2003 Toyota Avalon recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2003 Toyota Avalon; the most frequently affected component is air bags — frontal. Owners filed 305 complaints, most often about air bags. Among the 23 model years of this model in the database, 2003 ranks #16 for number of recalls.

Recalls2

Complaints305

Crashes reported5in stored complaints

Fires reported1in stored complaints

Check your own vehicle by VIN at NHTSA →

Recalls (2)

Air bags — FrontalCampaign 15V043000 · 28 Jan 2015

Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured December 28, 2001, to May 2, 2004, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2002, to April 29, 2004, 2003-2004 Avalon vehicles manufactured June 5, 2002, to December 20, 2004, and 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured January 18, 2002, to April 27, 2004. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag control module may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.

Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the air bags or the seat belt pretensioners increases the risk of an injury or crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. GM issued an interim notification to owners on March 27, 2015. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Pontiac owners may call 1-800-620-7668. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 13V-029 and 14V-147. Vehicles that had a noise filter installed as the remedy for one of those campaigns need to have the air bag control module replaced under this campaign.

SteeringCampaign 10V345000 · 29 Jul 2010

Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2000-2004 avalon vehicles. Due to improper casting of the steering lock bar, there is a possibility that a minute crack may develop on the surface of the lock bar. Such a crack may expand over a long period of repeated lock and unlock operations, and eventually the lock bar could break.

Risk: Should the steering lock bar break, the steering wheel would lock and the driver would lose the ability to steer the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the steering interlock device free of charge. The safety recall began on september 7, 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

What owners complain about

Share of the 39 most recent complaints stored for this model year, by component. Owners can list more than one component.

Air bags27 · 69%

Electrical system3 · 8%

Vehicle speed control3 · 8%

Steering3 · 8%

Seat belts2 · 5%

Engine2 · 5%

Unknown or other1 · 3%

Visibility/wiper1 · 3%

When complaints were filed

201620

20175

20185

20193

20213

20232

20261

From owner complaints

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota avalon. While driving on several occasions, the srs warning indicator illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to beechmont toyota (8667 beechmont ave, cincinnati, oh 45255, (513) 388-3800) to be diagnosed, but the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The vehicle…
Air bags · Dec 2018 · NHTSA complaint record

turn off the lights inside panel. The level of heat all the way up, the same with the gasoline level. The internal lights blink. Loss of power.
Electrical system · May 2021 · NHTSA complaint record

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota avalon. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v043000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of…
Air bags · Oct 2016 · NHTSA complaint record

The recall remedy for nhtsa campaign 15v043000 is a failure. An identical symptom to the original problem has recurred on two occasions (intermittent illumination of the srs system warning light). Prior to the recall, we attempted to have the error code diagnosed by the dealership following illumination of this…
Air bags · Sep 2016 · NHTSA complaint record

How this year compares

Recalls per model year for this model.

Full specifications All model years 2003 Toyota lineup

Source

Recall and complaint records from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). A recall listed here may not apply to every vehicle of this model year — always check your VIN with NHTSA or a dealer.

2004 Toyota Avalon recalls and complaints Recalls
2001 Toyota Avalon recalls and complaints Recalls
2000 Toyota Avalon recalls and complaints Recalls
2002 Toyota Avalon recalls and complaints Recalls
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2009 Pontiac Vibe AWD Car specs
2004 Pontiac Vibe AWD Car specs