1998 Toyota Avalon problems & reliability
178 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Toyota Avalon. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
21 complaints report injuries (25 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Toyota Avalon vehicles were involved in 20 fatal crashes with 19 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 19 | 11% |
| Suspension | 19 | 11% |
| Visibility | 19 | 11% |
| Equipment | 17 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 16 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 16 | 9% |
| Tires | 14 | 8% |
| Power Train | 11 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 73,500 miles (middle 50% between 47,029 and 112,500 miles), based on 50 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“All plastic parts are disintegrating, seer belts, door locks, door handles, AC vents , body trim, steering wheel, lights, & anything made of plastic”
Seat Belts · filed Jun 26, 2023
“Electrical system shut down in traffic at the light, alternator was tested. Battery light stay on, lights dimmed out, lost speed. Had to get pushed out the road at a busy intersection in atlanta georgia on cleveland avenue.. Bought a second alternator, same exact incident . Once headlights are turned on at night, car…”
Suspension · filed Dec 3, 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 toyota avalon. The contact stated that the throttle became stuck without warning. As a result, the contact drove through two red lights. The contact had to maneuver between the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Apr 25, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE SEIZURE
Defect Petition DP02004 · opened Apr 30, 2002 · closed Jun 20, 2002
Technical service bulletins
78 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Toyota Avalon. The 10 most recent:
OBSOLETE NOTICE January 22, 2024: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0057-18.
T-SB-0043-14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 22, 2024
TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2023 model year vehicles may be…
TSB003220 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 17, 2023
TSB: The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master keys are lost. Once the system is reset, all previously registered keys will be erased. Follow the…
T-SB-0057-18 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2023
TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions
TTT063620 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 17, 2022
POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Toyota. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be…
Toyota PRO19-02 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2022
Toyota Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
Toyota Safety Re · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 17, 2021
TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.
T-TT-0636-20 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 12, 2021
TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2021 model year vehicles may be…
T-SB-0032-20 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 3, 2021
TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.
T-TT-0636-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 14, 2020
TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.
T-TT-0636-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 14, 2020
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1998 Toyota Avalon in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Toyota Avalon?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 73,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.