Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
23 mpgcombined; city 20, highway 29; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$14,120U.S. average; Ohio $12,620 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
Owners have filed 106 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Avalon. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Steering
31
0
0
0
Electrical system
25
3
0
0
Vehicle speed control
11
8
0
4
Unknown or other
10
1
0
0
Visibility/wiper
9
0
0
0
Structure
6
0
0
0
Service brakes
5
2
0
1
Visibility
5
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
4
0
0
0
Engine
3
1
0
0
Seats
3
0
0
0
Air bags
2
2
0
2
9 more parts
Engine and engine cooling
2
1
0
0
Exterior lighting
2
0
0
0
Power train
2
1
0
0
Seat belts
2
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
2
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
1
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
1
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
0
0
0
Suspension
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2011 Avalon over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Toyota Avalon vehicles manufactured February 9, 2010, to October 22, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the sub-woofer speaker located in the trunk may experience an intermittent electrical short which may cause damage to the integrated circuit (IC) in the audio amplifier. In some cases, the damaged IC may allow a constant electrical current flow to the sub-woofer.
Risk: A constant electrical current flow may cause the sub-woofer to overheat, increasing the risk of fire.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the audio system amplifier and install a protective cover around the sub-woofer, free of charge. The recall began on July 1,2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 274 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2011 Avalon, the latest on Jan 7, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (113), structure (67), electrical system (34), engine (16), engine and engine cooling (12).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2011 Avalon.
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data