2008 Toyota AVALON - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2008 Toyota Avalon 4-DR. w/SAB has received excellent ratings for both front and side crashes, with a score of 5 out of 5 for the driver and passenger sides in both categories. However, the rollover rating is 4 out of 5, indicating a moderate risk of rollover. The car comes with optional electronic stability control, which can enhance driver control and safety in challenging road conditions. It does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems.

In terms of safety overall, while the Avalon excelled in frontal and side crash tests, there is room for improvement in rollover protection. Additionally, the car has had 347 complaints filed and 6 recalls issued, which may raise concerns about potential safety issues that should be addressed.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

347

Recall Count

6

Investigation Count

0

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2008 Toyota Avalon 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2008 Toyota Avalon 4-DR. w/SAB

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Optional
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2008 Toyota Avalon 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2008 Toyota Avalon 4-DR. w/SAB Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2008 Score 2022 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 4
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 5 4
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 4

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2008 Score 2022 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2008 Score 2022 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated Not Rated 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Complaints for the 2008 Toyota AVALON

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"2008 toyota avalon. low beam on drivers side goes out intermittently. have to turn headlights on/off quickly. was pulled over by chp on highway, told him just had low beams bulbs replaced. he asked me to turn them off, then on and both lights were working. this was in spring 2018 approx 80,000 miles. took to mechanic, they worked fine. did not have a problem for about 6 months after that, now afraid to drive at night as it happens more frequently and afraid that lights will not come back on. so many of same complaints on forums. i emailed toyota and actually got a call back but gal stated they had no record of any complaints regarding low beam problems. she gave me a case #2008070658. asked if i had taken it to dealer but they would charge for diagnosis, i told her i would not be doing that. my mechanic has referred me to another shop with a certified a toyota master mechanic, will see what he has to say. this is a major safety problem to say the least and do not understand why toyota refuses to recognize it and step up to correct problem. this is very dangerous and obviously i am not only one who is very concerned."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2018-01-03
Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota avalon. while driving the vehicle, the headlights went out several times. the contact researched the failure online and found numerous complaints with the vehicle. the manufacturer stated that they were aware of the headlight failure and issued an extended warranty of up to 75,000 miles. the contact's vehicle exceeded the mileage requirement; therefore, the manufacturer could not assist. the contact was advised to take the vehicle to a dealer to be repaired at his expense. the dealer was not contacted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 93,000."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2020-12-09
Complaint:
"i had my car inspected in december 2018 and was told that my high beams were out. i had the bulbs replaced and just recently had my lights inspected. changing the bulbs did not correct the problem and my high beams are still not working!"
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2020-03-07
Complaint:
"low beam lights randomly go out after being on for a short time. i've been battling this issue since 2013 when i bought the car. the dealer says my low beam headlights are burnt out. i can turn the headlight switch off and back on quickly and the affected light comes back on. i do this several times a day when it is dark out. i even had small led lights mounted into my dash and wired into each low beam bulb so i can see if one goes out while driving in town at night as it can be difficult to know if one when out."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2013-01-08
Complaint:
"while driving straight ahead at night on a highway the high beams suddenly went out and would not go on again. i switched to low beams. i later learned from a mechanic that there is a design flaw or inferior microprocessor controlling the headlights and that the low beams could also suddenly go out while in motion. this is a severe safety issue. the toyota corporation will not stand by their product and have referred me to a toyota dealer that wants over $2,000.00 to fix the safety issue. there should be a recall on this. i believe it only affects the 2008 avalon models. there are even several articles on the internet relating to this problem. i have nothing to download as i did not get a written estimate, only a telephone quote, from the toyota dealer."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2019-05-08
Complaint:
"our high beams went out at the same time. seems to be a recurring problem"
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2018-05-10
Complaint:
"head lights randomly go off at night when driving. if i turn them off then back on they come back on. sometimes they stay on. most of the time i have to repeat this off and on procedure again and again! this is a real safety hazard. i live in an area where there is not a lot of street lights, and winding roads. why won't they make this a recall?"
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2014-01-01
Complaint:
"while driving on a highway at night both passenger and driver's side high beams failed to go on. while fuses are ok, neither high beam will go on in either the flash or permanent mode."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2018-05-06
Complaint:
"passenger side head light intermittent failure. noticeable, obviously, only when driving at night. fails after a few minutes driving, then works normally for a day or two then fails again while driving at night. no rhyme or reason to the failures. only occurs on low beam. headlamp is not 'burnt out.' as i understand it, this is not a headlight issue but rather a housing issue and the entire housing and lamp need to be replaced. why has toyota not issued a recall? this is a safety issue! car currently has 115,739 miles on it."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2019-03-05
Complaint:
"the third brake light or the upper brake light works very intermittently. this is a safety issue. most avalons on the road in this body style have the same issue with a defective third brake light. the dealer wants over $500 for the part alone. the light works once in a rare rare while. i called toyota headquarters in torrance, ca., they suggested i contact you. this occurs when sitting still or driving on streets and a highway."
Components Involved: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Date of incident: 2012-01-04

Recalls for the 2008 Toyota AVALON

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"southeast toyota distributors, llc (set) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 prius and corolla, 2009-2011 venza, 2006-2010 avalon, 2007-2010 fj cruiser, 2005-2011 sienna and sequoia, 2006-2011 tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, camry, highlander, tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 rav4 and 4runner. the affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring."
Consequence:
Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Remedy:

SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

Component(s) Involved: SEATS > FRONT ASSEMBLY > SEAT HEATER/COOLER
Date of incident: 2014-11-19
Recall:
"southeast toyota distributors, llc (set) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4runner, highlander, sequoia, and sienna, 2005-2010 avalon and tundra, 2006-2008 camry solara, 2006-2010 highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 rav4 and tacoma, 2007-2010 fj cruiser, 2007-2011 camry hybrid, 2009-2010 venza, 2010-2012 prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. the electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed."
Consequence:
If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy:

SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.

Component(s) Involved: SEATS > FRONT ASSEMBLY > SEAT HEATER/COOLER
Date of incident: 2016-06-02

TOYOTA Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

TOYOTA ranks 3 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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