What 52 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Toyota Avalon

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, the contact noticed that the title listed the mileage at 133,510, with the note " Not the Actual Mileage" next to the mileage. It was later discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the vehicle mileage was 133,510, and it was later discovered that the Carfax report listed the mileage at 251,617. The Carfax report also displayed that the vehicle was sold at an auto auction on 11/25/2025. Additionally, the contact stated that while his daughter was driving the vehicle on the same day of purchase, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated to respond. The contact stated that the check engine warning light and the traction control warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was shifting significantly hard. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.

NHTSA ODI 11709132

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the brakes. The contact stated that the brake warning light illuminated, and the brake independently activated. The vehicle was taken to a specialty brake shop, where it was diagnosed that the brake actuator had failed, causing the ABS system to activate independently. The vehicle was repaired. On the drive back to the residence, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with brake master cylinder failure. The brake booster, gasket, and brake actuator were replaced. The contact stated that two weeks later, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and DTC: C1441 and C1431 were retrieved, indicating an issue with the ABS system lateral acceleration sensor circuit or the brake booster. The dealer became aware that the front bumper bracket had paint on the part that did not allow for the vehicle to brake correctly. The brake pedal support assembly with sensor was replaced, and the paint was removed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V728000 (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,829.

NHTSA ODI 11680608

Accident June 12, 2024 air bag did not deploy. hit on passenger side no air bags deployed. Air bag not able to be reset

NHTSA ODI 11661245

05/04/2025 First of all, we love our Avalon. However, for the last 6 months or so, water is getting in the car and ends up soaking the carpet on the left front floorboard carpet. We have checked everything we can think of to find the source of the leak but was uneasily. We had to have some scratches fixed and took the car to a body shop to see if they could find the source of the leak. They sprayed water on the sunroof for about an hour but no water leaked inside. We have also taken the car to the local Toyota Dealership (Sheehy Toyota in the Fredericksburg area, they could not find the source of the leak. It rained here (Fredericksburg, VA last night and the left front floorboard was soaked. I need help finding the source of the leak(s) so we can continue enjoying our Avalon. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you, [XXX] [XXX] Phone number [XXX] (cell phone) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11658794

I have tire size P225 / 45 R 18. Michelin Primacy mxm4. The compalint tire exploded at 65 MPH (the speed limit). The falure caused the car to swerve into the next lane which was occupied by another car at the time. My safety was at risk when I momemtarily lost control of the vehicle and others were at risk when I enetred an occupied lane. Problem was inspected and confirmed by Mavis (formerly NTB) in Keller TX. The only warning was that a couple of weeks prior to the incident while rotating my tires the Mavis location found a bubble in the sidewall of another tire (not the one that exploded) that was in the same lot as the one that exploded. It was replaced under the warranty. I now beleive that the entire lot of tires are defective and have asked for a completely new set of tires.

NHTSA ODI 11548028

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated while pulling into a parking space, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly, drove over the curb, and crashed into bushes. The air bags did not deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries. There was no police report filed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where she informed that the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,400.

NHTSA ODI 11543398

While driving the pre-collision system (PCS) turns on unexpectedly, without any warning lights or sounds, and applies the brakes. This happens when I am driving in traffic with plenty of space between the car in front of me. I typically drive between 3-6 seconds behind the car in front of me to allow for at least 300 feet in space when driving at highway speeds. Despite leaving plenty of room for cars in front of me, on multiple occasions the car has started braking abruptly while going anywhere between 50, 40, 30, or 20 miles per hour. This can be verified for inspection upon request. Despite there being a recall for my specific year, make, and model car (2015 Toyota Avalon) for this exact issue my VIN number is not covered. Toyota is requiring me to pay out of pocket for them to 1) determine if its malfunctioning and 2) replace the system, which is a huge conflict of interest. Even though the Driver's Manual says that I can disable the PCS by clicking on the PCS on/off button within the driver's glovebox, there is no such button, only a blank button cover. Not having the ability to disable the PCS system, or worse, allowing it to continue braking while I'm driving is a serious hazard. The car can start braking while I am accelerating to merge onto expressway on-ramps, or while changing lanes at the same speed of traffic. The car can also unexpectedly brake while cars are traveling too close behind me. I want to know why my VIN was not included in the initial recall and why I now have to pay to have it looked at or repaired when its clearly malfunctioning and can't be turned off as the Driver's Manual says it can. I should not have to pay $175 an hour for several hours for a Toyota dealership to diagnosis it and then another $175 an hour for 2.5 hours for them to install the fix and whatever the new component costs. I recently bought this car at 35,500 miles and the issue immediately started occurring just as the warranty expired at 36,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11518883

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop immediately and made an abnormal sound. Additionally, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.

