Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 46 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Toyota Avalon, and it carries 7 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | 24% |
| Steering | 9 | 20% |
| Unknown or other | 5 | 11% |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 7% |
| Air bags | 2 | 4% |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 4% |
| Electrical system | 2 | 4% |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 2% |
| Structure | 1 | 2% |
| Steering | 1 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
2010 Toyota Avalon [XXX] purchased used. Sticker on driver’s door post states 32PSI for all tires. Low tire pressure light activated, XXX Toyota dealer ordered 5 new tire sensors and installed them XXX. Light reactivated
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
OUR 2010 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED WITH 126537 TOTAL MILES AS OF 07/09/2026, SITS IN OUR GARAGE ALL THE TIME EXCEPT WHEN IT SOMEWHERE. THE PROBLEM IS THE DASH IS CRACKING EVERYWHERE. I CAN UNDERSTAND IF IT WAS PARKED OUTSIDE
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
GOOD DAY! I UNDERSTAND THERE WERE DEFECTIVE DASHBOARDS REPORTED FOR CERTAIN 2010 TOYOTA AVALONS. MY 2010 TOYOTA AVALON WAS NOT ON THE TOYOTA WARRANTY LIST TO HAVE THE DASHBOARD REPLACED DUE TO THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT.
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
THE LATCH ON THE LOWER LEFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN THAT CONTROLS THE POSITIONING OF THE STEERING WHEEL CONSTANTLY COMES LOOSE. I DISCOVERED THAT AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, GOING STRAIGHT, AND THE STEERING WHEEL SUD
NHTSA complaint: Steering
LEVER THAT ADJUSTS TILT STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT STAY IN PLACE AND WHEN IT FALLS IT DISENGAGES THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK AT ANY TIME.
NHTSA complaint: Steering
DASHBOARD HAS BEEN CRACKING NON STOP AND IT KEEPS ON GETTING WORSE AND WORSE THE WHOLE PASSENGER SIDE DASH. PLUS ITS ALWAYS PARKED IN A PARKING GARAGE.
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2010 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, A LARGE DEER COLLIDED HEAD ON INTO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IMPACT KNOCKED THE ENGINE BLOCK OU
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE CONTACT'S SPOUSE NOTICED THAT THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT UNDER THE REAR WINDOW FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. T
NHTSA complaint: Exterior lighting
NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2010 Toyota Avalon. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affec
Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Priu
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model y
Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This co
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contac
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT.
Risk: A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
Fix: TOYOTA FILED AN AMENDED DEFECT REPORT ON NOVEMBER 25, 2009, STATING THAT DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND, ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, ALTER THE SHAPE OF THE FLOOR SURFACE UNDER THE PEDAL. THES
| Reliability raw | 72 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 80 | excellent |
| Maintenance | 83 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 76 | good |
| Performance | 57 | average |
| Efficiency | 43 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 46 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and vehicle speed control is the most reported area with 11 of them (24%). There are 7 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 72/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 80/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2010 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 72/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.