Free Preview
#BS-2004-TOYAVA-572D2004 Toyota Avalon
Based on reports from 252 owners and 3 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Think Twice
Based on 252 complaints, 36 crashes, 0 fires, and 3 recalls. Complaint rate is 1.6x the class average.
Top reported problems
air bag light on off
2 complaints • Severity 7/10
rattling of console windows seat door not sealed
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
engine sludge
1 complaints • Severity 10/10
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
122 owners reported airbags issues — failures commonly reported around 70K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (39 reports) • Median: 70K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Airbags (122 reports).
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
Where the complaints fall
2004 Toyota Avalon: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Airbags Issues
Airbags complaints account for 48% of all reports filed for the 2004 Toyota Avalon, with 122 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 70,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 70K-mile mark.
Steering Issues
Steering complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2004 Toyota Avalon, with 24 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to steering-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Speed Control Issues
Speed Control complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2004 Toyota Avalon, with 23 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2004 Toyota Avalon, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-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
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Toyota Avalon. Recent trend: decreasing.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (3 recalls)
STEERING
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2000-2004 AVALON VEHICLES. DUE TO IMPROPER CASTING OF THE STEERING LOCK BAR, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A MINUTE CRACK MAY DEVELOP ON THE SURFACE OF THE LOCK BAR. SUCH A CRACK MAY EXPAND OVER A LONG PERIOD OF REPEATED LOCK AND UNLOCK OPERATIONS, AND EVENTUALLY THE LOCK BAR COULD BREAK.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2004 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2005, EQUIPPED WITH THE 1MZ-FE OR 3MZ-FE ENGINE. THE AMOUNT OF ADHESIVE AGENT APPLIED BETWEEN THE OUTER RING AND THE TORSIONAL RUBBER DAMPER (INNER RING) IN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY MAY BE INADEQUATE. IF THE ADHESIVE IS INSUFFICIENT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE OUTER RING MAY BECOME MISALIGNED AND IT MAY NOT PROPERLY ROTATE WITH THE INNER RING, CAUSING NOISE AND/OR ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY DISCHARGE INDICATOR LIGHT.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured December 28, 2001, to May 2, 2004, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2002, to April 29, 2004, 2003-2004 Avalon vehicles manufactured June 5, 2002, to December 20, 2004, and 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured January 18, 2002, to April 27, 2004. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag control module may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
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.
2004 Toyota Avalon vs. Class Average (Large Cars)
This vehicle
252
Class avg
162
1.6x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical large cars vehicles.
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. 252 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 3 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Toyota Avalon Model Years
2004 Toyota Avalon: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Toyota Avalon?
Is the 2004 Toyota Avalon reliable?
How much does it cost to fix 2004 Toyota Avalon problems?
Does the 2004 Toyota Avalon have any recalls?
What mileage do Toyota Avalon problems start?
What’s in the full report?
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
How is this different from Carfax?
What if the report isn’t useful?
Get the Full 2004 Toyota Avalon Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 252 owner reports. Know before you buy.