Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Toyota Avalon owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I recently took my car in for maintenance and I was offered a complimentary car wash. 1 week after the wash, I noticed there were cloth fibers stuck between the rear side body panels. When i pulled them out, there was evidence of rust and corrosion right underneath. I suspected the cloth fibers were from the dealership's car wash so i contacted them. They confirmed the fibers are from their machine but claimed the rust is caused by a pre-existing problem (there is a small gap between the side body that was noted in the pre-inspections), when asked if the rust was noted during pre-inspections as well, they refused to answer my question. There was no evidence of rust or corrosion on the car before this incident and there are other fibers stuck in the side body panels as well which i haven't taken out yet. …
Water is filling up in my trunk not sure how it is getting in . Have noticed a lil water stains along back top of lining. I started smelling a stail water smell when I found a puddle of water under my spare tire . Im extremely worried with winter coming again . Not to mention there is a battery locate in truck as well. So I feel completely unsafe. I have recently had noticed hybrid battery going from high to low then all of sudden died. Had to purchase a new battery. Please is this normal?someone help before it rains again and something terrible happens
While parking my car, the motor suddenly accelerated without the accelerator pedal having been depressed. The car surged forward and even after the brake was applied the engine continued to accelerate for several seconds.
The vehicle was taken to a local dealership for the required 10,000 mile warranty maintenance. At this time, I showed the dealership where water marks had appeared in all four upper corners of the inside cloth liners beside the front and rear windshields. I was told the sunroof had tubes that occasionally clogged and they would clear the tubes and clean the inside cloth. Over the past few months our area experienced a tremendous amount of rain. When the car was taken to the dealership for the 15,000 mile warranty maintenance, I showed the dealership where water marks appeared to have worsened in the same areas. The dealership explained that there were no clogs in the sunroof tubing and they had attempted to recreate the water leakage by running water over the car for one hour. They could not explain why the water marks kept reappearing and did not know if anyone called Toyota. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Toyota Avalon. While driving approximately 15 MPH and attempting to slow down, the floormat became stuck under the brake pedal and prevented it from being depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired for the same failure in 2014 and the remedy was to add two clips to the floormat. One of the clips was fractured during the recent failure. The dealer stated that there was no recall for the failure and the carpet should be replaced. The manufacturer refused to replace the carpet. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,454.
The moonroof area has rattling noise at speeds exceeding 60 mph. A similar rattling noise is also noted from the driver side A pillar of the car at all driving speeds.
Headliner is falling down in back by rear window. Problem was reported to Toyota. I am told Toyota is working on a fix for it but it will be a while before a resolution is found. As a good will gesture Toyota tacked up the headliner in the middle where it was falling down. A few days later the headliner began to fall down on both sides where it was tacked up by the rear window. I was then told, they were afraid that would happen. Toyota has no resolution and will not replace the headliner or vehicle. I am told by Toyota that this is a common problem. However, as they cannot repair the vehicles that have this problem it sounds like they are still selling vehicles with this defect to unsuspecting customers. Although you can still see out the rear window, who knows for how much longer before it just gives way. …
This Toyota was purchased with a sunroof top. After driving the car for two weeks we noticed the headliner was coming loose from the roof. We noticed that when you opened the sunroof the air entering the car made the roof or headliner shake and move as if to much air was getting under it causing the headliner to separate from the roof. We took the car in for service and the dealership finally told us there was a recall on these headliners and that no parts were being replaced at this time. I look at this as a major flaw and the roof coming loose should have been something the Toyota should have said something about. We've had the car two weeks shouldn't they have said o by the way the roof May separate from the top of the car. No calls about the recall and they told us to take our car that they could not repair it right now. …
The main issue with this vehicle I noticed on March 10 2017and scheduled an apointment on March 15 2017. Is the headliner has separated and falling down behind my moonroof or sunroof opening leaving a gap. Push it back up and it pops back loose. It looks like the two dual lock fasteners have failed on both sides. They look more like stick on pads trying to hold up something that is too heavy. Per the maintenance technician the bullentin pertaining to this repair calls for replacement of dual lock fasteners and the additional of a magnet affixed to the headliner. Repair procedure requires 3 hours for prep, operation steps and curing of epoxy for $300.00 fix. With 18,235 miles on my car it shouldn't be coming apart now. If you knew this was a problem why didn't you informed the customers before investing because I would of left it on the lot. …
Sunlight is reflected into the eyes of the driver and front seat passenger from the interior trim. This bright reflection not only makes it difficult to see at times, the sunlight can cause damage to the retina and cornea. The light comes from many different parts of the car so it is impossible to constantly shield with our hands while driving. We keep the sunroof closed. It does not matter if the sun is directly overhead or at an angle because there are so many areas that reflect the light. We noticed this problem within the first week of purchase. We contacted the dealer and manufacturer. While they initially seemed willing to help, it is obvious from their silence, that they hope the problem will go away. …
Body complaints in other Avalon years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2013 Toyota Avalon?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the body & structure of the 2013 Toyota Avalon, 18% of the model year's 137 complaints. The component named most often is body (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Toyota Avalon body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2013 Toyota Avalon, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Toyota Avalon body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 1,000 miles, and 93% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.