2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
135 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 135 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 10.38
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Straps, yes The straps do not stay tight and do not keep my child restrained Yes After checking the straps on the car seat they become loose no longer restraining my child in her seat
There is a very strong musty smell. 80% of the time it's when I turn on AC. 20% just at random driving times. Whenever car has sat longer then a few hours with all windows up. When open doors is has very musty smell. I have done everything to do with cleaning vehicle. This is a hybrid I'm a lil scared when it comes to electrical fire . Do to this musty smell. That means there is some type of fluid gathering somewhere…
I have a smell of moldy old water what is going on ? Why is water filling up in my trunk? What do my head lights bulb keep going out? WHY HAVEN'T YOU GUYS DONE ANYTHING? For real I have a darn battery in my trunk come on. I already had to purchase a battery .
Recalls: 3 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 15V728000 | Forward Collision Avoidance: Crash Imminent Braking | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles manufactured October 19, 2012 to October 27, 2015 and 2013-2015 Lexus ES350 and ES300h vehicles manufactured June 18, 2012 to July 6, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with a Pre-Collision System (PCS) as optional equipment. |
| 20V024000 | Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners. |
| 13V505000 | Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Switch/Wiring | Toyota Motor Engineering & manufacturing North America, Inc. (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Camry and Camry HV, model year 2013 Avalon and Avalon HV and model year 2014 Corolla vehicles. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 40 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $1,550
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Structure25 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
- Vehicle Speed Control22 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Visibility/Wiper21 complaints · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Unknown Or Other21 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System14 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Air Bags13 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
Other Toyota Avalon Hybrid years
Toyota Avalon Hybrid years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Structure (25 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 46/100, computed from 135 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid's most common problem?
25 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid sit in the Structure group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is body, subframe or corrosion repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,070–$2,920 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid cost to run per year?
About $4,097 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $20,485 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/11/2015. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other fullsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 135 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 135 NHTSA complaints on record (10.4/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (1.4/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems