Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 96 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 17 | 18% |
| Unknown or other | 13 | 14% |
| Electrical system | 8 | 8% |
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 6% |
| Air bags | 6 | 6% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 5 | 5% |
| Structure | 4 | 4% |
| Service brakes | 3 | 3% |
| Visibility | 3 | 3% |
| Steering | 3 | 3% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that the vehicle was driven to AAA Auto Repair facility and the contact was informed that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Installed new Rainex wipers two days ago. Driving tonight in rain and the exterior of the windshield has a film on it that makes it difficult to see when the wipers cycle when near streetlights or when cars with headligh
NHTSA complaint: Visibility/wiper
I was pulling into a parking spot when my car suddenly accelerated to a very high speed. I traveled over a curb, on some pavement, through some bushes, knocked down a light pole and miraculously came to a stop. My foot w
NHTSA complaint: Vehicle speed control
My 2014 Toyota Avalon transmission failed with only 98,000 miles on it. I have always maintained this car flawlessly. I got a check engine light 07/07/23 and immediately had it towed to a certified mechanic. Was told the
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH for 20 miles, the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light became illuminated. The vehicle was parked and then towed to the residence. The v
NHTSA complaint: Forward collision avoidance
The rear window retractable sun visor motor/gears have failed. When this happens, it leaves the sun visor in the up position in the rear window at all times. This makes it very, very, hard to see anything out the rear wi
NHTSA complaint: Visibility/wiper
Dash board is melting which causes it to get shiny which causes it to reflect onto the windshield. This reflection makes it very difficult to see other vehicles, road lines, and traffic direction sighns.
NHTSA complaint: Structure
The reflective trim on the interior of the vehicle creates pain for the eyes and is so high that it interferes with the ability of the driver to see out the front window.
NHTSA complaint: Structure
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2014 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 2014 Toyota Camry, Camry HV, Avalon, and Avalon HV vehicles equipped with 16-inch and 17-inch rims. In the affected vehicles, the left-side front suspension lower arm may have been incorrectly manufactured. As a resu
Risk: Because of the insufficient clamping force, the lower arm may separate from the ball joint, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left side lower arm, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Toyota Avalon, Camry, Sienna, and Highlander and model year 2015 Lexus RX350 vehicles. Fuel may leak from the one of the fuel delivery pipes in the engine compartment.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace any of the suspect fuel delivery pipes free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331
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 (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 | 63 | average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 75 | good |
| Maintenance | 83 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 76 | good |
| Performance | 57 | average |
| Efficiency | 46 | 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 96 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and forward collision avoidance is the most reported area with 17 of them (18%). There are 4 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 63/100 (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 2014 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.