2006 Toyota Avalon Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2006 Avalon most often describe unintended or unexpected acceleration, much of it tied to cruise control use and, in some accounts, the floor mat or accelerator pedal; a number of these complaints were filed after recall work had been done. The next most common themes are an oil hose on the V6 that lets go and drains the engine, hard or long shifts and hesitation at low speed, and a steering column that loses its telescopic setting or knocks when turning. Reports are spread across a wide mileage range, from nearly new vehicles to well past 100,000 miles.

1. 1
   Vehicle speed control

   Unexpected or unintended acceleration

   • 141 complaints (39%)
   • median 33,000 mi at 4.0 yrs old (118 state mileage)
   • 34 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,000 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2023

   Complaints describe the car speeding up on its own — at a stoplight with the brake held, while parking, pulling away from a light, or in reverse — and in several accounts the brakes felt weak or the pedal went down without slowing the car. Some owners link it to the cruise control, describing the vehicle surging or climbing well above the set speed, or resuming too hard after the brakes were tapped. Others say the floor mat or the pedal itself kept the throttle open, and several report that dealers could not reproduce the problem or said the recalled parts had already been repaired. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 165,000, with many accounts in the 20,000-60,000 mile range.

   Recall 10V017000Recall 09V388000

   What to check: Confirm both accelerator pedal campaigns (10V017000 and 09V388000) were completed, check that the correct floor mat is fitted and secured, and test the cruise control on a quiet road, including resume after braking.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2006 Toyota Avalon has been giving me problems with the floor mats and accelerator getting stuck for over two years and now the accelerator gets stuck on its own. I am afraid to drive it back and forth on the highway and hope that Toyota would replace it with a rental car until it can fix it.”

   NHTSA complaint #10303121, filed 2010-01, 165,342 miles

   “2006 Avalon accelerates from 40 miles per hour to 100 miles per hour when in the cruise control -- I feel my life is in danger and I do not use my cruise control because of this, but I am afraid that it may come in accidentally -- please help me!”

   NHTSA complaint #10305361, filed 2010-02, 25 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   VVT-i oil hose rupture and sudden oil loss

   • 60 complaints (17%)
   • median 63,000 mi at 3.6 yrs old (56 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,338 (median of 13 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2019

   Owners describe oil escaping suddenly, often with smoke or a burning smell from under the hood and no oil warning light before the dipstick read empty. In several complaints a dealer identified the VVT-i oil supply hose as the failed part, and owners note the part was on back order and that the repair was quoted at several hundred dollars or more, with concern about engine damage from running low on oil. Mostly reported between roughly 40,000 and 105,000 miles, sometimes during ordinary driving with no warning.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the VVT-i oil hose has been replaced with the updated part, and inspect the hose and the area around the engine for oil residue or weeping.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I had driven about 3 miles at 40 MPH in my '06 Avalon with 40,000 mile. There was no warning. My car began smoking from the hood. Oil was leaking, large amount of oil. No oil light came on. No dashboard lights or notification of a problem was indicated. My dipstick show that I have no oil in the car. I just had an oil change recently. I am waiting for my Toyota dealer to call me back. I have left 2 messages.”

   NHTSA complaint #10266108, filed 2009-04, 44,000 miles

   “The car A/C stopped functioning and I soon lost most of my oil. I was left on a sunday without much oil and had to get the car towed to the dealer. The replaced the oil line at no charge and luckily I had aaa towing insurance. I was out on the road without oil in the car!!!”

   NHTSA complaint #10284630, filed 2009-09, 63,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission hesitation, lurching and harsh low-speed shifts

   • 142 complaints (39%)
   • median 32,500 mi at 4.0 yrs old (118 state mileage)
   • 33 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,000 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2023

   Complaints describe a lag when accelerating after slowing for a turn, a speed bump or a stop, followed by a lurch or jump forward, and rough or delayed downshifts below about 10 mph. Some owners say the condition was present from new, that dealers could not duplicate it, and that a reprogramming or adjustment helped only temporarily before the behavior returned. Reported from very low mileage (under 1,000 miles in some cases) through about 90,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the car at low speed in stop-and-go traffic and listen for a clunk or delay when pulling away, and ask whether any transmission software updates or fluid services have been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When slowing my 2006 Avalon for turn, speed bump, etc. And then accelerating there is often a lag in the transmission engaging and when it does the car lurches. I have complained many times to 2 different dealers about this since the car was new. After a year or so 1 dealer said that Toyota had issued an adjustment procedure which they performed. The problem went away for a while but has returned. In light of the recent recalls and stories about possible electronic problems with these cars I wanted to add my story to the list. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10306926, filed 2010-02, 5,000 miles

   “I' had continuous problems since the first day of ownership, april 2006 with the transmission/linkage slipping/not engaging at slow speeds. It was particularly noticeable when making turns, but also occurs when slowing down, and then attempting to speed up. Attempts to have the problem repaired by the dealership have been unsuccessful; they refuse to acknowledge that there is even a problem!”

