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Toyota Avalon 2013–2018

4th generation (XX40) · GSX40 / AXXH40 (hybrid)

NHTSA data through 12 August 2026455 complaints, 283 with mileageMethod

On this generation, 39% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 6 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.

10%

500

25%

4,000

Median

17,515

75%

57,384

90%

90,000

Tallest bin: 145 complaints between 0 and 20,000 miles. Based on 283 complaints that record mileage. Bin width 20,000 miles.

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.

What fails, and when

Each bar spans the middle half of reports for that system; the tick marks the median.

1. Problems owners could not categorise26,000median 25,700 miles, middle half 10,000 to 62,000
2. Body structure6,000median 6,000 miles, middle half 410 to 15,000
3. Airbag system34,000median 33,750 miles, middle half 15,000 to 75,000
4. Throttle and speed control20,000median 20,000 miles, middle half 4,000 to 82,000
5. Electrical system15,000median 15,000 miles, middle half 6,500 to 55,000
6. Visibility/wiper24,000median 23,700 miles, middle half 1,000 to 60,000
7. Brakes40,000median 39,500 miles, middle half 10,000 to 79,000

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 17,515 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.

Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 13.4% of complaints (61 reports, 36 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 25,700 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 10,000 and 62,000 miles.

Body structure accounts for 9.9% of complaints (45 reports, 27 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 6,000 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 410 and 15,000 miles.

The airbag system accounts for 8.8% of complaints (40 reports, 20 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 33,750 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 14,600 and 75,000 miles.

Throttle and speed control accounts for 8.6% of complaints (39 reports, 27 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 20,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,800 and 82,300 miles.

The electrical system accounts for 7.7% of complaints (35 reports, 21 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 15,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 6,572 and 55,284 miles.

Visibility/wiper accounts for 7.0% of complaints (32 reports, 20 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 23,700 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,000 and 60,000 miles.

Differences between model years

Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2013 model year drew the most — 187 complaints — while 2018 drew the fewest at 31. The median year sits at 64.

That makes 2013 an outlier: roughly 2.9 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.

Recalls and what they cover

NHTSA records 10 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.

The campaigns cluster around the airbag system (3), the fuel system (2), the tyres (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.

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 455 complaints filed against this generation, 62 reported a crash; 6 reported a fire; 54 reported an injury; 10 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 13.6% 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, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 39% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.

On inspection, problems owners could not categorise and body structure are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Body structure in particular shows a median failure mileage of 6,000, 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

By model year

Recalls (10)

What owners reported

Sunlight is reflected into the eyes of the driver and front seat passenger from the interior trim. This bright reflection not only makes it difficult to see at times, the sunlight can cause damage to the retina and cornea. The light comes from many different parts of the car so it is impossible to constantly shield…

2013 · 75 miles · Visibility/wiper

There is a glare in the rear window that tends to always have a negative effect on visibility. I have never seen anything like this in my 40 years of driving and owning over 20 vehicles. It seems the angle of the window combined with the light gray rear deck material creates the distracting reflection/glare. At…

2013 · 100 miles · Visibility/wiper

Road noise very loud and distracting. After some investigating on my own i found the problem was coming from the left and right outside mirrors. Took to dealer and they found no issues.So i came back home and did some research on internet and found others having same complaint. The mirror housings were changed on…

2013 · 100 miles · Problems owners could not categorise

Carbon monoxide (co) has been measured in the cabin of the car while driving, when the engine is under load. Also, the smell of engine combustion fumes is included with the co. Toyota has determined that it is not a "repairable condition". Technical repair manuals do not list the condition, therefore no repair has…

2013 · 100 miles · Problems owners could not categorise

Built from 283 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page

Other generations

• Avalon 1995–1999
• Avalon 2000–2004
• Avalon 2005–2012
• Avalon 2019–2022