Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota Avalon, and it carries 4 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 6 | 20% |
| Electrical system | 4 | 13% |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 10% |
| Air bags | 3 | 10% |
| Unknown or other | 2 | 7% |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 7% |
| Power train | 1 | 3% |
| Air bags | 1 | 3% |
| Engine | 1 | 3% |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
While entering the highway on ramp, as I accelerated and turned on the left turn signal, the engine stopped. The steering became very hard. I stopped, put the transmission in park and started the engine, with no problem
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while it was hot outside, or whenever there was direct sunlight on the dashboard, the dashboard would become very sticky. The contact stated that the glare o
NHTSA complaint: Structure
There is a rear windshield shade that comes up automatically during a bright or hot day. It has a button to manually bring it up or down also. Just last month the gear inside the shade is broken and it does not come down
NHTSA complaint: Visibility/wiper
REAR SUNSCREEN REMAINS IN UP POSITION, WHEN LOWERED IN REVERSE, IT MAKES A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. HAVING TO DRIVE AT NIGHT PRESENTS A PROBLEM WITH VISIBILITY WHEN THE SUNSCREEN REMAINS IN THE UP POSITION.
NHTSA complaint: Visibility/wiper
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 TOYOTA AVALON. THE FRONTAL AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY WHEN AN 18 WHEELER COLLIDED INTO THE VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELLING AT 65 MPH. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTR
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
ANOTHER DRIVER RAND A RED LIGHT AND I (T-BONED HIS PASSENGER SIDE) WAS IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. I WAS BREAKING AT THE TIME, BUT STILL IMAGINE I HIT HIM AT BETWEEN 30-40 MPH. THE FRONT END CRUMPLED AS EXPECTED BUT THE AIRB
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STARTED ON ITS OWN. THE MOTOR WAS EXTREMELY LOUD AND WAS A DISTRACTION TO THE DRIVER. WHEN THE CONTACT WOULD TURN OFF THE ENGINE, IT WOULD SO
NHTSA complaint: Engine
MY VEHICLES AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY I WAS HIT BY AN 18 WHEELER AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE VEHICLE HAD AT LEAST 2 REAR END HITS BY THIS 18 WHEELER ESTIMATED AT A SPEED IN EXCESS OF 25 MILES PER HOUR FASTER THAN MINE
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2012 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.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota Avalon vehicles. During a vehicle repair, the seat belt inner buckles may have been replaced with parts that may incorrectly tell the air bag management system that the seat belt is always buckled.
Risk: If the seat belt is falsely interpreted as being buckled, in the event of a crash, the air bags may not deploy appropriately, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the seat belt assembly to verify that it is properly detecting being unbuckled, replacing the inner seat belt assembly as necessary, free of charge. T
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Toyota Avalon vehicles manufactured February 9, 2010, to October 22, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the sub-woofer speaker located in the trunk may experience an intermittent electrical short which may caus
Risk: A constant electrical current flow may cause the sub-woofer to overheat, increasing the risk of fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the audio system amplifier and install a protective cover around the sub-woofer, free of charge. The recall began on July 1,2015. Owners may contact
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Avalon, Avalon HV, Venza, Camry, and Camry HV vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning condenser may become clogged causing water to accumulate at the bottom of the air conditioning condenser unit housing. The accu
Risk: A short circuit may cause the air bags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airb
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing and install a protective cover on the airbag control module, free of charge. The recall began on February
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags a
Risk: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of t
| Reliability raw | 72 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 80 | excellent |
| Maintenance | 83 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 76 | good |
| Performance | 57 | average |
| Efficiency | 41 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and structure is the most reported area with 6 of them (20%). There are 4 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 2012 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.