AI Damage2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid: common problems
Owners of the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid filed 23 complaints with NHTSA, most often about forward collision avoidance and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 23
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Forward collision avoidance 22% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 13% of all complaints
- 3 Seats 13% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 9% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 9% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 9% of all complaints
- 8 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- Forward collision avoidance: 5 complaints (22% of all).
- Air bags: 3 complaints (13% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seats: 3 complaints (13% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (13% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 2 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 23 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 4 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
People standing outside the building (for smoking or otherwise) witnessed it all. They also indicated that the car went like a rocket and they have never seen anything like this.
The air bags failed to deploy. The contact and front passenger were injured and received medical attention. The driver from the other vehicle also sustained injuries. A police report was filed and the vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified. The failure occurred while driving 40 mph.
Consumer writes in regards to unintended acceleration vehicle accident. The consumer stated the vehicle accelerated backwards out of a parking space. Luckily, she did not hit anything or anyone. However, it then accelerated forward hitting another vehicle in a parking space.
On sunday, march 16, 2014, at approximately 12:50pm, northbound traffic on lake shore drive was brought to a halt by four police vehicles that spread across the four northbound lanes. The police vehicles were parked, one in each lane. The officers had created a road block.
The contact stated that several instrument cluster warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed the contact that they were unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota avalon hybrid. While driving approximately 25 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from the passenger side of the vehicle and the contact noticed that the passenger side exterior mirror had shattered. The mirror was not struck by any foreign objects.
When it rains heavily (within the two months I have owned it), the roof and/or sunroof leaks causing water damage in multiple areas of the roof. The dealership cannot find a cause after the initial sunroof drain was cleared.
Avalon recall no 15v728. Had the recall "remedy" performed on my car 09/07/16 (was having no issue with my car before the recall) and now the pcs warning buzzes and lights up, and the red brake! Message lights up every time I drive the vehicle!
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,735 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Avalon Hybrid has 6 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 23, above average.
What to check before buying
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: forward collision avoidance, air bags, seats. Total complaints: 23. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (22%), windows, sunroof (17%), smoke, burning smell, fire (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2013 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.