2018
New 2022
Used 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

Toyota Avalon

Unlock Ratings
Toyota's Avalon flagship is a sensible, roomy sedan that straddles the divide between high-end midsized sedans and true luxury cars. It's a large, comfortable cruiser and, especially in the Limited trim, can be quite upscale. The Avalon scores among the better large sedans in the category. Toyota tried to inject some excitement into the current generation Avalon with more dynamic styling and more engaging handling.
Alerts
There are 2 recalls on this vehicle. Learn More.
2018
New 2022
Used 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

Toyota Avalon

Reliability
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Owner Satisfaction
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Crash and Rollover Tests
IIHS Front Moderate Overlap Good
IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver Good
IIHS Side Crash Good
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Driver
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Passenger
See All

Road Test Results

Performance
Acceleration Acceleration Acceleration tests are conducted on a smooth, flat pavement straightaway at the track. Time, speed, and distance measurements are taken with a precise GPS-based device that’s hooked to a data-logging computer.
0 to 60 mph 0 to 60 mph (sec.) The time in seconds that a vehicle takes to reach 60 mph from a standstill with the engine idling.
Transmission Transmission Transmission performance is determined by shifting smoothness, response, shifter action, and clutch actuation for manual transmissions.
Braking Braking The braking rating is a composite of wet and dry stopping distances and pedal feel. Braking distance is from 60 mph, with no wheels locked.
Emergency Handling Emergency Handling Several factors go into the rating, including the avoidance maneuver speed and confidence, as well as how the vehicle behaves when pushed to its limit.
Comfort / Convenience
Ride Ride Our expert judgment of how well the suspension isolates and absorbs road imperfections and how steady it keeps the body on various road surfaces.
Noise Noise Our expert judgment of the vehicle's interior noise level in everyday driving.
Front Seat Comfort Front Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the front seat is for drivers of various heights.
Rear Seat Comfort Rear Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the rear seat is for two passengers to sit across.
Interior Fit and Finish Interior Fit and Finish An expert evaluation of the interior quality and craftsmanship.
Trunk/Cargo Area Trunk/Cargo Area Our rating is based on the amount of luggage or cargo space that a vehicle has in the trunk or cargo area.
Fuel Economy & Emissions
Fuel Economy Fuel Economy We perform our own fuel-economy tests, independent of the government's often-quoted EPA figures and the manufacturers' claims. Using a precise fuel-flow measuring device spliced into the fuel line, we run two separate circuits to represent city and highway consumption.
CR's Overall Mileage CR's Overall Mileage CR's overall mileage is a composite of measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course and highway cruising; and CR's 150-mile test trip of mixed driving, if tested. In recent road tests, we've discontinued the 150-mile trip test.
CR's City Mileage CR's City Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course.
CR's Highway Mileage CR's Highway Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed highway cruising.
Annual Fuel Cost Annual Fuel Cost The cost and amount of fuel used in 12,000 miles and is calculated from CR's overall mileage.
Greenhouse Gas Greenhouse Gas The Greenhouse Gas Rating represents the amount of carbon dioxide the vehicle emits compared to other vehicles of the same model year. This score from the EPA ranges from 1 (worst) to 10 (best).
Smog Rating Smog Rating The Smog Rating represents the amount of health-damaging and smog-forming airborne pollutants the vehicle emits compared to other vehicles of the same model year. This score from the EPA ranges from 1 (worst) to 10 (best).

Owner Reports

Worse Better
Reliability History Reliability History The reliability charts are based on responses on hundreds of thousands of vehicles from our latest Annual Auto Survey. Consumer Reports subscribers reported on any serious problems they had with their vehicles during the past 12 months that they considered serious because of cost, failure, safety, or downtime, in any of the trouble spots included in the table below. The results are presented relative to the average model that year. Extra weight is given to the more serious areas such as major engine or transmission problems. Based on this data and further analysis, we predict reliability for the latest year. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
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Reliability Trouble Spots
Engine Major Engine Major Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.
Engine Minor Engine Minor Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.
Engine Cooling Engine Cooling Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.
Transmission Major Transmission Major Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.
Transmission Minor Transmission Minor Gear selector or linkage, leaks, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission.
Drive System Drive System Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.
View all Reliability
Owner Satisfaction Owner Satisfaction To learn about satisfaction, CR has collected survey data from our annual survey on more than half a million vehicles. Our subscribers provide great insights into their satisfaction by answering one simple question: If they had it to do all over again, would they definitely buy or lease the same model? In addition, respondents also rate their cars in six categories: driving experience, comfort, value, styling, audio, and climate systems. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
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Driving Experience Driving Experience Includes acceleration and handling
Comfort Comfort Includes seats, climate control, noise, and ride
Value Value Did you get what you wanted relative to the price you paid?
Styling Styling How it looks inside and out
View all Owner Satisfaction
Safety Equipment
ABS and side air bags standard. ESC standard from 2009. Head protection air bags standard from 2005. FCW and AEB standard from 2017. BSW standard from 2019.
Road Test