NHTSA ODI 11510448

Front windshield seems to be failing. Glass along perimeter where Windshields sits / mounts onto the body of the car its failing. The glass seems to be delaminating in various spots along the entire perimeter. Please review photos. I have contacted Toyota Corporate about this and they could not careless. Their response for me was to go pound sand.

NHTSA ODI 11460028

The body of the car, clunks when making a right or left turn while leaving the road and entering a slightly raised or lowered entry. A very clear clunk sound occcurs emanating from the overhead, just behind the driver's seat. It doesn't happen every time, but is increasing in frequency. I don't know if this is or will be a safety risk. This has not been witnessed or confirmed by Toyota and cannot be verified by inspection because it is inaccessible, behind the overhead. It first occurred and was reported around the 50,000mi servicing.

NHTSA ODI 11441665

Tire Size 225/45 R 18. The tire had slightly over 3,000 miles on it. 1. Rear driver side tire that is in my possession and available for inspection, but is in 2 parts. 2. My wife and I traveled from Brandon, MS to Birmingham, Al for a medical appointment early the next day. In Tuscaloosa, Al driving in right hand lane approximately 60 MPH the handling became rough, the tire blew out, causing loss of control and throwing the vehicle in center lane, fortunately no other vehicle was there, I regained control and moved to side of road without out any physical injury. 3. After attempting to change the tire, a wrecker had to be called and towed to the only tire store open, Firestone. The technician removed the tire and said the tire separated and was replaced with a new tire. 4. Upon returning home, the tire was taken to my dealer who inspected the tire, said it was too torn up (2 pieces) to tell if it was structural failure and Continental would not do anything. He said if tires fail it is in 1st 1,000 miles and something must have been hit. I advise that nothing was hit, that Continental needed to know about the tire. He offered no further assistance. 5. Tuscaloosa & Birmingham are roughly 50 miles apart, a little prior to reaching Tuscaloosa, the low tire sensor came on, which it will do occasionally, did not notice any change in how the vehicle handled and planned to have it checked out at a Continental dealer in Birmingham the next day.

NHTSA ODI 11438793

The steering tilt lock mechanism is failing. Vibrates loose while driving. It is a non-wear item. Toyota had to recall 2009-2012 models of Avalon for the same problem. My vehicle is a 2015 and is out of warranty and only has 50,000 miles. I did have a service center check it and they confirmed the problem. You can repair this non-wear item you must replace the complete steering column assembly. With parts and labor the cost is @ $1500. Whatever they did to redesign the mechanism since the 2012 model year to fix the problem was not effective. Toyota responded to my letter and declined to take any responsibility.

NHTSA ODI 11437591

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE CONTROL CASING FOR THE ELECTRONIC ADJUSTABLE SEATS LOOSENED AND DETACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER SAVANNAH TOYOTA (11101 ABERCORN ST, SAVANNAH, GA 31419 ) WHO REPLACED THE CASING HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

NHTSA ODI 11414062

HAVE TOYO EXTENSA AS II TIRES ON CAR WITH APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES ON TIRES. ON INTERSTATE 69 IN HOUSTON RUSH HOUR WITHOUT WARNING THE LEFT REAR PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OFF RIM. LEFT AT 70MPH WITH ONLY RIM ON THE BACK TIRE. I DID SAFELY PULL OVER AND NO HARM TO MYSELF OF VEHICLE. THE TIRE ONLY HAD RUBBER LEFT AROUND RIM. WAS IF TIRE WAS A PIECE OF PAPER THAT BLEW AWAY. NO EXPLOSION, NO LOW TIRE NOTICE ON CAR PRIOR TO TIRE COMING OFF THE RIM. THERE WAS NO OTHER SIGNS OF TROUBLE LIKE CAR CAR SHAKING, WOBBLING OR ANY OTHER WARNING. I DO HAVE PICTURE OF RIM AND WILL KEEP REMAINING 3 TIRES. I HAVE NEW PURCHASED NEW TIRES.

NHTSA ODI 11408017

TL* THE CONTACT OWN A 2015 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE HYBRID ENGINE ON THE VEHICLE SWITCHED FROM ELECTRIC TO GASOLINE OPERATION WHICH CAUSE A FASTER ACCELERATION AND JERKING MOTION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO FITZGERALD TOYOTA GAITHERSBURG (907 N FREDERICK AVE, GAITHERSBURG, MD 20879) WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND NO FAILURE WITH VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD A THIRD-PARTY INVESTIGATOR INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND IDENTIFIED THE ACCELERATION AND JERKING IN THE VEHICLE WHEN SWITCHING TO ENGINE FROM ELECTRIC TO GASOLINE HOWEVER, THE INVESTIGATOR STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,696.

