2013 TOYOTA AVALON Complaints and Recall Information
The 2013 TOYOTA AVALON has 2 complaints and 6 recalls filed with NHTSA. Owners most frequently report issues involving the rear window shade failing to retract and problems with the Occupant Detection System that affect airbag activation. These problems impact visibility and passenger safety.
Common Issues
- Rear window shade failure. The automatic shade does not retract when the transmission is placed in reverse, blocking the entire back window and impairing rear visibility, especially when backing up at night.
- Occupant Detection System malfunction. The system fails to detect an adult passenger, causing the passenger airbag to remain off and the warning light to stay illuminated, which may prevent airbag deployment during a crash.
There are 6 recalls affecting various systems such as windshield wipers, air conditioning, airbag control, collision avoidance, and restraint control modules. These recalls address safety-related defects that could lead to increased risk of crashes or injury.
Recalls
- Windshield wiper switch. (NHTSA Recall 13V505000) About 9,795 vehicles are affected by a possible short circuit in the wiper switch assembly, which may cause wipers to stop working and reduce driver visibility. Toyota will replace the wiper switch assembly free of charge.
- Air conditioning drain hose. (NHTSA Recall 13V442000) Approximately 802,769 vehicles have a clogged drain hose causing water to leak onto the airbag control module, potentially causing short circuits that disable airbags or cause unintended deployment. Repairs include sealing the condenser housing and installing a protective cover on the airbag module at no cost.
- Airbag system and electrical. (NHTSA Recall 13V442000) This recall overlaps with the air conditioning defect affecting airbags and power steering. The fix is the same as above, addressing risks of inoperative airbags, inadvertent deployment, and increased steering effort.
- Forward Collision Avoidance PCS. (NHTSA Recall 15V728000) Around 30,812 vehicles with an optional Pre-Collision System may experience unexpected braking due to radar misidentifying road joints or plates as objects. Toyota will replace PCS components free of charge to prevent sudden braking incidents.
- Airbag electronic control unit. (NHTSA Recall 20V024000) Nearly 2,891,976 vehicles, including 2013 Avalons, risk airbag ECU malfunction during certain crashes, which may prevent airbags or seat belt pretensioners from deploying. Toyota inspects and installs noise filters as needed free of charge to correct this defect.
Owners dealing with repeated repairs, unresolved safety defects, or recall issues on the 2013 TOYOTA AVALON may want to review their rights under state lemon laws. Persistent problems affecting visibility or airbag function could warrant further legal consideration.
2013 TOYOTA AVALON Summary
2013
Model Year
2
Total Complaints
4
Total Recalls
3735352
Vehicles Affected
Recalls
2013 TOYOTA AVALON
2891976 vehicles affected
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
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.
Risk: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.
2013 TOYOTA AVALON
30812 vehicles affected
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: CRASH IMMINENT BRAKING
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.
Risk: A vehicle that unexpectedly brakes increases the risk of a crash.
2013 TOYOTA AVALON
802769 vehicles affected
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Avalon, Avalon HV, Venza, Camry, and Camry HV vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning condenser may become clogged causing water to accumulate at the bottom of the air conditioning condenser unit housing. The accumulated water may then leak through a seam in the housing onto the air bag control module potentially resulting in a short circuit of the module.
Risk: A short circuit may cause the air bags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airbag can increase the risk of injury in a severe crash. The power steering assist could also become inoperable resulting in increased steering effort and can increase the risk of a crash at low speeds.
2013 TOYOTA AVALON
9795 vehicles affected
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:SWITCH/WIRING
Toyota Motor Engineering & manufacturing North America, Inc. (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Camry and Camry HV, model year 2013 Avalon and Avalon HV and model year 2014 Corolla vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the windshield wiper switch assembly may short circuit. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, No. 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems."
Risk: A short circuit could cause inoperative windshield wipers, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Complaints
2013 TOYOTA AVALON
ID: 2097908AIR BAGS
he Occupant Detection System (ODS) in my 2013 Toyota Avalon has failed. The vehicle does not consistently detect an adult passenger in the front seat, and the “Passenger Airbag OFF” light remains illuminated, even when someone is seated properly. This means the airbag will not deploy in a crash, which is a serious safety risk for my passengers. I first noticed this issue several months ago. I took the car to a local certified repair shop, where they diagnosed a failure in the ODS sensor. I then brought it to a Toyota dealership for further inspection. The dealership confirmed the issue but required extra time and labor charges just to reach the same conclusion, even though I had already informed them of the diagnosis. Despite this being a clearly safety-critical system, I was told that no recall was active, and the repair cost would be entirely out-of-pocket, which is prohibitively expensive. As a result, the issue remains unresolved. There is a constant indicator light on the dash showing that the airbag system is deactivated when the passenger seat is occupied. To my knowledge, this issue has occurred in other Toyota models as well, and I believe this should be considered for a formal investigation and potential recall. It puts passengers at serious risk in the event of an accident and should not be a customer’s financial responsibility when it involves airbag functionality.
2013 TOYOTA AVALON
ID: 2052286VISIBILITY/WIPER
1) System Failure: Back window shade. It is available for inspection at any time. 2) Safety of me and others put at risk: When the shade is down I can not see out the back window posing a significant risk to those behind me particularly pedestrians 3) Has problem been reproduced: Yes 4) Has the component been inspected: No the motor operating the shade has not been inspected 5) Warnings prior to system failure: None Description: The window shade is meant to automatically retract out of sight when the transmission is placed in reverse. It does not retract at all. It stays fully extended covering the entire back window. This problem drastically impairs my ability to see out the back window at all. While being a problem at all times driving the vehicle it is particularly problematic when backing up at night; you simply can not see anyone behind you backing out of a parking space in a mall for example.