Skip to content
Toyota AvalonModel year report

2003 Toyota Avalon Problems

Complaints
293filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
82,500miles, 138 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
22 mpgcombined, 3.0L 6-cyl FWD · 19 city / 27 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2003 Toyota Avalon (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about the airbag system, mainly a warning light that comes on intermittently and, in some cases, airbags deploying without a crash or failing to deploy in one. Many complaints are about how long the recall remedy took rather than the symptom itself. A second large group describes unexpected acceleration or a racing engine at low speed, often while parking or pulling away.

  1. Air bags

    Airbag warning light on and delayed recall remedy

    • 181 complaints (62%)
    • median 100,000 mi at 12.0 yrs old (61 state mileage)
    • 17 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2003–2026

    Owners describe the SRS or airbag warning light coming on and going out intermittently, sometimes staying lit from the moment the car is started. Several say the light appeared before or after recall repairs and returned afterward, and that dealers could not reproduce it or charged diagnostic time to read codes. Many complaints focus on waiting months for parts to become available under the recall and on being told the remedy was not yet in stock. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 50,000 to over 200,000 miles, and usually noted as intermittent.

    Recall 15V0430001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether the airbag ECU recall work has actually been completed and keep the paperwork; watch the warning light through a full start-up and a test drive, and have any stored codes read before buying.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “We took our vehicle to mann Toyota in prestonsburg, ky for a recall repair to the air bag system. The problem is much worse now after they said they replaced the wiring harness. The air bag light is coming on much more frequently now. Now they are saying we have to pay them to get a scan on the vehicle.”

    NHTSA complaint #10653558, filed 2014-11, 103,000 miles

    “Over one (1) year ago I received a safety recall notice on this vehicle stating that the electronic control unit (ecu) would need to be replaced. Over a year later and remedy not available is the response from Toyota. It appears that the remedy is to delay, delay, delay so as many of these cars as possible are retired and do not require repair. Please let me know how this recall problem is going to be resolved in a timely manner.”

    NHTSA complaint #10839340, filed 2016-03, 90,500 miles
  2. Vehicle speed control

    Unexpected acceleration or racing engine at low speed

    • 52 complaints (18%)
    • median 54,800 mi at 7.2 yrs old (41 state mileage)
    • 34 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2003–2019

    Owners describe the car surging forward or backward while parking, pulling into a space, or easing away from a stop, with the engine revving and brake pressure not bringing it to a halt. In several accounts the engine idled high or revved up and down on its own, and restarting the car restored normal operation. Dealers are described as unable to duplicate the condition, sometimes attributing it to the floor mat, and in a few cases replacing the idle air control valve or cleaning the throttle body. Mostly reported between roughly 30,000 and 160,000 miles, typically at very low speeds in parking lots or driveways.

    What to check: On a test drive, check that idle is steady when cold and when shifting between gears, and ask whether the throttle body or idle air control valve has been serviced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “On august 30, 2006 my 2003 Toyota Avalon accelerated and I was unable to stop the car. My vehicle subsequently crashed into my neighbor's house. My daughter and I were in the car and received minor injuries but there was major damage to the home and the car which was a total loss.”

    NHTSA complaint #10302571, filed 2010-01, 58,180 miles

    “As I was backing out from a space in a parking lot, my car suddenly accelerated and I had a hard time getting it to stop with the brake pedal. The wheels were turned in a sharp left position. The engine sounded like it was at a high rev. The right side of my car crashed into two cars on the opposite side of the parking lot aisle before coming to a halt. The whole event lasted just a few seconds. Fortunately, no one was injured.”

    NHTSA complaint #10488626, filed 2012-12, 99,070 miles
  3. Air bags

    Airbags deploying with no impact or not deploying

    • 33 complaints (11%)
    • median 75,000 mi at 11.5 yrs old (23 state mileage)
    • 19 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2003–2023

    Some owners report frontal or side airbags deploying without a collision, including one account where the passenger seat was empty, and others report airbags failing to deploy in a crash. Complaints also describe seat belt pretensioners tightening on their own and a smell of hot wiring. In several cases the vehicle was taken to a dealer but was neither diagnosed nor repaired, and owners were told the event was unrelated to the recall. Reported from about 69,000 to 156,000 miles, generally while driving at ordinary road speeds.

