2015 Toyota Avalon reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2015 Toyota Avalon has 53 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 8 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Avalon years here — over the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Air bag control module and Crash-imminent braking.

2013 Toyota Avalon XLE — Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (14 of 53), then Forward collision avoidance (10) and Air bags (8). Those filings include 8 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Avalon has 96 complaints, 18 per year, and the 2016 has 23 complaints, 3 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2015 Toyota Avalon. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

Recall air bags, air bag control module 2020-01-17 · NHTSA campaign 20V024000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.

Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.

Recall forward collision avoidance, crash-imminent braking 2015-11-03 · NHTSA campaign 15V728000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles manufactured October 19, 2012 to October 27, 2015 and 2013-2015 Lexus ES350 and ES300h vehicles manufactured June 18, 2012 to July 6, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with a Pre-Collision System (PCS) as optional equipment. In these vehicles, the PCS may unexpectedly activate and apply the brakes when the radar detects a steel joint or plate in the roadway as an object.

Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain PCS components, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this campaign are F1V and F2E.

Complaints by component (53 total)

Service brakes

Forward collision avoidance

Air bags

Electrical system

Speed control

Engine

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Fuel and propulsion system

Structure

Tires

Powertrain

Equipment

Exterior lighting

Hydraulic brakes

Lane departure

Seat belts

Seats

Steering

Visibility

Visibility and wipers

Show 12 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the transmission…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-07-10
"Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, the contact noticed that the title listed the mileage at 133,510, with the note " Not the…"
Powertrain, Electrical system · filed 2026-01-06
"The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the brakes. The contact stated that the brake warning light…"
Hydraulic brakes, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2025-08-14
"Accident June 12, 2024 air bag did not deploy. hit on passenger side no air bags deployed. Air bag not able to be reset"
Air bags · filed 2025-05-15
"05/04/2025 First of all, we love our Avalon. However, for the last 6 months or so, water is getting in the car and ends up soaking the carpet on the left front floorboard carpet. We have checked everything we can think…"
Unknown or other, Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure · filed 2025-05-04

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2015 Toyota Avalon 4 DR FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2015 Toyota Avalon HYBRID 4 DR FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Avalon	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	21	30	24 MPG	$2700
Avalon hybrid	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AV-S6)	Front-wheel drive	40	39	40 MPG	$1600

Specs and fitment

4th generation (XX40), 2012–2018

Body styles Sedan

Oil 5W-30 (3.5L V6, 2012 only); 0W-20 (3.5L V6, 2013–2018; 2.5L Hybrid, 2013–2018) , 6.4 qt capacity

Tire size 215/60R16 (2012 Base), 215/55R17 (XLE and most trims), 225/45R18 (2016 Limited/Touring)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V-024 covers certain 2012–2018 Avalon and 2013–2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles (along with other Toyota models). During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit may malfunction and may disable deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners; dealers inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness when needed, free of charge. Recall 15V-728 covers certain 2013–2015 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles with the optional Pre-Collision System: the PCS may unexpectedly activate and apply the brakes when the radar detects a steel joint or plate in the roadway as an object, increasing the risk of a crash; dealers replace certain PCS components, free of charge (Toyota campaign numbers F1V and F2E). Recall 14V-715 covers certain 2014 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles equipped with 16-inch and 17-inch rims in which the left-side front suspension lower arm may have been incorrectly manufactured, so the lower arm may separate from the ball joint; dealers replace the left lower arm, free of charge.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Toyota Avalon Next year 2016 Toyota Avalon See every Toyota Avalon model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Toyota Avalon reliable?

What are common problems with a 2015 Toyota Avalon?

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (14 of 53), then Forward collision avoidance (10) and Air bags (8). Those filings include 8 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2015 Toyota Avalon more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 Avalon has 96 complaints, 18 per year, and the 2016 has 23 complaints, 3 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 Toyota Avalon been recalled?

The 2015 Toyota Avalon has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2015 Toyota Avalon?

Owners have filed 53 complaints about the 2015 Toyota Avalon with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Toyota Avalon get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Toyota Avalon is 32 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

When was the Toyota Avalon discontinued in the US?

Toyota ended US Avalon production after the 2022 model year; the fifth-generation car was built in Georgetown, Kentucky through that run.

What generation is a 2016 Toyota Avalon?

4th generation XX40 (2012–2018 in this catalog).

Does the Avalon Hybrid use the same engine oil as the V6?

Both use 0W-20 in the XX40 and XX50 generations, but oil capacity differs: about 4.6 qt with filter on the 2.5L Hybrid versus about 6.4 qt on the 3.5L V6 (XX40); confirm on the dipstick for your engine.