   NHTSA complaint #10187804, filed 2007-04, 50 miles
4. 4
   Steering

   Steering column looseness, drop or knocking

   • 24 complaints (7%)
   • median 40,500 mi at 4.1 yrs old (22 state mileage)
   • filed 2007–2019

   Owners report the telescopic steering column not holding its set position, with the wheel dropping or sliding toward the dash while driving, and a knocking or clunking noise when turning at low speed. A few describe the steering feeling sticky or slow to straighten after a turn; dealer responses ranged from lubrication and a detent clip to steering column or rack replacement. Mostly reported between about 12,000 and 100,000 miles, with knocking often noted at lower speeds.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Set the telescopic wheel, then pull and push it to see whether it holds, and turn the wheel at parking speeds to listen for a knock; ask whether the detent clip update or column work was done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2006 Toyota Avalon steering wheel was getting stuck when I turned the car on. I would have to have to try and turn the wheel in order for it to release. Additionally the car was leaking fluid. On september 23, 2010 I brought the car into the Toyota dealer who identified the problem as steering rack leaking from right side causing subframe to be wet with power steering fluid. Replace the steering rack and align . So at a cost of $1338.85 the steering rack was replaced. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10442805, filed 2012-01, 63,663 miles

   “My 2006 Toyota Avalon(touring) has a loud knocking/clunking noise when turning steering wheel at low speeds. Dealer said this was a problem with the 2006 avalons and can be fixed by replacing the steering column at a cost of $700-800. Car had 42k miles just out of warranty and offered no Toyota help until I told him I had an extended warranty with Toyota repair was made. 15k-20k later ,same problem. Second steering column replaced.15k-20k later..same problem..dealer lub the linkage,15k-20k later same problem,dealer lub the linkage again. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10443700, filed 2012-01, 42,000 miles
5. 5
   Brakes

   Brake pedal going long or to the floor

   • 67 complaints (19%)
   • median 38,600 mi at 4.3 yrs old (58 state mileage)
   • 17 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,600 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2023

   Complaints describe the brake pedal vibrating then traveling to the floor, having to pump the brakes to stop, and in some cases no braking at all. Owners report low or empty brake fluid reservoirs and dealers finding failed seals between the master cylinder and booster, with reservoir, booster and master cylinder replaced; one owner reports a repeat seal failure some years after recall repairs. Reported from very low mileage (under 100 miles in one case) up to about 136,000 miles.

   Recall 10V499000

   What to check: Check the brake fluid level and look for wetness around the master cylinder and booster, ask for proof that recall 10V499000 was performed, and have the brakes inspected if the pedal feels soft or long.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On april 17, 2012 bayside Toyota replaced the brake master cylinder seal on the Avalon under recall# 10v499000. Almost exactly 3 years later on april 18, 2015 the brake master cylinder seal failed as I was backing the car out of my garage. I was able to use my parking brake to stop the vehicle. Toyota claims that although the original seal never failed after 6 years of service it was replaced because it was a safety concern. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10711895, filed 2015-04, 136,000 miles

   “My wife left work and experienced braking problems, had to pump brakes to stop. A few hundred feet later she came to an intersection and applied the brakes, which did not work. She rolled into the intersection with oncoming traffic. To avoid being t - boned she accelerated and ran off an ajacent roadway striking trees. The car was totalled, and she and my two sons had to be extricated from the vehicle, suffering only minor injuries. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10186473, filed 2007-03, 11,500 miles

Buying note. A 2006 Avalon is worth a careful pre-purchase inspection: confirm both accelerator pedal recalls and the brake master cylinder recall were completed, check the VVT-i oil hose and oil level, and drive it slowly in traffic to judge transmission behavior and steering column tightness.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 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.