    Recall 15V043000

    What to check: Confirm the airbag ECU recall was performed and ask for any dealer records of airbag diagnostics; note whether the SRS light behaves normally on start-up.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Toyota informed me of safety recall 15v-043. It requires replacing two circuit boards. The condition is that the car can deploy the airbags at any time without warning and without any impact. Today, after waiting 90 days the parts still have not arrived. Toyota dealer (joseph airport Toyota) is unable to tell me when they will arrive. Toyota corporation is unable to tell me where I am on the waiting list. My local dealer tries to help but they can't do anything. This is my wife's car and she now refuses to drive it. She is afraid in it. We need to get this fixed quick. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10885552, filed 2016-07, 129,000 miles

    “While driving 5 MPH, the driver applied the brake pedal and without warning the vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. The driver was not able to maintain control of the vehicle and collided into a fence. Both frontal air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. The mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem.”

    NHTSA complaint #10083475, filed 2004-07, 30,000 miles
  4. Steering

    Steering binding, pull, and stiff feel in cold weather

    • 17 complaints (6%)
    • median 80,000 mi at 8.5 yrs old (11 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2009–2023

    Owners describe the steering binding or feeling like power assist dropped out, especially in cold weather and when straightening the wheel out of a turn. Others report the car pulling to one side despite repeated alignments, or a grinding or knocking noise when turning right out of a garage. Repairs described include replacing the upper steering shaft and, in some cases, the steering rack. Reported from about 2,000 to 140,000 miles, often first noticed on cold morning starts.

    Recall 10V345000

    What to check: Turn the wheel lock to lock while cold and listen for noise or binding, and ask whether the steering lock bar recall and any steering shaft work were completed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Hello im writing to complain about a couple of things. 1. Ive received an recall notice for my 2003 Toyota Avalon for steering problem upper bracket . And have, tried to remedy this, only to find out Toyota, offers no courtesy vehicle?. Or a definite time your vehicle will be repaired?. 2nd there is also another defect on this car, when going over rough roads and braking, the car feels like its not braking at all. Or like the brakes are slipping?. Is there a recall for this on the 2003 Avalon? There have been no incidents to date, but I am very concerned.”

    NHTSA complaint #10416796, filed 2011-08, 149,866 miles

    “The steering started to bind when it started getting cold. It got to the point where it felt like no power steering existed intermittently. While making turns it would also bind, making it hard to straighten the wheel back as I am coming out of the turn, which was the most dangerous situation. Initial repair shop suggested changing the serpentine belts. That did not make a difference. Next I took it to the dealer, who replaced upper steering shaft. This seemed to improve but not solve the issue. I just went back, and now they replaced the steering rack and lower shaft. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10494822, filed 2013-01, 75,000 miles
  5. Brakes

    Brake pedal feel and brake drag or vibration

    • 14 complaints (5%)
    • median 45,500 mi at 7.0 yrs old (10 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2002–2019

    Owners describe brakes that seemed to apply on their own, became hot, and produced vibration or shimmy, along with long pedal travel and a feeling that braking was weak on rough roads. One complaint notes improperly installed brake lines found by a dealer; another describes brake, VSC and traction lights staying on with brake fluid leaking. In some accounts the master cylinder, rotors or pads were replaced. Reported from very low mileage (under 10,000) up to about 150,000 miles.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Check for pulsation or drag after a drive by feeling wheel and rotor temperature, look for fluid at the lines and master cylinder, and ask about past brake hydraulic work.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Consumer stated after applying force to break pedal to make a stop vehicle went into extended stopping. Ts on other occasions, the right front wheel locked up after applying force to break pedal. Dealership found brake lines were improperly installed. Manufacturer notified.”

    NHTSA complaint #8023943, filed 2002-12, 3,398 miles

    “This pertains to a new 2003 Toyota Avalon lxs braking system. At random times the brakes appear to be automatically applied. They become extremely hot and cause the vehicle to shimmy and severel vibrate. After the first incident it was taken to the dealer, who machined the front rotors and sanded the pad, the second incident occurred in june 03. The dealer rotated the tires. The third incident occurred the end of june 03. A regional service tech was called by the dealer and while he was in the vehicle the condition occurred again. They replaced th master cyclinder & hyd fluid. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10030665, filed 2003-08, 2,650 miles

