Friday, August 7, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2010 Toyota Avalon problems & reliability

46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Toyota Avalon, alongside 7 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.

Owner complaints
46
Recall campaigns
7
Fire reports
0 (0%)
Crash reports
6 (13%)

Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.

NCAP overall rating
Not rated
NHTSA 5-star program
EPA fuel economy
23 MPG combined
City 19 · highway 28 (typical trim)
Service bulletins (TSBs)
319
Manufacturer communications on file
Defect investigations
0
NHTSA ODI probes naming this model year

4 complaints report injuries (6 injured).

Federal crash records (FARS 20202023): 2010 Toyota Avalon vehicles were involved in 11 fatal crashes with 4 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

ComponentComplaints
Vehicle Speed Control13
Steering10
Unknown OR Other6
Exterior Lighting4
Electrical System3
Visibility/wiper3
Air Bags2
Power Train2
Electronic Stability Control (esc)1
Engine1

Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.

All 18 reported components →

Common symptoms owners describe

Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.

Mileage when problems occurred

Among the 32 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 24,750 miles (middle 50% between 2,906 and 60,875 miles).

under 20k
16
20–40k
2
40–60k
6
60–80k
2
80–100k
4
100–150k
2
150k+
0

Complaints by incident year

09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
24
25

What owners report

  • 2010 Toyota Avalon [XXX] purchased used. Sticker on driver’s door post states 32PSI for all tires. Low tire pressure light activated, XXX Toyota dealer ordered 5 new tire sensors and installed them XXX. Light reactivated in fall, I put 32 PSI in all tires, light stayed on. I used Costco air service to put 32PSI in all…

    Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 22, 2026

  • Our 2010 toyota avalon limited with 126537 total miles as of 07/09/2026, sits in our garage all the time except when it somewhere. The problem is the dash is cracking everywhere. I can understand if it was parked outside all the time. But sitting in the garage. We keep it clean and even the headlight covers are still…

    Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 9, 2026

  • Good day! I understand there were defective dashboards reported for certain 2010 toyota avalons. My 2010 toyota avalon was not on the toyota warranty list to have the dashboard replaced due to the class action lawsuit. Now, I am seeing the dashboard cracking in two spots. Thank you, [xxx] [xxx] charlotte, nc [xxx]…

    Unknown OR Other · filed Apr 30, 2021

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Technical service bulletins

319 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2010 Toyota Avalon. The 10 most recent:

  • Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…

    T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 7, 2026

  • The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…

    T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024

  • To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…

    T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024

  • Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal…

    T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024

  • Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow…

    T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 5, 2024

  • Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can…

    T-SB-0062-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 3, 2024

  • Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…

    T-SB-0055-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024

  • Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…

    T-SB-0055-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024

  • The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…

    T-SB-0039-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024

  • To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…

    T-SB-0038-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024

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

The 2010 Toyota Avalon has 7 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.

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 2010 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.
  • · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 24,750 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.
About this data. Complaint figures come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database and count unique complaints (one per NHTSA case number). Complaints are submitted by vehicle owners and are not independently verified; complaint volume also reflects how many of these vehicles are on the road. Recall data comes from the official NHTSA recall database. This page is not affiliated with Toyota or NHTSA.