There are 5 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2008 Toyota Avalonin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
POWER SUNSHADE IS STUCK IN THE UP POSITION BLOCKING THE BACK WINDSHIELD AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON WHICH DISABLES TRACTION AND STABILITY CONTROL. THESE MAKE THE CAR DANGEROUS TO DRIVE
STARTED TO BACK OUT OF DRIVE AND WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR IN REVERSE AND BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK WHILE ROLLING TO BRING IT TO A STOP. I NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS BEHAVIOR IN THE CAR BEFORE. REPORTED TO TOYOTA AS A SAFETY ISSUE. THEY SENT A THIRD PARTY ENG. OUT TO RUN TESTS ON THE CAR. AFTER HE GOT DONE DOING SOME DISASSEMBLY TO LOOK AT THE CONTROL LINKAGE HE REASSEMBLED THE PARTS REMOVED IMPROPERLY AND THE CAR HAD TO BE TOAD TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS CALLS TO TOYOTA WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO SEND ME A WRITTEN REPORT OF THEIR FINDINGS. IT NOW JULY 9TH. I WAS TOLD BY A REPRESENTATIVE FROM TOYOTA THAT A REPORT WAS MAILED JULY 3RD. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF A CALL COULD BE MADE TO TOYOTA TO LET ME KNOW IF THIS CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE. I'VE WAITING WAY TO LONG FOR AN ANSWER. *TR
2008 TOYOTA AVALON BRAKE OVERRIDE. I JUST HAD ALL MY AVALON RECALL FIXES PLACED ON MY CAR, AND THE BRAKE OVERRIDE FIX DOES NOT WORK. I CHECK MY BRAKE OVERRIDE TO SEE HOW IT OPERATED BEFORE THE FIX, AND AFTER GOING TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THE REPAIRS IT STILL DOES THE SAME THING. WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED, AND SPEED IS AROUND 45MPH STEP ON THE BRAKES WHILE CONTINUING TO PRESS ON THE GAS, AND YOU CAN HEAR THE ENGINE STILL TRYING TO ACCELERATE. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME ON THE PHONE BEFORE GOING THERE THAT THE BRAKES WOULD OVERRIDE THE GAS PEDAL WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED. I STILL WILL NOT ALLOW MY PREGNANT WIFE, AND 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER RIDE IN THE CAR UNTIL A BETTER FIX IS PUT INTO PLACE. *TR
THE MASTER CYLINDER WENT OUT ON MY 2008 AVALON WHILE ON A ROAD TRIP THE CAR ONLY HAS 14,000 MILES ON IT. I OWNED A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER PREVIOUSLY AND HAD TROUBLE WITH ACCELERATION BUT MINE WAS DECELERATION IT WOULD JUST STOP GOING AND I WOULD HAVE TO PULL OVER RESTART CAR AND TAKE OFF AGAIN IT DID IT REPEATEDLY I TOOK IT IN AND THEY HAD A HARD TIME FIGURING OUT WHAT IT WAS I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT WAS. DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH A HIGHLANDER OR NOT. *TR
I PURCHASED A USED 2008 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED FROM HORNBURG JAGUAR DEALER IN SANTA MONICA ON 10/29/2009. AT HOME AT 8 AM, ON THE CLEAR, COOL DAY OF 11/1/2009 I HAD THE CAR PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY TO INSTALL THE GARAGE DOOR OPENER. WANTING TO MOVE THE CAR TO THE STREET I STARTED THE CAR USING THE REQUIRED PROCEEDURE FOR A PUSHBUTTON IGNITION (LIKE ON MY 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID FOR 2 1/2 YEARS). THAT IS, I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND PUSHED THE IGNITION BUTTON SIMULTAENEOUSLY. THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE RAPIDLY DOWN MY SHORT SLOPING DRIVEWAY (7 OR 8 FEET). AS I PUSHED HARDER, THE BREAK PEDAL IN EFFECT WENT TO THE FLOOR- NO BREAKING AT ALL. I HIT THE CURB VERY HARD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE NARROW STREET, THE REAR END OF THE CAR BOUNCING INTO THE AIR , AND ENDED UP, PERHAPS 10 FEET BEYOND, HITTING THE FRONT BEDROOM WALL OF MY NEIGHBOR'S HOME WITH CONSIDERABLE FORCE AND RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE WALL. I APPARENTLY DID NOT SUSTAIN PHYSICAL DAMAGE. I AM INCLINED TO BELIEVE THERE WAS AN ACCELERATOR COMPONENT PROBLEM ALSO BECAUSE I WAS MOVING SO FAST. THE CAR IS BEING REPAIRED NOW PHYSICALLY, AS IS THE HOUSE, AND I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA LOCALLY IN TORRANCE AND I UNDERSTAND SOMEONE THERE WILL FOLLOW-UP ON THIS ACCIDENT WITHIN THE NEXT 4 DAYS. I TRIED TO DUPLICATE THE BRAKE FAILURE PROBLEM WITH MY CAMRY HYBRID AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE IT. WHEN PRESSING ON THE START BUTTON AND THE BRAKE AT THE SAME TIME I ALWAYS HAVE A FIRM BRAKE ON THE CAMRY. WHEN I DUPLICATED THE PROCEEDURE ON THE AVALON I FOUND THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT SOFT RAPIDLY, THE MORE I PUSHED IT, TO THE FLOOR. MY REPAIR SHOP WILL NOT DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL SOMETHING IS RESOLVED, NOR WILL I. I WILL BE GLAD TO FURNISH ANYTHING MORE YOU MAY WISH TO KNOW ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026