Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
210–25K
1425–50K
2250–75K
3475–100K
31100–150K
16150K+
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
What owners actually said
293 reports
50,000 miles · Feb 11, 2016
Air Bags
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING ISSUES FROM THE …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING ISSUES FROM THE OPEN RECALL ON THE VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 04/13/16*LJ UPDATED 04/19/16. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10825658
Mileage unknown · Feb 10, 2016
Air BagsElectrical System
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED WAS UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
NHTSA ODI #10825404
90,000 miles · Feb 8, 2016
Air Bags
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CON…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 04/06/16*LJ UPDATED 11/20/2017*JS
NHTSA ODI #10824799
Mileage unknown · Feb 5, 2016
Air Bags
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS). THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO SUPPLY THE PART BEYOND A REASONABLE TIME FRAME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN THE PART WOULD BE SUPPLIED TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENC…
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TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS). THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO SUPPLY THE PART BEYOND A REASONABLE TIME FRAME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN THE PART WOULD BE SUPPLIED TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER STATED SINCE THERE IS NO REMEDY FOR THE AIR BAG ISSUE AT THE MOMENT, SHE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE AIR BAG DISCONNECTED. UPDATED 03/02/16.*JB UPDATED 04/06/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON MARCH 8. UPDATED 04/20/16.*JB
NHTSA ODI #10824508
Mileage unknown · Feb 3, 2016
Air Bags
STILL WAITING, OVER 1 YEAR LATER, FOR RESOLUTION OF NHTSA RECALL 15V043. THIS RECALL IS DATED 27 JAN 2015. TODAY IS 03 FEB 2016. THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE DELAY FOR A SAFETY RECALL. IS THERE NO ENFORCEMENT ACTION THAT COULD BE UTILIZED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE?
NHTSA ODI #10824014
Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 2016
Air Bags
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE C…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
NHTSA ODI #10823486
Mileage unknown · Jan 31, 2016
Air Bags
RECALL NOTIFICATION ISSUED OVER 1 YEAR AGO, NO REMEDY AVAILABLE CURRENTLY. LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER OFFERS NO DIRECTION. THIS IS NOT BEING HANDLED APPROPRIATELY CONSIDERING THE POTENTIAL DEADLY CONSEQUENCES.
NHTSA ODI #10823303
Mileage unknown · Jan 29, 2016
Air BagsElectrical SystemSteering
THE RECALL NOTICES WAS RECEIVED IN APRIL, 2015. BUT THE PART NEEDED TO FIX THE PROBLEM WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE RECALL NOTICES SAID "TOYOTA IS PREPARING SUFFICIENT PARTS TO SUPPORT INSTALLATION OF SUB-WIRE HARNESS....WE WILL SEND ANOTHER NOTIFICATION WHEN PREPARATION ARE COMPLETE". MY CONCERN IS THAT ME AND MY FAMILY ARE CURRENTLY…
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THE RECALL NOTICES WAS RECEIVED IN APRIL, 2015. BUT THE PART NEEDED TO FIX THE PROBLEM WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE RECALL NOTICES SAID "TOYOTA IS PREPARING SUFFICIENT PARTS TO SUPPORT INSTALLATION OF SUB-WIRE HARNESS....WE WILL SEND ANOTHER NOTIFICATION WHEN PREPARATION ARE COMPLETE". MY CONCERN IS THAT ME AND MY FAMILY ARE CURRENTLY DRIVING AROUND IN AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. THE RECALL NOTICE WENT ON TO SAY "THE FRONT AIRBAG AND/OR SEATBELT PRETENSIONERS COULD INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY" MY QUESTION IS WHEN IS THIS PROBLEMS GOING TO BE FIXED. I HAVE NOT TAKING THIS CAR ON A MAJOR TRIP SINCE THIS RECALL BECAUSE I FEEL MY FAMILY IS AT RISK. I WOULD APPRECIATE A RESPONSE TO THIS INQUIRY. THIS RECALL CORRECTION NEED TO BE COMPLETED. THANK YOU [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
NHTSA ODI #10822990
Mileage unknown · Jan 28, 2016
Air Bags
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE…
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TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 03/18/16*LJ
NHTSA ODI #10822869
Mileage unknown · Jan 28, 2016
Air Bags
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONT…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
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.
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.
2003 Toyota Avalon Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year