Home · 2014 · Toyota

2014 Toyota Avalon

Solid pick. The complaint record is strong for its age. It does carry safety recalls, so confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the VIN before money changes hands.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

96 owner complaints · 4 recalls · data verified July 15, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.

The math, shown

Full methodology →
Complaint volume (40%)97
Severity (30%)81
Recall load (20%)71
Trend (10%)100

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20142025

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

5/5 overall

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2014 Toyota Avalon 4 DR FWD

Front crash
Side crash
Rollover

Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 11%

Stability control: StandardForward collision warning: OptionalLane departure warning: No

1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file, separate from the recalls above.

NHTSA crash-test photo, 2014 Toyota Avalon 4 DR FWD

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2014 Toyota Avalon, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k mi

Also reported (mileage varies): Driver assistance (18) · Visibility & wipers (13) · Body & structure (12) · Electrical system (11)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Driver assistance

19%

18 complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V728000 (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE). THE PART TO DO THE REPA…

Visibility & wipers

14%

13 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

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 …

Body & structure

13%

12 complaints

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.

Electrical system

11%

11 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

PRE COLLOSION SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE A COMPUTER IN THE SYSTEM AT A COST OF OVER $10…

Recalls (4)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Air Bags · 20V024000

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 and/or seat belt pretensioners.

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 the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.

Forward Collision Avoidance · 15V728000

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 equipped with a Pre-Collision System (PCS) as optional equipment. In these vehicles, the PCS may unexpectedly activate and apply the brakes when the radar detects a steel joint or plate in the roadway as an object.

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 campaign are F1V and F2E.

Suspension · 14V715000

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 result, the left side lower arm may not have enough clamping surface area for one of the bolts that secures the lower arm to the lower ball joint.

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.

Fuel System, Gasoline · 14V576000

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 1-800-331-4331.

Before you hand over money

Verify the recall work was done

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2014 Toyota AVALON beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2014? See how every Avalon model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2014 Toyota Avalon against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2014 Toyota Avalon as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.