NHTSA ODI 11390023

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP IMMEDIATELY CAUSING THE BRAKING DISTANCE TO BE EXTENDED. THE BRAKE SENSOR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT YET DETERMINED. TOYOTA OF IRVING LOCATED AT 1999 W AIRPORT FWY, IRVING, TX 75062, WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

NHTSA ODI 11328191

ON MAY 25TH, 2020 I WAS PULLING INTO A TACO BELL DRIVE THROUGH. IT WAS LOCATED UP A LITTLE HILL. AS I DROVE UP THE HILL I HIT A LITTLE CURBING. I BACKED UP AND ADJUSTED THE CAR TO MISS THE CURB. WHEN I PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE IT LURCHED FORWARD AT A HIGH SPEED. SEEING I WAS GOING TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT, I HIT MY BRAKES. THE CAR DID NOT STOP UNTIL I HAD HIT THE CAR IN FRONT WITH A LOT OF FORCE. THAT CAR WAS THROWN INTO THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF IT. THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A HUGE SCARE! I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE SO I COULD OBSERVE THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN I DID SO THE CAR ACCELERATE AT FULL SPEED IN REVERSE GOING BACK DOWN THE HILL AND HEADED STRAIGHT FOR A DRUGSTORE. THE CAR WAS MAKING A WHIRING SOUND, LIKE WHEN YOU REV UP THE ENGINE. I PUSHED THE BRAKES TO THE FLOOR BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP BUT KEEP GOING FASTER! I PUMPED THE BRAKES SOME MORE BUT IT WOULD NOT STOP. WHEN I SAW I WAS HEADED INTO THE STORE, I TURNED THE WHEELS TO AVOID IT AND TRIED BRAKING AGAIN WITHOUT STOPPING. I FINALLY HIT THE STOP ENGINE BUTTON BUT NOT BEFORE THE CAR HIT A PARKED TRUCK IN THE STORE LOT WHICH STOPPED IT. IT WAS THE MOST FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD. I AM NOW AFRAID TO GET INTO A CAR. I WAS TOO UPSET TO TAKE PHOTOS. I WILL LIST THE CRASH REPORT IN THE FILE BELOW. *TR *BF *TR

NHTSA ODI 11326182

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER MADE AN ABRUPT STOP; CAUSING HER TO REAR END THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT NOR THE OTHER DRIVER WERE INJURED DUE TO THE ACCIDENT AND NO MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE CONTACT WAS INITIALLY ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME; LATER ON, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL NUMBER: 20V024000 (AIR BAGS) WHICH SHE ASSOCIATED WITH HER FAILURE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH DOWNTOWN TOYOTA OF OAKLAND (4145 BROADWAY, OAKLAND, CA 94611) AND MAITA TOYOTA OF SACRAMENTO (2500 AUBURN BLVD, SACRAMENTO, CA 95821) WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS REMAIN UNAVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11317604

TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A RECALL NOTICE WHICH STATES THAT THERE WILL BE SEVERAL MONTHS UNTIL A DEFECT IS DEALT WITH THAT COULD CAUSE A FATALITY AND IN THE MEANTIME RENDERS THE CAR WORTHLESS.

NHTSA ODI 11316632

ON FEB. 5, 2020 AT ABOUT 6:30 AM, MY WIFE WAS PULLING UP BEHIND CARS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, AS SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, SHE PRESSED THE BRAKES AS HARD AS SHE COULD, THE CAR CONTINUED TO DRIVE FORWARD HITTING THE CAR AHEAD OF HER IN LINE. SHE COULD HEAR THE CAR ENGINE RACING AND TRIED TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK, BUT IT WENT INTO REVERSE AND RAPIDLY MOVED BACKWARDS, EVEN WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE, HIT THE CAR BEHIND HER. SHE THAN ONCE AGAIN TRIED TO UP THE CAR IN PARK, BUT PUT IT BACK IN DRIVE AND THE OUR CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD AGAIN FILL SPEED HITTING THE CAR AHEAD FOR A SECOND TIME, ALL THE TIME HOLDING HER FOOT DOWN AS HARD AS SHE COULD ON THE BRAKE. AFTER HITTING THE CAR AHEAD FOR THE SECOND TIME, SHE PUSHED THE ENGINE STOP BUTTON AND THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING AT FULL RPM. SHE NOTED THAT THERE THE FRONT TIRES WERE SMOKING ALOT SINCE THE TIRES WERE ROTAING EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS AT A STOP, DUE TO THE ENGINE RACING FULL RPM. POLICE WERE CALLED AND THEY DISPATCHED A TOW TRUCK FOR OUR CAR. THE POLICE NEVER ARRIVED, THE TOW TRUCK LOADED OUR CAR AND TOWED IT TO THE AAA STORAGE YARD .

