Recalls & safety ratings

2021 TOYOTA AVALON

Every NHTSA recall campaign covering the 2021 TOYOTA AVALON, and the crash-test ratings for the body styles that were tested.
  • 2
    Recalls
  • 21
    Owner complaints
  • 0
    Investigations

Sourced from NHTSA recall and safety-rating data — last checked 6 September 2026.

2 recall campaigns

A campaign usually covers only part of a model year's production, so it may not apply to a particular car. Check the VIN to be certain.

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

NHTSA campaign 23V865000 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Summary

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.

Consequence

An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

NHTSA campaign 20V734000 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Summary

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Toyota Avalon and 2020 Avalon Hybrid, RAV4, and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Breakaway pins within the steering column, designed to absorb energy and reduce injury during a crash, could have been damaged during production, possibly affecting the performance of the driver's air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence

In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not perform as designed can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB17/20TA17.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

NHTSA crash-tests vehicles and rates them out of five stars. More stars mean a safer car. Ratings are per body style, so a model can appear more than once below.

2021 Toyota AVALON 4 DR AWD

Overall

Frontal crash

Driver
Passenger

Side crash

Driver
Passenger
Pole

Rollover

10.5% chance of rollover in a single-vehicle crash.

  • Electronic stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: Standard
  • Lane departure warning: Standard

2021 Toyota AVALON 4 DR FWD

Overall

Frontal crash

Driver
Passenger

Side crash

Driver
Passenger
Pole

Rollover

10.5% chance of rollover in a single-vehicle crash.

  • Electronic stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: Standard
  • Lane departure warning: Standard

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