2013 Toyota Avalon Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
100/100
#1 most-complained of 13 Avalon years
The 2013 Toyota Avalon has 137 NHTSA complaints, 4 recalls, and a complaint index of 100, ranking it worst of 13 model years covered, with a verdict of Avoid relative to other Avalon years.
- Complaints
- 137
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 14 / 1
- Injuries / deaths
- 18 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 24.5
- 21 city / 30 hwy
Top 2013 Toyota Avalon problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Visibility & Wipers29 (21%)
- Engine27 (20%)
- Structure & Body26 (19%)
- Other25 (18%)
- Electrical System16 (12%)
- Airbags14 (10%)
- Brakes14 (10%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras6 (4%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires5 (4%)
- Fuel System4 (3%)
What owners report
- Owners report airbags failing to deploy during moderate-speed crashes, including rear-end and frontal collisions.
- Some drivers describe the brake system suddenly not responding at low speed, causing the vehicle to crash into objects or other cars.
- One owner reported the steering wheel locking into a turned position and not returning to center while driving.
- A windshield wiper and electrical fault caused wipers to run uncontrollably at full speed along with horn activation, an electrical smell, and smoke entering the cabin.
- One report describes the vehicle moving on its own while being put in reverse, resulting in a crash.
2013 Toyota Avalon recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns 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.
- NHTSA 15V728000Nov 3, 2015Collision Avoidance & Cameras30,812 vehicles
Forward collision avoidance: crash imminent braking
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.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 13V442000Oct 17, 2013Other802,769 vehicles
Equipment:appliance:air conditioner
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Avalon, Avalon HV, Venza, Camry, and Camry HV vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning condenser may become clogged causing water to accumulate at the bottom of the air conditioning condenser unit housing. The accumulated water may then leak through a seam in the housing onto the air bag control module potentially resulting in a short circuit of the module.
Risk: A short circuit may cause the air bags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airbag can increase the risk of injury in a severe crash. The power steering assist could also become inoperable resulting in increased steering effort and can increase the risk of a crash at low speeds.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing and install a protective cover on the airbag control module, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
2013 Toyota Avalon fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 21 MPG
- Highway
- 30 MPG
- Combined
- 24.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,650
- 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.
2013 compared with other Avalon years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2013 Toyota Avalon reliable?
- Based on NHTSA complaints and recalls, the 2013 Avalon has a complaint index of 100, the highest of any Avalon year in this dataset, and ranks worst out of 13 model years. It carries an Avoid verdict relative to other Avalon years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2013 Toyota Avalon?
- NHTSA data shows Visibility & Wipers issues make up 21% of complaints, followed by Engine at 20% and Structure & Body at 19%. Electrical System, Airbags, and Brakes complaints follow at 12%, 10%, and 10% respectively.
- Does the 2013 Toyota Avalon have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2013 Avalon, covering airbag electronic control units, a pre-collision system component, an air conditioning condenser drain hose, and a wiper switch assembly. None are listed as do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2013 Avalon compare to other model years?
- The 2013 Avalon's complaint index of 100 is the highest among the 12 other years listed, compared to 2020 and 2022 which have indexes of 8 and 0 and Best verdicts.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2013 Toyota Avalon?
- The EPA rates the 2013 Avalon at 24.5 mpg combined (21 city / 30 highway), with an annual fuel cost of $2,650.