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Selling a junk Toyota Avalon

Any Avalon sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Toyota Avalon

NHTSA has 4,253 owner complaints on file for the Toyota Avalon, model years 1995 to 2022, the 106th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are speed control (604, 14%), air bags (594, 14%), steering (369, 9%). 672 complaints involved a crash, 37 a fire, and 128 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 55,150 miles. The 2006 model year has the most complaints (452). Data as of 2026-10-12.

The guides below explain how each kind of fault changes what a buyer pays.

Toyota Avalon by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
199592Brakes840—
1996121Engine and cooling1100117,417
1997155Steering170199,000
1998205Visibility and wipers291273,500
1999113Air bags221256,000
2000220Steering522288,500
2001168Speed control431260,000
2002148Air bags442194,000
2003353Air bags682285,000
2004252Air bags360371,986
2005303Speed control503755,000
2006452Speed control736750,000
2007313Speed control651649,389
2008417Lights316654,000
2009110Lights121749,920
201053Speed control60750,380
2011130Steering200139,400
201235Body and structure111437,000
2013187Visibility and wipers213429,700
2014123Other81416,000
201564Brakes130242,500
201633Other62332,000
201717Engine202—
201831Air bags1202—
2019103Fuel system6046,014
202013Fuel system203—
202129Air bags202—
202213Other200—

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Toyota Avalon recalls

NHTSA lists 35 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for air bags (9), electrical system (5), equipment (3). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2020 model year, air bags (campaign 23V865000, Dec 2023): 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 Hybri…
  • 2020 model year, air bags (campaign 20V734000, Nov 2020): 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 …
  • 2019 model year, fuel system (campaign 20V682000, Nov 2020): Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 T…
  • 2012 model year, air bags (campaign 20V024000, Jan 2020): 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 u…
  • 2018 model year, fuel system (campaign 20V012000, Jan 2020): Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500,…

What a Toyota Avalon is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Avalon on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

Guides for selling this car

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Toyota Avalon worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Avalon gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Toyota Avalon that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Toyota Avalon?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Toyota Avalon numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.