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2011 Toyota Avalon problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
7%
7 of 106 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2011 Toyota Avalon. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 7% of relevant complaints.

Better than 99% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2011 Toyota Avalon have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 7 of 106 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota Avalon concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (7%). For comparison, the 2010 scores 10% and the 2012 scores 8%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
7
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
106
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
14 crashes · 6 injuries

Complaints by component

STEERING31 · 29%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM25 · 24%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL11 · 10%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER10 · 9%
VISIBILITY/WIPER9 · 8%
SERVICE BRAKES7 · 7%

The years either side

2010
10%
4 of 46
2011
7%
7 of 106
2012
8%
2 of 30
2013
11%
15 of 160
2014
10%
9 of 96
2015
20%
9 of 53
2016
too few complaints
2017
too few complaints
2018
too few complaints
2019
47%
31 of 70
2020
too few complaints
2021
too few complaints
2022
too few complaints
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2011 Toyota Avalon

What one owner reported

ENGINE12/13/2021
The engine has quit while in traffic several times and the check engine light and the skid control lights are the only lights lit on the dashboard. Once the car comes to rest and one waits 3 to 5 minutes, the car will restart. We have taken the car to the dealer twice, ( each time the had it for nearly a week) and they…

One of 7 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Toyota Avalon?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2011 Toyota Avalon, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

1 other recall on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
electrical system15V047000 · Jan 2015
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…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2011 Toyota Avalon? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2011 Toyota Avalon

Does the 2011 Toyota Avalon have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 7 of 106 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota Avalon concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (7%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Toyota Avalon?

No. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2011 Toyota Avalon, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Toyota Avalon years are better?

The 2011 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Toyota Avalon years we track (7%). The other years run higher.

Should I buy a 2011 Toyota Avalon?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2011 Toyota Avalon shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.