Known Recalls

Model year record

2002 Toyota Avalon

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 150 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 10V345000

Steering

Component
Steering
Manufacturer
TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Vehicles affected
372,593
Reported to NHTSA
2010-07-29
Owners notified
2010-09-07

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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.

Manufacturer 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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Air bags29159,500 mi
Vehicle speed control2090,000 mi
Steering1892,000 mi
Electrical system584,000 mi
Service brakes5162,000 mi
Tires516,000 mi
Air bags: side/window4—
Unknown or other4115,000 mi
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal450,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling394,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic3110,316 mi
Suspension3122,000 mi
Air bags: frontal2—
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system246,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system2191,187 mi
Power train2—
Power train: automatic transmission284,000 mi
Seat belts248,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module294,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: rotor246,000 mi
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module1—
Electrical system: wiring1300,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)1191,187 mi
Electronic stability control: automatic (ASC)194,000 mi
Engine171,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine172,350 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline110,000 mi
Fuel system, gasoline1—
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch155,150 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift1118,177 mi
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly1—
Seat belts: front: retractor16,808 mi
Seats1—
Seats: front assembly: recliner1—
Service brakes, air: antilock1—
Service brakes, electric1122,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip194,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: drum: drum124,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder194,000 mi
Structure: body177,861 mi
Structure: frame and members1122,000 mi
Tires: sidewall1—
Tires: tread/belt1—
Vehicle speed control: cruise control17,900 mi
Visibility/wiper1—
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system125,550 mi
Visibility: power window devices and controls1—
Visibility: rearview mirrors/devices: exterior1—
Visibility: windshield1—
Wheels1122,000 mi
Wheels: rim131,000 mi

The 2001 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. The 2003 model has about half as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.