IllustrationEXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF POWER STEERING FLUID IS LEAKING FROM MY 1997 AVALON. IT ONLY HAS 37,000+ MILES ON IT. THE DEALER TOLD ME I NEED TO REPLACE MY POWER STEERING ASSEMBY RACK WHICH WILL COST $1250. *AK
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 →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Avalon years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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
What owners actually said
125 reportsIT APPEARS THAT THE COMMON PROBLEM OF RACK AND PINION FAILURE HAS FINALLY OCCURRED ON MY VEHICLE. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND DEALER AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THE PART WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I ASKED THE QUESTION THAT IF YOU KNEW A PART WAS CERTAINLY GOING TO FAIL AFTER WARRANTY AND IT COST ROUGHLY $1000 WOULD YOU BUY THAT VEHICLE?…
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IT APPEARS THAT THE COMMON PROBLEM OF RACK AND PINION FAILURE HAS FINALLY OCCURRED ON MY VEHICLE. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND DEALER AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THE PART WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I ASKED THE QUESTION THAT IF YOU KNEW A PART WAS CERTAINLY GOING TO FAIL AFTER WARRANTY AND IT COST ROUGHLY $1000 WOULD YOU BUY THAT VEHICLE? I THINK THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATE FURTHER AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL.*AK
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. OXYGEN SENSOR AND OTHER COMPONENTS HAD GONE BAD. CONSUMER WILL ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING IN A RAIN STORM WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE AUTO WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA DIRECT, THE CLOSEST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS WIPER TRANSMISSION BROKEN AND THE SOLUTION WAS TO REPLACE THE WIPER TRANSMISSION. THIS WAS EXPLAINED TO ACTUALLY BE A LINKAGE ASSEMBLY. THE REPAIR COST (INCL…
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WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING IN A RAIN STORM WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE AUTO WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA DIRECT, THE CLOSEST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS WIPER TRANSMISSION BROKEN AND THE SOLUTION WAS TO REPLACE THE WIPER TRANSMISSION. THIS WAS EXPLAINED TO ACTUALLY BE A LINKAGE ASSEMBLY. THE REPAIR COST (INCLUDING TWO NEW WIPER INSERTS) WAS $295.05. THIS WAS $182.65 FOR PARTS (LINKAGE $171.77, WIPER INSERTS @ $5.44 EACH), LABOR-MECHANICAL - $88.04, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS - $4.40, SHOP SUPPLIES - $4.40, AND SALES TAX OF $15.56. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE AND NOT COVERED BY THE ADDITIONAL COVERAGE PURCHASED AT TIME AUTO WAS PURCHASED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT ELECTRICAL. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. WIPERS SHOULD NOT BE FAILING LIKE THIS ON A NEW OR RECENT MODEL AUTO. THESE WIPERS GAVE NO WARNING OF THE PROBLEM. THE STOPPAGE WAS SUDDEN AND ABRUPT AT A TIME WHEN THEY WERE MOST NEEDED.*AK
I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES BEFORE THEY ACKNOWLEDGED A PROBLEM WITH THE STRUTS, AND ANOTHER TWO VISITS TO REPAIR THEM. THEY WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT THE STEERING, DESPITE ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE. *AK
NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM RACK AND PINION STEERING BOOT, DEALER REPLACED ASSEMBLY, PARTS HAD TO BE BACK ORDERED BECAUSE OF FREQUENCY OF PROBLEM, ALSO RIGHT SRTUT MOUNT HAD TO BE REPLACED,AND BACK ORDERED .*AK
UPPER AND LOWER TIE RODS SEVERED AT LOW SPEED (PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE). IF FAILURE HAD OCCURRED AT HIGHER SPEED, A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE ENSUED.*AK
SEAL ON RACK STEERING WENT BAD AND STARTED LEAKING FLUID. DEALER REPLACED RACK, BUT CONSUMER WAITED A MONTH BEFORE PART WAS AVAILABLE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER COMPLAINED OF WHEELS BOUNCING, COULD NOT TELL IF IT WAS THE FRONT END OR BACK END OR BOTH, WHEN VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED MECHANIC FOUND NOTHING, BUT ON 10-23-00 THE PROBLEM INCREASED AND A RATTLING SOUND WAS EVIDENT, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT FRONT STRUTS WERE LEAKING AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT, AND NOW VEHICLE I…
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WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER COMPLAINED OF WHEELS BOUNCING, COULD NOT TELL IF IT WAS THE FRONT END OR BACK END OR BOTH, WHEN VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED MECHANIC FOUND NOTHING, BUT ON 10-23-00 THE PROBLEM INCREASED AND A RATTLING SOUND WAS EVIDENT, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT FRONT STRUTS WERE LEAKING AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT, AND NOW VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *JB
TIRE FAILED OUTSIDE SIDEWALL NEAR JOINT BETWEEN TREAD AND SIDEWALL.TIRES NEAR END OF LIFE 6/32" IN CENTER A BIT LESS ON OUTSIDE.BUT STILL, NEVER HAD A TIRE COME APART LIKE THIS BEFORE,DANGER ON THE FREEWAY...WIFE DRIVING ALONE...I'M SHAKEN...NEW TIRES IMMEDIATELY...NOT BRIDGESTONE. *AK (TIRESIZE: P205/65/15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE …
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TIRE FAILED OUTSIDE SIDEWALL NEAR JOINT BETWEEN TREAD AND SIDEWALL.TIRES NEAR END OF LIFE 6/32" IN CENTER A BIT LESS ON OUTSIDE.BUT STILL, NEVER HAD A TIRE COME APART LIKE THIS BEFORE,DANGER ON THE FREEWAY...WIFE DRIVING ALONE...I'M SHAKEN...NEW TIRES IMMEDIATELY...NOT BRIDGESTONE. *AK (TIRESIZE: P205/65/15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P205/65/15 )
Official recalls
197V156000 · 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
1DP02004 · Engine Seizure
Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.