FaultScore

2010 Toyota Avalon steering problems

10 of the 53 complaints about the 2010 Toyota Avalon are about the steering — 19% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 50,380 miles.

B

10

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Steering 10 100.0%

Steering across every Toyota Avalon year

1996 11 3.4%
1997 43 13.2%
2000 34 10.4%
2002 18 5.5%
2003 19 5.8%
2004 29 8.9%
2005 43 13.2%
2006 35 10.7%
2007 16 4.9%
2008 17 5.2%
2009 18 5.5%
2010 10 3.1%
2011 33 10.1%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 69,500 miles Chicago, IL

STEERING

THE LATCH ON THE LOWER LEFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN THAT CONTROLS THE POSITIONING OF THE STEERING WHEEL CONSTANTLY COMES LOOSE. I DISCOVERED THAT AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, GOING STRAIGHT, AND THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY SLID IN AND DOWN. ALMOST CAUSING ME TO LOOSE CONTROL WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. UPON CHECKING WITH A AVALON FAN GROUP, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A ISSUE WITH ALMOST EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO OWNS THIS BODY STYLE.

NHTSA complaint #11330837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 15,000 miles Knoxville, TN

STEERING

LEVER THAT ADJUSTS TILT STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT STAY IN PLACE AND WHEN IT FALLS IT DISENGAGES THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK AT ANY TIME.

NHTSA complaint #11321649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 83,000 miles Lake Providence, LA

STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND VEERING LEFT, THE STEERING WHEEL STIFFENED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND THE SHOCKS AND MOTOR MOUNT WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.

NHTSA complaint #10882557 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 92,000 miles Gainesville, GA

STEERING

THE STEERING COMUN IN-AND-OUT ADJUSTMENT CONTROL LEVER DOES NOT LOCK INTO POSITION CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN UNEXPECTED FREE MOVEMENT WHEN THE CAR IS MOVINGI

NHTSA complaint #10854547 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 3,000 miles Stpeterburg, FL

STEERING

WHEN VEHICLE WAS NEW STEERING WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO TURN AT LOW SPEEDS. IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME BUT IT WAS NOT RIGHT. CALLED TOYOTA 1800 NUMBER IS WAS QUICKLY DISMISSED BY HELP LINE. FOUR YEARS LATER NEEDED RACK AND PINION FAILED WITH 110 K ON ODOMETER. WARRANTY RAN OUT AT 100K. I GOT MY USE OUT AND I FIXED THE STEERING. MY ISSUE IS WHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS ON THE INTERNET I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE HOW MANY OTHERS WHO HAD ISSUES AND A LOT LESS MILES. I FEEL THEY ARE USING SUBPAR PARTS AND LOOKING TO CUT COST AT THE EXPENSE OF SAFETY. WE KNOW MR. TOYODA IS A LIAR AND PAID A FINE FOR LYING TO CONGRESS. I'M OK WITH CUTTING COST EXCEPT ON SAFETY.

NHTSA complaint #10682717 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 37,800 miles Carmel, CA

STEERING

STEERING WHEEL LOCKING LEVER KEEPS DISENGAGING. STEERING WHEEL MOVES IN AND OUT WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA complaint #10680397 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 53,508 miles Charlotte, NC

STEERING

MY POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE/TUBE HAD TO BE REPLACED. TOYOTA DID REIMBURSE THE AMOUNT OF THE PART SINCE THEY SAID IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, BUT I HAD TO PAY FOR THE LABOR. THEY SAID THE TUBE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE ENGINE. THE OFFICIAL CHARGES ARE BELOW. POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE/TUBE. R&R 08/10 UPPER TUBE SUB-ASSY, RE Q/S P/S FLUID $107.85 LABOR $130.35.

NHTSA complaint #10584910 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 50,380 miles Vestal, NY

STEERING

DRIVING ON RT 81S IN VIRGINIA WHEN THE TELESCOPING STEERING COLUMN LOCK CAME UNLOCKED. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE STEERING WHEEL COLLAPSED TOWARD THE DASH. SINCE THEN IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. SEEMS TO SIMPLY VIBRATE LOOSE FROM TRAVELING ON BUMPY ROADS. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER BUT THEY SAID THEY DROVE IT 7 MILES AND IT DIDN'T FAIL SO THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. SINCE THEN, IT HAS COME UNLOCKED 2 TIMES IN 264 MILES. AS LONG AS I CHECK IT EVERY TIME I START THE CAR, AND ANYTIME I DRIVE MORE THAN 100 MILES, IT'S SAFE BUT THIS IS NOT A GOOD SITUATION. DOING A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET SHOWS MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME SAFETY ISSUE OVER MULTIPLE YEARS OF AVALON'S.

NHTSA complaint #10524101 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Westchester, CA

STEERING

I HAVE A 2010 TOYOTA AVALON WHICH I LIKE VERY MUCH. UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS A DESIGN DEFECT. THERE IS A LEVER ON THE STEERING COLUMN THAT LETS THE DRIVER CONTROL THE HEIGHT OF THE STEERING WHEEL. UNFORTUNATELY, THE LEVER DOES NOT STAY IN THE FIXED POSITION. OVER TIME IT DROPS DOWN AS A RESULT OF ROAD VIBRATION AND PERMITS THE STEERING COLUMN TO COMPRESS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE. THE FIRST OCCASION WAS QUITE SCARY AS I HAD TO SLOW DOWN RAPIDLY. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN IT OCCURRED A SECOND TIME SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, I WAS BETTER PREPARED. I HAVE REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR, BUT THEY SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. TO AVOID FUTURE INCIDENTS, I LOOK AT THE LEVER ALMOST EVERYTIME I GET IN THE CAR. IF IT HAS STARTED TO GO DOWN, I PULL IT BACK UP. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DO THIS.

NHTSA complaint #10440864 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 13,000 miles Claremont, CA

STEERING

THE STEERING WHEEL ON MY 2010 AVALON COLLAPSES WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE AN ADJUSTABLE "TELESCOPE" STEERING WHEEL THAT ADJUSTS FORWARD AND BACKWARDS. IT IS CONTROLLED BY A LEVER UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH LOCKS IT INTO PLACE. THE LEVER WILL SUDDENLY RELEASE WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO COLLAPSE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS.

NHTSA complaint #10359854 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2010 Toyota Avalon problems

← Full 2010 Toyota Avalon report