BumperScan
Powered byNHTSA|EPA|Community Reports
Your report: 3 of 4 steps complete75%
Car identifiedData collectedBasic analysisFull AI analysis

Free Preview

#BS-1998-TOYAVA-572D

1998 Toyota Avalon

Based on reports from 205 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
205
Crashes
29
Fires
1
Recalls
2
TSBs
78
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 205 complaints, 29 crashes, 1 fires, and 2 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

doors fill up with rain water

2 complaints • Severity 9/10

$X,XXX
2

check engine light is on

2 complaints • Severity 6/10

$X,XXX
3

excessive oil consumption smoking

2 complaints • Severity 9/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

Each card shows a real sample from your report — unlock all 10 sections from $1.20

Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Equipment:appliance:air ConditionerHIGH

14 owners reported equipment:appliance:air conditioner issues — failures commonly reported around 72K miles.

!Inspect the Air Bags:frontalMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

6
0–30K
19
30–60K
15
60–90K
8
90–120K
6
120–150K
7
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (19 reports) • Median: 72K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Equipment:appliance:air Conditioner (14 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Equipment:appliance:air Conditioner14 (7%)
Air Bags:frontal13 (6%)
Speed Control12 (6%)
Wheels & Tires11 (5%)
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System8 (4%)
Other8 (4%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline6 (3%)
Suspension:front6 (3%)

1998 Toyota Avalon: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Equipment:appliance:air Conditioner Issues

Equipment:appliance:air Conditioner complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1998 Toyota Avalon, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 72,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 72K-mile mark.

Air Bags:frontal Issues

Air Bags:frontal complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1998 Toyota Avalon, with 13 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to air bags:frontal-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Speed Control Issues

Speed Control complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1998 Toyota Avalon, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Wheels & Tires Issues

Wheels & Tires complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1998 Toyota Avalon, with 11 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to wheels & tires-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

19
00
20
01
22
02
18
03
14
04
7
05
1
06
4
07
4
08
5
09
10
10
3
11
1
13
1
14
2
16
1
17
4
18
4
23

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Toyota Avalon. Recent trend: stable.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

Get Report — From $1.20

Recall History (2 recalls)

98E035000Nov 1998

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE

EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION: AFTERMARKET THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEMS USED ON 1998-1998 TOYOTA RAV4, AVALON, AND SIENNA MODEL VEHICLES DISTRIBUTED BY SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, INC. IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA. THE ALARM WIRING HARNESS PLUGS INTO THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH AND THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH WIRING HARNESS PLUGS INTO THE ALARM HARNESS TO COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT. A PERCENTAGE OF THE FEMALE TERMINALS USED IN THE ALARM CONNECTOR WERE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE, CAUSING AN "OPEN CIRCUIT" CONDITION WHEN MATED TO THE MALE IGNITION SWITCH TERMINALS.

98V278000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, MINI VANS AND PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEMS (TDS) SUPPLIED BY AUDIOVOX CORPORATION AND DISTRIBUTED BY SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, INC. IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA. THE ALARM WIRING HARNESS PLUGS INTO THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH AND THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH WIRING HARNESS PLUGS INTO THE ALARM HARNESS TO COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT. A PERCENTAGE OF THE FEMALE TERMINALS USED IN THE ALARM CONNECTOR WERE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE, CAUSING AN 'OPEN CIRCUIT' CONDITION WHEN MATED TO THE MALE IGNITION SWITCH TERMINALS.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

The worst model year for the Toyota Avalon is the 2014 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1998 Toyota Avalon vs. Class Average (Large Cars)

This vehicle

205

Class avg

219

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other large cars vehicles from 1998.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 205 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Toyota Avalon Model Years

2022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995
View all Toyota Avalon years →

1998 Toyota Avalon: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Toyota Avalon?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Toyota Avalon is related to the equipment:appliance:air conditioner, with 14 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Toyota Avalon reliable?
The 1998 Toyota Avalon has 205 complaints, 29 crash reports, and 1 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 Toyota Avalon problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1998 Toyota Avalon have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Toyota Avalon has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Toyota Avalon problems start?
Based on 61 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 72,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
RaccoonEagleRoverCat

Get the Full 1998 Toyota Avalon Report

10 sections of AI analysis based on 205 owner reports. Know before you buy.

Get Full Report — From $1.20Money-back guarantee
Instant delivery|One-time purchase|No hidden fees