NHTSA ODI 11308465

I WAS HEADING DOWN SNOW GEESE SOUTH IN DUCK N.C. TO TURN LEFT ONTO WOOD DUCK DRIVE. AS I APPROACHED THE TURN, MY BRAKES FAILED AND I WENT INTO THE PARKING AREA OF 1324 DUCK ROAD. I COULD HIT A PARKED TRUCK OR HOUSE. I HIT THE TRUCK. THE AIRBAGS DIDNT DEPLOY. NONE OF THEM. IT WAS A HEAD ON COLLISION. MY CAR WAS TOTALED. THE POLICE SHOWED UP AND WERE SUPRISED THAT THERE WERE NO AIRBAGS. THIS CONCERNS ME GREATLY. THE BRAKES FAILING WAS SCARY ENOUGH, BUT ABSOLUTELY NO AIRBAGS! *DSY

NHTSA ODI 11290892

UNKNOWN LEAKING. WE HAVE NARROWED DOWN TO THE SUNROOF OR TOP PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD. CAN NOT PIN POINT LEAK, BUT AFTER COVERING WITH TARP IN PARTICULAR AREAS WE HAVE NARROWED IT DOWN TO THE SUN ROOF OR W/S. THE DRAIN PLUGS ARE CLEAR IN THE SUN ROOF.

NHTSA ODI 11288939

PEARL WHITE PAINT IS PEELING ON RIGHT SIDE AND REAR OF VEHICLE. 2, AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON WHEN STATIONARY OR MOVING.

NHTSA ODI 11282387

THE AVALON HYBRIDS COVERED ONLY BY WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT ZKK ARE SUFFERING THE SAME DANGERS AND FVMSS NONCOMPLIANCE DUE TO BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLY FAILURES AS THOSE TOYOTA COVERED BY SAFETY RECALLS (D0H & K0L). BY EXCLUDING AVALON HYBRIDS WITH DEFECTIVE BRAKES FROM THE D0H AND K0L SAFETY RECALLS, TOYOTA IS LEAVING THE OWNERS TO HELPLESSLY EXPERIENCE LIFE-THREATENING BRAKE FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION BEFORE TOYOTA WILL PROVIDE THE REPLACEMENT BRAKE COMPONENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THE VEHICLE SAFE. THE LAW REQUIRES TOYOTA TO PREVENT THE LIFE-THREATENING DANGERS OF THIS BRAKE DEFECT BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURS. TOYOTA'S COST-CUTTING STRATEGIES ARE CAUSING CRASHES AND INJURIES. INJURIES AND CRASHES CAUSED BY THE BRAKE DEFECT EXPLAINED IN THIS LETTER HAVE OCCURRED AND BEEN REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. TOYOTA'S DECISION TO PROVIDE A REACTIONARY, POST-FAILURE REPAIR - INSTEAD OF A PREVENTATIVE SAFETY RECALL REMEDY - EXPLAINS MANY OF THE CRASHES AND INJURIES ON NHTSA'S SAFERCAR.GOV WEBSITE. RELEVANT COMPLAINTS FROM SAFERCAR.GOV INCLUDE 10515182 AND 11093611. DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES C1256, C1253, C1252, AND C1391 - INDICATING DANGERS AND NONCOMPLIANCE - ARE BEING STORED IN VEHICLES EXCLUDED FROM THE PAST SAFETY RECALLS. TOYOTA HAS LONG HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNREASONABLE RISKS TO SAFETY AND FMVSS NONCOMPLIANCE OCCURRING IN HYBRIDS EXCLUDED FROM THEIR SAFETY RECALLS. TOYOTA GETS REAL-TIME TRANSMISSIONS OF DTCS AND FREEZE FRAME DATA FROM HYBRIDS WITH FAILED BRAKES THROUGH THE TECHSTREAM TOOL AT ITS FRANCHISE DEALERSHIPS.

NHTSA ODI 11256523

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA AVALON HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN EXPLOSION AND NOTICED THAT THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT CALLED NEWARK TOYOTA WORLD (230 E CLEVELAND AVE, NEWARK, DE 19711) AND SCHEDULED A DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR APPOINTMENT FOR JUNE 24, 2019. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11222139