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1997 Toyota Avalon

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1997 Toyota Avalon do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 101.

About this comparison →
125Owner complaints

Model-year median: 101

1Recall campaigns

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1Investigations

View investigation details →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
80
1995109
1996125
1997178
199892
1999173
2000
Compare all Avalon years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Steering
40Suspension
26Power Train
9Tires
9Engine And Engine Cooling
8
All reported categories
Vehicle Speed Control
8Service Brakes, Hydraulic
7Air Bags
5Seat Belts
5Electrical System
4Visibility
4Exterior Lighting
3Seats
3Service Brakes, Air
3Unknown Or Other
3Electronic Stability Control (esc)
2Latches/locks/linkages
2Structure
2Equipment Adaptive/mobility
1Fuel System, Gasoline
1Fuel/propulsion System
1Parking Brake
1Service Brakes
1Wheels
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 25 of 125 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Steering. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports0 fire reports6 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

1 reports
Clear category filter
295,000 miles · Apr 9, 2014
Service BrakesVehicle Speed ControlInjury

I WAS ON MY WAY TO COLLEGE AT 7:45 A.M HEADING HIGHWAY 72 WEST. MY CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATED FROM 75MPH TO 100 MPH. I PUSHED, PRESSED, AND PUMPED MY BRAKES THAT WOULDN'T WORK. I PRESSED DOWN MY EMERGENCY BRAKE WHICH DID NOT WORK EITHER. I TRAVELED ABOUT TEN TO FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE CAR JUST SUDDENLY CAME TO A STOP SMOKING FRO…

Read full complaint

I WAS ON MY WAY TO COLLEGE AT 7:45 A.M HEADING HIGHWAY 72 WEST. MY CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATED FROM 75MPH TO 100 MPH. I PUSHED, PRESSED, AND PUMPED MY BRAKES THAT WOULDN'T WORK. I PRESSED DOWN MY EMERGENCY BRAKE WHICH DID NOT WORK EITHER. I TRAVELED ABOUT TEN TO FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE CAR JUST SUDDENLY CAME TO A STOP SMOKING FROM MY TIRES AND UNDER THE HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR SCREAMING THANKING GOD FOR MY LIFE HE SPARED. I WAS TRAUMATIZED AT THIS POINT. I DID COME TO MYSELF AND DIALED 911 FOR THE FIRE TRUCKS BECAUSE MY CAR WAS SMOKING SO BAD.NEXT DAY TOYOTA COMPANY SAID IT WAS MY COIL PACK AND CHARGED ME TO FIX IT BUT I AM NOW TERRIFIED OF THIS CAR AND REFUSE TO DRIVE IT ANYMORE. I HAVE SINCE HAD SEVERE NIGHTMARES EVERY NIGHT SINCE THIS ACCIDENT THAT COULD'VE BEEN DEADLY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10578759

Official recalls

1

97V156000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist

Sep 17, 1997

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALASKA, COLORADO, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, IOWA, KANSAS, MAINE, MICHIGAN,MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, NOTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, AND WYOMING. A CONDITION CAN OCCUR WHERE ACCUMULATED MOISTURE CAN TEMPORARILY FREEZE IN THE BRAKE VACUUM HOSE IF THE VEHICLE IS USED IN EXTREMELY COLD CLIMATES FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN THE ELIMINATION OF VACUUM ASSIST TO THE BRAKES THAT CAN INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCES AND COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW DESIGN BRAKE VACUUM HOSE.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP02004 · Engine Seizure

Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling

No summary supplied.