2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
No verdict The 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid has a complaint index of 25, ranking 7th out of 9 model years, well below the worst year, 2013, at 100. It has just 1 complaint on file and 1 recall covering the airbag control unit.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 25/100
- #7 of 9 Avalon Hybrid years
- Verdict
- No verdict
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 1
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 1
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 0
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Top issue
- Electrical System
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 40
- 40 city / 39 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 0 / 0
Top 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System1 (100%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Navigation system and radio stopped functioning properly.
- Upper third brake light failed to work.
- Dealer diagnosed the airbag electronic control unit (EMU) as malfunctioning.
- Dealer replaced the radio, but electrical problems reportedly continued.
- Failure was reported at 66,000 miles median mileage.
2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid recalls
1 NHTSA recall campaign list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V024000Jan 17, 2020Airbags2,891,976 vehicles
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
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.
Remedy: 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.
2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 40 MPG
- Highway
- 39 MPG
- Combined
- 40 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $1,600
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2018 compared with other Avalon Hybrid years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid reliable based on NHTSA data?
- NHTSA lists only 1 complaint for the 2018 Avalon Hybrid, giving it a complaint index of 25, which ranks 7th out of 9 model years — better than most other years of this model.
- What problems does the 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid have?
- The one recorded complaint involves the Electrical System, specifically navigation, radio, and brake light malfunctions tied to a diagnosed airbag electronic control unit issue at 66,000 miles.
- Does the 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid have any recalls?
- Yes, one recall (campaign 20V024000) covers the airbag electronic control unit; Toyota installs a noise filter between the airbag control module and related wiring as the remedy.
- How does the 2018 Avalon Hybrid compare to other years?
- Its complaint index of 25 is much lower than 2013 (100), 2014 (88), and 2015 (75), which are the years to avoid for this model.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Toyota Avalon Hybrid?
- EPA rates it at 40 mpg combined (40 city / 39 highway), with an annual fuel cost of $1,600.