Reliable Auto DB

2021 Toyota Avalon reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 Toyota Avalon has 21 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 2 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Avalon years here — under the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Occupant classification and Frontal.

2019 Toyota Avalon XSE
Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

21

Per year

2

Recalls

2

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (12 of 21), then Engine (4) and Speed control (3). The most filings arrived in 2025 (9 of 21). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Avalon has 10 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2022 has 8 complaints, 1 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

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 2021 Toyota Avalon. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall air bags, sensor, occupant classification 2023-12-20 · NHTSA campaign 23V865000
Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Recall air bags, frontal 2020-11-25 · NHTSA campaign 20V734000
Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Toyota Avalon and 2020 Avalon Hybrid, RAV4, and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Breakaway pins within the steering column, designed to absorb energy and reduce injury during a crash, could have been damaged during production, possibly affecting the performance of the driver's air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB17/20TA17.

Complaints by component (21 total)

Air bags
12
Engine
4
Speed control
3
Forward collision avoidance
2
Service brakes
2
Back-over prevention
1
Electrical system
1
Powertrain
1
Seat belts
1
Tires
1
Show 2 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

120215202212023420249202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "We have received a recall for the sensors and airbag on our car back in December of 2023. Every time we call the dealership they tell us they can't get a send because the parts are not available. I cannot seem to get…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-04-09
  • "The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Avalon. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the air…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-11-14
  • "There is no remedy available to fix the OCS sensor in front passenger seat of our 2021 Toyota Avalon. We are scared to drive it. What are our options since Toyota will not help."
    Air bags · filed 2025-08-05
  • "My vehicle is under Safety Recall 23V865 (Toyota dealer reference 23TB15) due to potentially defective Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensors in the front passenger seat, which may prevent the airbag from…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-08-04
  • "Cruise control stopped working while driving interstate speed. Would not work and all lights on dashboard came on . Proceeded to Nearest dealership and was informed that I needed a brake switch. Did not fix the problem.…"
    Speed control, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2025-05-07

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Toyota AVALON 4 DR AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2021 Toyota AVALON 4 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2021 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 (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 31 25 MPG $2600
Avalon all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 25 34 28 MPG $2300
Avalon hybrid 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S6) Front-wheel drive 43 43 43 MPG $1500
Avalon hybrid XLE 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S6) Front-wheel drive 43 44 44 MPG $1450
Avalon TRD 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 21 30 25 MPG $2600
Avalon XLE 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 32 26 MPG $2500

Specs and fitment

5th generation (XX50), 2019–2022
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 , 4.8 qt capacity
Tire size 215/55R17 (XLE), 235/45R18 (Limited and Hybrid Limited), 235/40R19 (XSE, Touring, TRD)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V-682 covers certain 2019–2020 Avalon vehicles (among many other Toyota and Lexus models). The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail; if it fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash; dealers replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Recall 18V-685 covers certain 2019 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles in which the air bag electronic control unit may erroneously detect a fault during the vehicle start-up self check, so the ECU may not deploy the air bags as intended in a crash; dealers update the air bag ECU software, free of charge (Toyota campaign J0X; NHTSA notes 18V-122 was superseded by this recall).

Compare

Previous year 2020 Toyota Avalon Next year 2022 Toyota Avalon See every Toyota Avalon model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Toyota Avalon reliable?

The 2021 Toyota Avalon has 21 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 2 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Avalon years here — under the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Occupant classification and Frontal.

What are common problems with a 2021 Toyota Avalon?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (12 of 21), then Engine (4) and Speed control (3). The most filings arrived in 2025 (9 of 21). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2021 Toyota Avalon more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Avalon has 10 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2022 has 8 complaints, 1 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Toyota Avalon been recalled?

The 2021 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 2021 Toyota Avalon?

Owners have filed 21 complaints about the 2021 Toyota Avalon with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Toyota Avalon get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Toyota Avalon is 31.8 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.