Your vehicle report
2000 Toyota Avalon
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 173
- Received Apr 2000 to Apr 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly18 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes17 complaints · 9.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Unintended acceleration despite braking13 complaints · 7.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #10V345000Toyota 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.
- Recall #00V154000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Due to improper heat treatment, the rear axle may not have adequate strength in some areas.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 43 crashes, 2 fires, 30 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 15 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Check engine light comes on repeatedly
- Vehicle rolls backward out of park
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 29 |
| 2001 | 17 |
| 2002 | 18 |
| 2003 | 17 |
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 8 |
| 2007 | 8 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2010 | 23 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 4 |
| 2015 | 8 |
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 173 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 18 | 10% | – | NHTSA recall #10V345000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 17 | 9.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 13 | 7.5% | – | |
| Dashboard melts, becomes sticky and glares | 11 | 6.4% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 11 | 6.4% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 6 | 3.5% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 5 | 2.9% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 5 | 2.9% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 2.3% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 4 | 2.3% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 4 | 2.3% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Exhaust smell enters cabin during acceleration | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 3 | 1.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #10V345000July 29, 2010372,593 vehicles affected
steering
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #00V154000June 5, 2000541 vehicles affected
suspension: rear
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Due to improper heat treatment, the rear axle may not have adequate strength in some areas.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2000 Toyota Avalon.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN