1998 Toyota Avalon Electrical System
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
WHEEL LOCKED THEN THE CAR WILL NOT START, ALARM SYSTEM LIGHT WON'T BLINK AND I'M HEARING A WINEING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT PERFORMANCE OF VARIOUS ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 98V278000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE, BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.....UPDATED 02/06/17 *BF CONSUMER STATED HAS NO DEFROSTER FOR THE FRONT WINDOW. UPDATED 7/2/18*JB *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON START UP, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION NOR WOULD THE VEHICLE START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO ALSO REPLACED THE IGNITION CYLINDER AND PROVIDED A NEW KEY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 1998 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL THE LIGHTING WENT BLANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 230,000.
UPON TRYING TO START MY CAR, MY KEY WOULDN'T TURN. I THOUGHT IT COULD BE A WARN OUT KEY, SO I TRIED MY SECOND MASTER KEY AND WHEN IT WOULDN'T TURN EITHER I TRIED MY SUB KEY WHICH FAILED JUST AS WELL. I KEPT TRYING WITH MY TWO MASTER KEYS, TAKING THEM OUT AND PUTTING THEM BACK IN REPEATEDLY. UNTIL FINALLY AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES MY IGNITION TURNED OVER. MY CAR STARTED AT TIMES EASY AND KIND OF EASY FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS FOLLOWING THAT. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTED TO ACT UP AGAIN SOMETIMES NOT TURNING OVER AT ALL AND LEAVING ME STRANDED OR MISSING WORK. THIS NOW OCCURS EVERY SINGLE TIME I TRY TO START MY CAR. GOD FORBID SOME ONE FOLLOWS ME TO MY CAR I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET AWAY. I'VE CONTACTED NUMEROUS REPAIR COMPANIES, MECHANICS, SAVAGE YARDS, AND PARTS STORES WHO HAVE ALL POINTED ME IN THE DIRECTION OF THE DEALER OF THE MAKE/MODEL BECAUSE OF THE DEFERMENT/IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM. UPON CONTACTING THE DEALER I'VE LEARNED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM, IT WILL COST ME A PRETTY PENNY. NEW PARTS WILL HAVE TO BE ORDERED AND OLD PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. *TR
I OWN A 1998 TOYOTA AVALON, WHICH IS EXPERIENCING CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN NHTSA 98E035000. SPECIFICALLY, HVAC FAN WORKS SPORADICALLY. LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS REFUSE TO CHECK WIRING HARNESS FOR RECALL ELIGIBILITY, AS CALLED FOR IN NHTSA: 98E035000. DEALERSHIPS WILL ONLY RUN VIN THOUGH DATABASE, INSTEAD OF CHECKING MANUFACTURE DATE OF WIRING HARNESS. *TR
THE HORN WAS DEFECTIVE. IT WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. OWNER HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THEY REPAIRED IT ONCE IN JUNE 2003, NOW THE HORN IS DEFECTIVE AGAIN. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE HORN WASNEVER REPAIRED, IT DOESNOT RESPOND AT NORMAL SPEED.
INSIDE FAN SPEED TURNS OFF RANDOMLY WITH SECURITY LIGHT AND AC CONTROLS , OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE READING. *LA
VEHICLE'S KEY GETS INTERMITTENTLY STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND WILL NOT TURN. RELATED RECALL 98E035000, BUT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK
HORN WORKS INTERMITTENTLY EVEN AFTER THE DEALER HAS MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.AK
THERE IS EXCESSIVE WIRING BY THE KICK PANEL WHICH CAUSES THE KICK PANEL NOT TO STAY ON BEACUSE THE WIRES ARE RUBBING. THIS COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SHORT OUT AND STALL. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE. *AK
I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SINCE APRIL OF 1998 COMPLAINING ABOUT THE KICKPANEL NOT STAYING ON, NEVER GETTING SATISFACTORY RESULTS, I CONTACTED TOYOTA USA AND REQUESTED ARBITRATION, THEY FAILED TO RESPOND. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DAYTONA BEACH TOYOTA AT 451 N. NOVA RD DAYTONA BEACH FL 32114 AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS "EXTRA WIRING ADDED TO HARNESS UNABLE TO REPAIR WIHT OUT REMOVING WIRES" THIS WAS ON 06/21/99. AT NO TIME DID ANY DEALER OR THE MANAFACTURER INFORM ME OF THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 98E03500. I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RECALL NOTICE AND AM AWAITING ARBITRATION WITH TOYOTA ON NOVEMBER 1,1999 AT THE STATE LEMON LAW OFFICE 1300 RIVERPLACE BLVD. JACKSONVILLE, FL 32207. AS OF 10/15/1999 I RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM DAVID ADAMS WITH TOYOTA THE REGIONAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION MANAGER INFORMED ME HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM MY CAR IS EXPERIENCING ON ANY OTHER AVALON! ALTHOUGH TOYOTA HAS AN ATTORNEY REPRESENTING THEM AT THE ARBITRATIN HEARING ON NOVEMBER 1,1999, MR ADAMS HAS ASKED THT WE SETTLE THIS MATTER BY MY PURHCASING ANOTHER TOYOTA AVALON WITH HIM ASISTING US AT DAYTONA BEACH TOYOTA.
CONSUMER WAS NEVER MADE AWARE OF RECALL 98E035000 AND HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE WIRING OF THE TDS SYSTEM. *SLC
COMPUTER FAILURE CAUSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COMES ON AND GOES OFF REPEATEDLY. YH
BATTERY FAILED. MJS
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT INDICATED PROBLEMS AT 100 MILES, AFTER TOYOTA SERVICE THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AT 200 MILES AND TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING ITSELF (ELECTRONICALLY) INTO NEUTRAL AT SPEEDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH, WITHOUT ANY MOVEMENT OF THE GEAR SHIFT.
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 1998 Toyota Avalon has 16 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.