Toyota's Avalon flagship is a sensible, roomy sedan that straddles the divide between high-end midsized sedans and true luxury cars. It's a large, comfortable cruiser and, especially in the Limited trim, can be quite upscale. The Avalon scores among the better large sedans in the category.

Toyota tried to inject some excitement into the current generation Avalon with more dynamic styling and more engaging handling. But those changes also came with a much stiffer ride, one that was totally unbecoming to this class of sedan. For 2016 Toyota rectified that shortcoming, restoring the Avalon's comfortable ride.

Seating
2 front, 3 rear
Drive Wheels
Front
Warranty
Coverage varies among versions of this vehicle

In most cases, automotive warranties are based on the vehicle identification number (VIN), and the warranty will be valid regardless of ownership. The dealership can tell you exactly how much warranty is left.

Read more about extended warranties
Body Styles
sedan
Transmissions Available
  • 6-speed Automatic
  • CVT
Engines Available
  • 2.5-liter 4 hybrid (200 hp)
  • 3.5-liter V6 (268 hp)

Owner Reported Trouble Spots

The Reliability score is based on our latest subscriber survey of 2018 Toyota Avalon owners. The owner comments describe problems respondents experienced with this vehicle.

In-car Electronics

CD or DVD players, radio, speakers, GPS, communication system (e.g., OnStar), display screen freezes or goes blank, phone pairing (e.g. Bluetooth), voice control commands, steering wheel controls, portable music device interface (e.g., iPod/MP3 player), backup or other camera/sensors.

What Owners Say

Display screen freezes up

"hd signal for weather channel drops off randomly"

Bryan H., FL (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE 3.5-L V6)
Hardware replacement

"Scout GPS system is erratic dependable and essentially unusable. Toyota can't do anything about fixing it."

Anonymous, CA (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE Unsure)
In-dash navigation system (GPS)

"Voice commands are not understood and the POI that's found is either incorrect or not found at all.. Also, while driving, the request to find the only Hilton Garden Inn in town, the result found is a list of all such hotels in a three state area and the instruction is to select the correct one from an on screen list. A dangerous thing to attempt while driving on an Interstate! The Ford System is superior to the Toyota System."

Anonymous, SC (2018 Toyota Avalon Limited 3.5-L V6)

"scout gps does not respond to voice very slow to find a destination"

Anonymous, MI (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE 3.5-L V6)

"The navigation map is the poorest navigation map I have ever seen. It's poor quality makes it almost impossible to determine if traffic is moving fast or slow on any given highway/expressway. (Best navigation map I've seen is Google Maps.) I will not purchase another Avalon just for this reason. (And I've owned 4.)"

Charles R., MD (2018 Toyota Avalon Limited 3.5-L V6)
Phone pairing (e.g., Bluetooth)

"Toyota's Entune system will not pair with either my mobile phone or my wife's mobile phone. Toyota informed me that the Entune system will not work with regular flip phones such as ours."

Charles R., MD (2018 Toyota Avalon Limited 3.5-L V6)
Radio

"The XM satellite part of the radio system had a sporadic sound disturbance. The AM/FM/CD player did not have this problem. I'm not sure if the problem is in the radio or the antenna. I carried it in to the dealership for repairs but they misdiagnosed it. I never took it back and let my XM subscription expire."

Anonymous, NC (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE 3.5-L V6)
Speakers

"Trying to give direction command to set GPS and system cant understand our voices and keeps giving incorrect address to follow."

Anonymous, (2018 Toyota Avalon Touring 3.5-L V6)
Voice control commands

"went through voice learning process twice-still does not complete command very poor product a $100 garmin gps works much better"

Anonymous, MI (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE 3.5-L V6)

"The voice control doesn't work. The simplest command... go Home is returned with a I don't understand answer. We've given up trying to use it."

Jerry C., IN (2018 Toyota Avalon)
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Body Integrity

Squeaks, rattles, wind noises, loose or cracked seals and/or weather-stripping, air and water leaks.

What Owners Say

Squeaks or rattles

"The electric sun visor in the rear windshield rattles when it is down in the storage compartment (not being utilized)."

