Toyota Avalon 2000–2004
2nd generation (XX20) · MCX20 / XX20
NHTSA data through 12 August 20261,141 complaints, 606 with mileageMethod
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 40,000 and 120,000 miles.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 26 complaints (4.3%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 16,276
- 25%
- 40,000
- Median
- 76,560
- 75%
- 120,000
- 90%
- 159,500
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 43 | 7.1% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 37 | 6.1% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 30 | 5.0% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 40 | 6.6% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 40 | 6.6% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 30 | 5.0% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 50 | 8.3% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 39 | 6.4% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 42 | 6.9% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 39 | 6.4% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 31 | 5.1% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 28 | 4.6% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 36 | 5.9% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 21 | 3.5% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 23 | 3.8% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 17 | 2.8% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 16 | 2.6% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 6 | 1.0% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 6 | 1.0% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 6 | 1.0% |
| 200,000+ | 26 | 4.3% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 1,141 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000–2004 Toyota Avalon, and 606 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 40,000 and 120,000 miles. The median is 76,560 miles.
The most-reported areas are the airbag system (34.6% of complaints, typically around 98,000 miles), throttle and speed control (12.7% of complaints, typically around 60,000 miles), the steering (9.6% of complaints, typically around 92,000 miles).
3 recall campaigns cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Airbag system98,000median 98,222 miles, middle half 60,000 to 140,000
- Throttle and speed control60,000median 60,000 miles, middle half 35,000 to 92,000
- Steering92,000median 92,000 miles, middle half 50,000 to 125,000
- Electrical system104,000median 103,514 miles, middle half 63,000 to 126,000
- Hydraulic brake circuit37,000median 36,750 miles, middle half 14,000 to 94,000
- Engine and its cooling system70,000median 70,000 miles, middle half 40,000 to 94,000
- Suspension31,000median 31,350 miles, middle half 18,000 to 106,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 395 | 34.6% | 98,000 | 60,000–140,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 145 | 12.7% | 60,000 | 35,000–92,000 |
| Steering | 109 | 9.6% | 92,000 | 50,000–125,000 |
| Electrical system | 60 | 5.3% | 104,000 | 63,000–126,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 55 | 4.8% | 37,000 | 14,000–94,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 50 | 4.4% | 70,000 | 40,000–94,000 |
| Suspension | 39 | 3.4% | 31,000 | 18,000–106,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 34 | 3.0% | — | — |
| Transmission and driveline | 31 | 2.7% | 86,000 | 38,000–118,000 |
| Tyres | 29 | 2.5% | 56,000 | 26,000–141,000 |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 76,560 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The airbag system accounts for 34.6% of complaints (395 reports, 162 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 98,222 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 60,000 and 140,000 miles.
A single system taking 34.6% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 12.7% of complaints (145 reports, 105 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 60,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 35,000 and 91,500 miles.
The steering accounts for 9.6% of complaints (109 reports, 72 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 92,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 49,500 and 125,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 5.3% of complaints (60 reports, 34 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 103,514 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 63,000 and 126,000 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 4.8% of complaints (55 reports, 30 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 36,750 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 14,254 and 94,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 4.4% of complaints (50 reports, 31 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 70,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 40,000 and 94,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2003 model year drew the most — 353 complaints — while 2002 drew the fewest at 148. The median year sits at 220.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 3 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
Of the 1,141 complaints filed against this generation, 243 reported a crash; 7 reported a fire; 157 reported an injury; 10 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 21.3% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 40,000 and 120,000 miles, with a median of 76,560. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the airbag system and throttle and speed control are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Throttle and speed control in particular shows a median failure mileage of 60,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Documented problems
Engine - Oil Sludge 2000–2002
Continuation of the 1MZ-FE sludge population; the settled class covers engines built through 2002, so MY2000-2002 Avalons are inside it and MY2003-2004 generally are not.
Electrical 2000–2004
Driver's power window master switch and combination-switch failures are a common owner-reported item on this generation.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 220 | 103 |
| 2001 | 168 | 86 |
| 2002 | 148 | 97 |
| 2003 | 353 | 179 |
| 2004 | 252 | 141 |
Recalls (3)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 15V043000 | 2015-08-24 | Air Bags:frontal |
| 11V539000 | 2011-12-31 | Engine and Engine Cooling |
| 10V345000 | 2010-09-07 | Steering |
What owners reported
Details: front end "bottoms out" and hits the driver side front tire when exiting and /or entering inclines to strip malls, etc. And v ditches on public streets when traveling at speeds less than 25 MPH, and during highway dips. The tire hits the engine shroud. This could cause loss of control of vehicle and damage…
2000 · 100 miles · Suspension
My 2000 totyota Avalon has a "loose" and "twitchy" front suspension that presents itself as you approach normal highway speeds. As road feel and control diminishes with increased speed, the care becomes stressful to drive. This results in a "wandering" front end causing the driver to over-correct in even moderate…
2000 · 5,000 miles · Suspension
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 Toyota Avalon. The driver was driving approximately 10 MPH. Unexpectedly, the vehicle began to increase excessive acceleration. The driver applied both feet to the brake pedal with great force. The vehicle crashed into a stump to avoid entering into a river. The speed rate increased to 35…
2000 · 12,000 miles · Throttle and speed control
Car was parked in the garage. I noticed that the eyeglass compartment that is located inside the car between the two front visors was hanging down and covering the inside rear view mirror. I tried to close it shut by pushing it up into place, but it kept falling down. I put on masking tape to keep it closed, since…
2000 · 17,000 miles · Body structure
Built from 606 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page