE ANY SORT OF NOISE (WHICH IS HOW I KNEW IT WASN'T THE BATTERY). I CALLED FOR A TOW & THE TOW TRUCK OPERATOR WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO START IN GEAR NEUTRAL.

NHTSA ODI #11090483

38,122 miles · Mar 6, 2010
Power Train

WHEN I TRY TO DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR OF MY 2003 TOYOTA AVALON, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I FEEL RESISTANCE. IF I PRESS TO OVERCOME THE RESISTANCE, IT THEN RACES AND DOES NOT RETURN TO NORMAL POSITION. IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE PAST 4 YEARS W/O ANY PATTERN. NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10317394

600 miles · Feb 10, 2010
Power Train

CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN PUT ON BRAKES AND PUT IN NEUTRAL HAS NOT DONE THAT AGAIN WHEN I WENT TO TOYOTA TO REPORT INCIDENT WAS BRUSHED OF HAVE NEVER FELT SAFE IN THIS CAR SINCE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10308286

90,000 miles · Feb 1, 2010
Power Train

THE GAS PEDAL ON OUR 2003 TOYOTA AVALON BEGAN STICKING WHEN CAR WAS 5 YEARS OLD. IT WAS MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN THE CAR WAS STOPPED AND WE WANTED TO BEGIN MOVING. IT BECAME HARD TO DEPRESS UNTIL A GOOD BIT OF PRESSURE, AND THEN THE CAR WOULD LURCH FORWARD OR BACKWARD VERY QUICKLY. WE TRIED LUBRICATING THE PEDAL MECHANISM BUT THAT D…

Read full complaint

THE GAS PEDAL ON OUR 2003 TOYOTA AVALON BEGAN STICKING WHEN CAR WAS 5 YEARS OLD. IT WAS MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN THE CAR WAS STOPPED AND WE WANTED TO BEGIN MOVING. IT BECAME HARD TO DEPRESS UNTIL A GOOD BIT OF PRESSURE, AND THEN THE CAR WOULD LURCH FORWARD OR BACKWARD VERY QUICKLY. WE TRIED LUBRICATING THE PEDAL MECHANISM BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK. THE DEALER SAID THEY FIXED IT AT OUR 100,000 MILE CHECK BUT IT STILL STUCK. THE RECENT PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA GAS PEDALS MAY HAVE BEEN AROUND A LOT LONGER THAN THOUGHT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10303529

16,930 miles · Mar 19, 2007
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH INTO A PARKING LOT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16930. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED FOR A SECOND OPINION, HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS …

Read full complaint

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH INTO A PARKING LOT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16930. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED FOR A SECOND OPINION, HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17000.*AK UPDATED 04/12/07. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10185492

Mileage unknown · Jun 9, 2003
Power Train

PROBLEMS WITH VIEWING GEAR SHIFT POSITIONS DURING NIGHT DRIVING. *MR WHEN THE CONSUMER HAD TOOK POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE, THE INTERIOR HAD BECOME DARK. THE DISPLAY OF THE GEAR POSITION COULD BE SEEN IN THE DAYLIGHT HAD BECOME HARD TO SEE. (ILLUMINATION OF THE SELECTION LEVEL) THE PROBLEM PLACED A STRAIN ON THE CONSUMERS E…

Read full complaint

PROBLEMS WITH VIEWING GEAR SHIFT POSITIONS DURING NIGHT DRIVING. *MR WHEN THE CONSUMER HAD TOOK POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE, THE INTERIOR HAD BECOME DARK. THE DISPLAY OF THE GEAR POSITION COULD BE SEEN IN THE DAYLIGHT HAD BECOME HARD TO SEE. (ILLUMINATION OF THE SELECTION LEVEL) THE PROBLEM PLACED A STRAIN ON THE CONSUMERS EYES. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ODI #10024094

Official recalls

2

15V043000 · Air Bags:frontal

Jan 28, 2015

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured December 28, 2001, to May 2, 2004, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2002, to April 29, 2004, 2003-2004 Avalon vehicles manufactured June 5, 2002, to December 20, 2004, and 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured January 18, 2002, to April 27, 2004. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag control module may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Inadvertent deployment of the air bags or the seat belt pretensioners increases the risk of an injury or crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. GM issued an interim notification to owners on March 27, 2015. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Pontiac owners may call 1-800-620-7668. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 13V-029 and 14V-147. Vehicles that had a noise filter installed as the remedy for one of those campaigns need to have the air bag control module replaced under this campaign.

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.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.