Anonymous, TX (2018 Toyota Avalon Limited 3.5-L V6)

"The front passenger door bolts were installed inproperly"

N R., NY (2018 Toyota Avalon Premium 3.5-L V6)

"Once reaching a particular speed (usually 65 mph), a strong rattle begins. It sounds as though the wind against the car is causing the rattle against some part of the car body."

Anonymous, TX (2018 Toyota Avalon Limited 3.5-L V6)

"Door handles rattle over a mild bump."

Anonymous, NH (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE 3.5-L V6)
Wind noise

"Not a quiet car."

Lanny M., LA (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE 3.5-L V6)
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Suspension

Shocks or struts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, alignment, steering linkage (includes rack and pinion), power steering (pumps and hoses, leaks), wheel balance, springs or torsion bars, bushings, electronic or air suspension.

What Owners Say

Bushings

"Vehicle was making crunching noise when hitting bumps"

Terry B., MT (2018 Toyota Avalon Limited 3.5-L V6)
Shocks or struts

"One of the OEM shocks was leaking soon after we purchased the car. It was replaced under warranty"

Anonymous, FL (2018 Toyota Avalon Premium 3.5-L V6)

"The suspension is too "soft" allowing for floating action on undulating road surfaces"

Anonymous, CA (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE 3.5-L V6)

"Vehicle making crunching noise when hitting bumps"

Terry B., MT (2018 Toyota Avalon Limited 3.5-L V6)
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Paint/Trim

Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust.

What Owners Say

Loose interior trim or moldings

"The silver-like trim is coming off because it is made from cheap material."

Anonymous, CA (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE 3.5-L V6)
Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling)

"When I brought the car new it had little nicks in the paint and also one small area area about the size of the tip of your finger nail looked as if it had never been painted."

Anonymous, FL (2018 Toyota Avalon Limited 3.5-L V6)

"Roof had 2 quarter-size defect noticeable underneath the original factory defect. Toyota dealership repair shop visited and was going to have to redo it at their expense; however, they wanted to keep the car for several days and provide a rental car free of charge. But they were supposed to call me when paint and labor was available, but never did. My follow-up with their repair shop reported that their rep. was on vacation and to call back later. I gave up, as it was too much hassle for me."

Anonymous, FL (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE 3.5-L V6)

Drive System

Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.

What Owners Say

Driveline vibration

"During test drive I noted a vibration/shaking in the steering wheel. The dealership balanced the tires twice then told me that the vibration is normal on a Toyota Avalon. After 4 months the car still vibrates!"

Anonymous, FL (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE 3.5-L V6)

Fuel System

Check engine light, sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor), emission control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.

What Owners Say

Fuel pump

"Check valve in the fuel pump assembly sometimes would not hold and fuel line emptied and car took a few seconds longer to start."

Dan L., MI (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE 3.5-L V6)

Climate System

Blower (fan) motor, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate control, refrigerant leakage, electrical failure.

What Owners Say

Refrigerant leaks

"I noticed that the air conditioning was not cooling well and took the car to a dealer. The car had about 22,000 miles on it the time. The mechanic report said that refrigerant was added. There was no mention of a leak or any repair. In the 6,000 miles since then the problem has not recurred. the service was covered under warranty."

Anonymous, MO (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE 3.5-L V6)

Transmission Major

Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.

What Owners Say

Transmission rebuild or replacement

"Problem with slippage and uneven shifting appeared at about 17000 miles. Took it to dealer and was told it needed a completely new transmission. It was in the shop about ten days."

Anonymous, (2018 Toyota Avalon XLE 3.5-L V6)

Exhaust

Muffler, pipes, catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, leaks.

Brakes

Antilock system (ABS), parking brake, master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pulsation or vibration, squeaking, brake failure or wear.

Transmission Minor

Gear selector or linkage, leaks, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission.

Engine Major

Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.

Engine Cooling

Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.

Engine Minor

Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.

Body Hardware

Power or manual windows, locks and latches, tailgate, hatch or trunk, doors or sliding doors, mirrors, seat controls, safety belts, sunroof, convertible top.

Power Equipment

Cruise control, clock, warning lights, body control module, keyless entry, wiper motor or washer, tire pressure monitor, interior or exterior lights, horn, gauges, 12V power plug, remote engine start, alarm or security system

Electric System

Alternator, starter, hybrid battery and related systems, regular battery, battery cables, engine harness, coil, ignition switch, electronic ignition, distributor or rotor failure, spark plugs and wires failure.

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