Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 160 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown or other | 20 | 13% |
| Structure | 15 | 9% |
| Visibility/wiper | 14 | 9% |
| Air bags | 11 | 7% |
| Forward collision avoidance | 11 | 7% |
| Vehicle speed control | 10 | 6% |
| Tires | 5 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 5 | 3% |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 3% |
| Visibility | 5 | 3% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
I am submitting this complaint to report a safety-related incident involving the moonroof glass on my 2013 Toyota Avalon. Vehicle Information: - Make: Toyota Avalon, 2013 - VIN: [XXX] - Mileage at time of incident: App
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
Car into a brick wall, hit on front passenger side at 15 mph no airbag deployed.
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
he Occupant Detection System (ODS) in my 2013 Toyota Avalon has failed. The vehicle does not consistently detect an adult passenger in the front seat, and the “Passenger Airbag OFF” light remains illuminated, even when s
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
1) System Failure: Back window shade. It is available for inspection at any time. 2) Safety of me and others put at risk: When the shade is down I can not see out the back window posing a significant risk to those behind
NHTSA complaint: Visibility/wiper
Straps, yes The straps do not stay tight and do not keep my child restrained Yes After checking the straps on the car seat they become loose no longer restraining my child in her seat
NHTSA complaint: Chest clip
There is a very strong musty smell. 80% of the time it's when I turn on AC. 20% just at random driving times. Whenever car has sat longer then a few hours with all windows up. When open doors is has very musty smell. I h
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
I have a smell of moldy old water what is going on ? Why is water filling up in my trunk? What do my head lights bulb keep going out? WHY HAVEN'T YOU GUYS DONE ANYTHING? For real I have a darn battery in my trunk come o
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
Rear window shade stuck in 'UP' position, cannot see out the rearview mirror, especially at night. Makes for very dangerous driving.
NHTSA complaint: Visibility/wiper
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2013 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 model year 2013-2015 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles manufactured October 19, 2012 to October 27, 2015 and 2013-2015 Lexus ES350 and ES300h vehicles manufactured June 18, 2012 to July 6, 2015. The affected vehicles are equippe
Risk: A vehicle that unexpectedly brakes increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain PCS components, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this
Toyota Motor Engineering & manufacturing North America, Inc. (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Camry and Camry HV, model year 2013 Avalon and Avalon HV and model year 2014 Corolla vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the windshield wiper switch assembly may short circuit. As such,
Risk: A short circuit could cause inoperative windshield wipers, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiper switch assembly, free of charge. The recall began on November 8, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
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 | 62 | average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 75 | good |
| Maintenance | 83 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 76 | good |
| Performance | 57 | average |
| Efficiency | 45 | below average |
| Safety | 93 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 160 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and unknown or other is the most reported area with 20 of them (13%). There are 4 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 62/100 (average) 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 75/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2013 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 71/100. 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.