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NHTSA vehicle safety data

2004 Toyota Avalon Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2004 Toyota Avalon has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 205 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Toyota dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2004 Toyota Avalon, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2004 Toyota Avalon owner complaints

Owners have filed 205 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Toyota Avalon, describing incidents dated March 23, 2004 to July 4, 2024.

Most-cited components

  • Air Bags 127 complaints
  • Steering 28 complaints
  • Vehicle Speed Control 25 complaints
  • Electrical System 11 complaints
  • Engine 8 complaints
  • Seat Belts 7 complaints

Of the 205 complaints on file, 27 report a crash; across all 205 complaints, owners report 17 injuries and 2 deaths (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

  • ODI #11606428 · Filed

    Ella tuvo realmente la culpa

  • ODI #11402624 · Filed

    CAR MAKES A VERY, VERY LOUD SCREECHING SOUND WHEN STARTED WITH A/C OR HEATING ON (BUT MORE COMMONLY WITH A/C). THE SOUND WILL SOMETIMES DIE DOWN OR STOP ONCE A/C IS TURNED OFF, BUT NOT ALWAYS. PUDDLES CAN TRIGGER THE SOUND AS WELL. SOUND CAN BE HEARD MAINLY UPON INITAL STARTUP BUT CAN OCCUR AFTER…

  • ODI #11396567 · Filed

    I'VE NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES I SMELL SOMETHING BURNING, ELECTRICAL, COOLANT OR SOMETHING. MY MECHANICS FINDS NO LEAKS, BUT I CHECKED ONCE AND THE COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY, FIND NO LEAKS. SOMEHOW, THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR MUD FLAP CAME OFF AND THE TRUNK LID DOESN'T LINE UP. IT ALWAYS LOOKS LIKE IT'S…

Read all 205 complaints

Owner-reported

2004 Toyota Avalon mileage at failure

113 of the 205 complaints on file for the 2004 Toyota Avalon give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Air BagsMedian 80,000 milesMiddle half 55,000–125,000 milesBased on 58 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

Inadvertent Air Bag Deployment

NHTSA #15V043000 · Air Bags — Frontal · NHTSA notice

Reported January 28, 2015 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Potentially affected: 1,006,849 vehicles

Repair completion: 28.74% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Owners notified August 24, 2015 · Vehicles built June 5, 2002 – December 20, 2004 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured December 28, 2001, to May 2, 2004, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2002, to April 29, 2004, 2003-2004 Avalon vehicles manufactured June 5, 2002, to December 20, 2004, and 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured January 18, 2002, to April 27, 2004. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag control module may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.

Safety consequence

Inadvertent deployment of the air bags or the seat belt pretensioners increases the risk of an injury or crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. GM issued an interim notification to owners on March 27, 2015. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Pontiac owners may call 1-800-620-7668. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 13V-029 and 14V-147. Vehicles that had a noise filter installed as the remedy for one of those campaigns need to have the air bag control module replaced under this campaign.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

CRANKSHAFT PULLEY

NHTSA #11V539000 · Engine and Engine Cooling · NHTSA notice

Reported November 9, 2011 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Potentially affected: 420,326 vehicles

Owners notified December 31, 2011 · Vehicles built June 1, 2004 – December 20, 2004 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2004 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2005, EQUIPPED WITH THE 1MZ-FE OR 3MZ-FE ENGINE. THE AMOUNT OF ADHESIVE AGENT APPLIED BETWEEN THE OUTER RING AND THE TORSIONAL RUBBER DAMPER (INNER RING) IN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY MAY BE INADEQUATE. IF THE ADHESIVE IS INSUFFICIENT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE OUTER RING MAY BECOME MISALIGNED AND IT MAY NOT PROPERLY ROTATE WITH THE INNER RING, CAUSING NOISE AND/OR ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY DISCHARGE INDICATOR LIGHT.

Safety consequence

IN SOME CASES, THE BELT FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE PULLEY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND A SUDDEN INCREASE IN STEERING EFFORT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE U.S. SUPPLIER. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULLEY WITH A NEW ONE AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING EARLY JANUARY 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

Notes

OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .

STEERING INTERLOCK ASSEMBLY

NHTSA #10V345000 · Steering · NHTSA notice

Reported July 29, 2010 · TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Potentially affected: 372,593 vehicles

Toyota campaign AOH · Owners notified September 7, 2010 · Vehicles built April 28, 1999 – December 20, 2004 (per NHTSA)

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 consequence

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.

Notes

TOYOTA SAFETY RECALL NO. AOH.OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .

Other Toyota Avalon model years

Check your 2004 Toyota Avalon VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Toyota Avalon at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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