2019 Toyota Avalon Reliability Report

This is a mixed group. Stalling at intersections as if the engine is short on fuel, and mentions of the low-pressure fuel pump, repeat the fuel system complaints. Blind spot monitoring and cross traffic alert malfunction messages pop up often, more so in very cold or wet weather, and dealer visits have not fixed them. The Bird's Eye camera screen can go black in reverse, and collision warning shuts off in rain or snow. One report describes a nauseating smell from the air vents on recirculation that needed a paid cleaning.

Most of these filings are about a delayed fuel pump recall repair, not new failures. Owners say dealers had no parts and the wait dragged on far too long. Where symptoms show up, the car stalls without warning at 35 to 40 mph, hesitates at idle with the check engine light on, or runs rough. Reported mileages range from 10,000 to 40,000. A stall in moving traffic leaves the driver at real risk of being hit.

Weak headlights are the complaint. Low beams fall short in full darkness and over dips, curves, and hills, so pedestrians and parked cars on the shoulder are hard to see. A dealer adjustment did not solve it. Discolored headlight units also reduce night vision. Reports come early, at roughly 4,500 to 14,000 miles. Poor night visibility raises the chance of hitting someone at the edge of the road.

Blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert malfunction alerts keep returning. Dealers point to a service bulletin. One reprogrammed the module, and another blamed poorly positioned sensors and told the owner to pay for the fix. When these systems drop out, a driver may assume the next lane is clear when it is not.

Adaptive cruise control misbehaves in two ways. In one, the car brakes hard for no reason on highways and city streets, which invites a rear-end collision. In the other, the system fails to sense a truck merging into the lane, and cruise does not release until the brake pedal is pressed several times. Both reports describe the problem happening more than once.

On concrete freeways the car wanders and follows the grooves in the pavement, even when the alignment checks out within spec. That drifting makes the car feel unsafe at highway speed. Body roll in corners on bumpy roads is also reported, and it improved after replacing the original Bridgestone tires. These filings also complain that the blind spot monitor misses fast-passing cars and vehicles at merging angles.

Two separate problems appear. One is heavy oil use on a nearly new car: 2 quarts added by 2,000 miles with no visible leaks, then a low oil light at 3,100 miles, and the dealer tore down the engine. The other affects the hybrid with keyless ignition. The car can stay on silently in a garage with no warning, then start its engine as the battery drains, which creates a carbon monoxide risk.