2018 Toyota Avalon Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Best The 2018 Toyota Avalon ranks 14th of 18 model years with a complaint index of 24 and earns a Best verdict. It has 24 NHTSA complaints, 2 recalls, and its top problem area is airbags, with 6 complaints tied to non-deployment.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 24/100
- #14 of 18 Avalon years
- Verdict
- Best
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 24
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 2
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 7
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 4
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 24
- 21 city / 30 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 4 / 0
Top 2018 Toyota Avalon problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags6 (25%)
- Other5 (21%)
- Steering4 (17%)
- Fuel System3 (13%)
- Brakes2 (8%)
- Electrical System2 (8%)
- Engine2 (8%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras2 (8%)
- Lane Departure1 (4%)
- Seat Belts1 (4%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners report frontal airbags failing to deploy during front and side collisions, in some cases leading to total loss of the vehicle.
- Some airbag complaints are tied to recall 20V024000, with owners saying replacement parts were unavailable for extended periods.
- Steering reports describe the car jerking suddenly to the right at highway speeds between 60 and 70 mph, especially under acceleration.
- Fuel system complaints center on the fuel pump recall (20V012000), with owners waiting months for parts or notification.
- One brake complaint describes the automatic pre-collision braking system not stopping the car as expected in testing.
- An engine-related complaint describes the dynamic radar cruise control unexpectedly slowing the car below the set speed.
2018 Toyota Avalon recalls
2 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 20V012000Jan 13, 2020Fuel System1,830,752 vehicles
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include certain 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser, 2018 Avalon, Corolla, 2014 FJ Cruiser, 2017 Sienna and Lexus 2018 ES 350, 2018-2019 GS 300, 2013-2014 GS350, 2014-2015 GX 460, IS 350 and LX 570, 2014 IS F, 2018-2019 IS 350, LC 500H and LS 500H, 2013-2015 LS 460, 2015 NX 200T and RC350, 2017 RC 200T and RX 350. Toyota also removed the 2018-2019 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser and 2018-2019 Lexus GX 460 and LX 570 and 2019 NX300 from inclusion in this recall. On March 19, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include 2015 Lexus GS350 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB02 and 20TA02 for Toyota vehicles and 20LB01 and 20LA01 for Lexus vehicles.
2018 Toyota Avalon fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 21 MPG
- Highway
- 30 MPG
- Combined
- 24 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,700
- 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 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2018 Toyota Avalon reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2018 Avalon ranks 14th out of 18 model years with a complaint index of 24, and it carries a Best verdict relative to other Avalon years.
- What problems does the 2018 Toyota Avalon have?
- NHTSA lists 24 complaints for the 2018 Avalon, led by airbags (6 complaints, 25% share, 5 crashes), followed by steering (4 complaints) and fuel system (3 complaints).
- Does the 2018 Toyota Avalon have any recalls?
- Yes, two recalls: one for an airbag electronic control unit issue (campaign 20V024000) and one for a defective fuel pump (campaign 20V012000). Neither is a do-not-drive recall.
- How does the 2018 Avalon compare to other years?
- The 2018 Avalon's complaint index of 24 is lower than most other years except 2016 (12), 2020 (6), 2021 (18), and 2022 (0), which also carry Best verdicts.
- What is the top complaint category for the 2018 Avalon?
- Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 6 of 24 complaints (25%) and involved in 5 crashes, with a median failure mileage of 9,650 miles.