Buying note. On this model year, the state of the airbag recall work and the SRS warning light matter more than mileage, so ask for documentation and have codes read before purchase. A careful test drive at parking-lot speeds and a cold-start steering check will tell you a lot about the two other issues owners report most.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 80 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 293 consumer complaints for the 2003 Toyota Avalon. 138 of the complaints include a mileage, and 25% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 82,500 miles. Of all complaints, 49 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 28 an injury, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 104 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Transmission and drivetrain (6), Engine cooling (5), Other or unknown (5), Seats (3), Tires (3), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (3), Electronic stability control (1), Equipment (1), Exterior lighting (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “Takata airbags: having received takata recall notices, I took my car to the dealer for action. He said my vehicle does not have takata airbags. According to NHTSA site, it does. Please let me know if there were any 2003 Toyota Avalon models sold with some other airbags than takata. If I do indeed have takata airbags, please let me know. Thank you.”

NHTSA complaint #10864629, filed 2016-05, 93,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “Pulling into driveway of my single family, car, 2003 Avalon, lurched forward, jumped curb at end of driveway, and hit neighbor's fence. I cannot explain why this occurred. From habit, I pull into driveway at a slow speed, apply brakes and put car into park. However, for whatever the cause or reason, car did not come to a stop.”

NHTSA complaint #10316242, filed 2010-03, 52,500 miles

Steering: “Car's steering stops turning while driving in the initial 5 minutes of drive, it occurs mostly when weather is humid ( raining). The episode occurs when I try to turn the steering and recovers after I forcibly turn the stiff steering.”

NHTSA complaint #11194433, filed 2019-04, 4 miles

Electrical system: “Toyota has known of this problem for years and has worked on the car last year to give a temporary fix, now a few months ago Toyota sends yet another recall for same parts, but yet the dealers nor Toyota has any idea of when this will be available, meanwhile we drive around in fear of unnecessary deployment of airbag. We have been in contact with Toyota and all the local dealers and no one can tell us anything, but on the news the reports say the airbags are being replaced”

NHTSA complaint #10721395, filed 2015-05, 75,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

25% of the 138 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 49,984 and 118,000 miles.

10%0–105%10–2510%25–5016%50–7525%75–10022%100–15012%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (138 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 82,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’04’07’10’1388’16’19’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2003 Toyota Avalon. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Avalon · sedan not rated4 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2003 Toyota Avalon version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Avalon FWD3.0L 6-cyl4-speed automatic192722$3,050

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2003 Toyota Avalon → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 104 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 104 bulletins →

Other model years of the Toyota Avalon

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20228—0526—Not enough data
2021211,6502525—Rising
2020104,0003526—Not enough data
2019715,116452650 · TypicalFalling
20182410,5002524—Falling
20171417,5152524—Not enough data
20162331,0003524—Rising
20154242,50025240 · FewerFalling
20149613,625452558 · TypicalFalling
201313717,522452567 · MoreFalling
20123033,0004—224 · FewerFalling
201110634,9501—2331 · FewerFalling
20104613,0007—2346 · TypicalFalling
20099147,0107—2364 · TypicalFalling
200834952,0006—2296 · MoreFalling
200724340,6506—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200636045,0007—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200522847,8507—22Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200420567,8863—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200329382,5002—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200211691,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200113460,0002—21Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200017383,8372—22Not compared (before 2008)Rising
19999253,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199817872,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Rising
199712599,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1996109116,0000—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19958099,5000—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Toyota Avalon model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2003 Toyota Avalon?

Owners of this model year most often write about the airbag system, mainly a warning light that comes on intermittently and, in some cases, airbags deploying without a crash or failing to deploy in one. The issues reported most often: Airbag warning light on and delayed recall remedy; Unexpected acceleration or racing engine at low speed; Airbags deploying with no impact or not deploying.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2003 Toyota Avalon have?

NHTSA recorded 293 consumer complaints for the 2003 Toyota Avalon as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2003 Toyota Avalon is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 184 complaints (63% of the total), followed by vehicle speed control with 51.

Has the 2003 Toyota Avalon been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2003 Toyota Avalon get?

The EPA rates the 2003 Toyota Avalon (Avalon, 3.0L 6-cyl) at 22 mpg combined, 19 city and 27 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,050 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2003 Toyota Avalon reported?

Among the 138 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 82,500 miles and the middle half falls between 49,984 and 118,000 miles; 25% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.