Most common 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid problems
Share of the 23 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota Avalon Hybrid complaints by model year
Best Avalon Hybrid years: 2020, 2019, 2016. Years to avoid: 2013, 2014. Compare all years →
2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid recalls (3)
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.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge.
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.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain PCS components, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371.
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.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiper switch assembly, free of charge. The recall began on November 8, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid:
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events.
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received a petition dated September 19, 2023 from the owner of a 2012 Toyota Prius V requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP19-004. In the letter, the petitioner reported experiencing an unexpected and complete loss of brake power while driving, accompanied by multiple dashboard warning lights.
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles.
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
On September 19, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a defect petition from Mr. Roger Hogan requesting that the Agency investigate and recall certain Toyota Prius, Prius PHV, Camry Hybrid and Avalon Hybrid vehicles for a brake actuator valve wear condition covered under Toyota Customer Support Programs ZJB and ZKK (subject CSP?s).
What 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid owners say
Driver assistance
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. The contact stated that the recall notice for NHTSA campaign number: 15V728000 (forward collision avoidance) was received in November of 2015. After contacting the dealer and the manufacturer on multiple occasions, the contact was informed that the parts needed to repair the vehicle were still not available and no estimated time for receiving the parts could be given. The contact indicated that the safety feature was deactivated and the part of the recall and was no long available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Updated 05/03/16
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 15V728000 (forward collision avoidance); however, the parts needed were not available. The contact believed that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time to provide the recall repair. The dealer inspected the vehicle and performed the temporary remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the delay. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Speed control & acceleration
I was parking head-in to parking spot. As I reached the final spot, and was shifting gear to p (parking), the car took off like a "rocket" and jumped the curb. This caused damage to the car parked in the next parking spot and my car. The other car had to be towed. I was able to still drive my car. This happened at an office building outdoor parking lot. 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.
Driving on straight level interstate with laser cruise set at 65 MPH and no other cars or obstacles present, car suddenly braked two times (about 20 minutes apart). The same thing occurred about 7 days later on comparable road in light rain. In this later situation, wipers suddenly went on high speed, for 5 seconds and car braked twice in span of about 5 minutes. The second time this occurred, the master warning light came on for about 30 seconds. We took it to Toyota dealer the next morning in rapid city, sd, who said he could not work on it for a couple of days and suggested we call Toyota. Toyota said it sounded like a cruise problem and asked if we could carefully drive it to salt lake city to be evaluated. On way to salt lake city, car suddenly accelerated above the setting of 65 MPH. Pressed brakes to cancel. …
Air bags
On Sunday, March 16, 2014, at approximately 12:50 pm, 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. My car was in the far east lane immediately behind a parked police vehicle. I placed my vehicle in park, but kept the engine running. Minutes later, a black Chrysler sedan driving at a high speed (estimated at 55-100mph per police reports) was being pursued by the police in a high speed chase. The black Chrysler approached my stationary vehicle from the rear with no signs of slowing down. I told my family we were about to be hit and soon after we felt the impacts first from the black sedan hitting us from behind and then from the front when my car was pushed into the parked police vehicle ahead of us. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. The contact's vehicle was struck by a drunk driver, which caused the contact to crash the vehicle into an embankment. The vehicle rolled over several times. 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. The approximate failure mileage was 9,500.
2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid | CVT | FWD | 40 / 39 / 40 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid a good car?
Based on 23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 Avalon Hybrid rates use caution: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Avalon Hybrid at the same age. It is one of the Avalon Hybrid years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid?
The driver assistance — 5 complaints, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the speed control & acceleration (3) and air bags (3).
How many recalls does the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, the most recent from January 17, 2020 (air bag/restraint control module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota Avalon Hybrid?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2019 and 2016. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2013 and 2014. See the full Toyota Avalon Hybrid years comparison.
At what mileage do 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 26,000 miles; 77% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.