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2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid: Problems, Recalls and MPG

What this means

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, most recently filed December 2023. Owners have filed 0 complaints with NHTSA. In NHTSA crash tests it earned 5 stars overall.

Data summary generated from official records. Methodology Data: NHTSA, DOT, EPA · Refreshed Oct 6, 2026
Caution Fewer than 50 complaints filed. With this few reports, patterns may not be meaningful.
Compare

Recalls (3)

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗

Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.

Check on NHTSA ↗
Listed for 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 23V865000 Filed Dec 20, 2023

OCS Sensors May Short Circuit

Air bags · sensor · occupant classification
Official NHTSA text
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.
58.3% repairedof 999,901 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 23V865000
Listed for 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 20V734000 Filed Nov 25, 2020

Steering Column Damage Affects Air Bag Performance

Air bags · frontal
Official NHTSA text
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.
98.1% repairedof 161 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 20V734000
Listed for 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 20V064000 Filed Feb 6, 2020

Engine may Leak Coolant

Engine and engine cooling
Official NHTSA text
Summary
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES300h and 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5L 4-Cylinder engines. Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks than can allow coolant to leak internally and/or externally.
Consequence
A coolant leak can cause the engine to overheat and cause a vehicle stall in conventional gasoline vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, for all involved vehicles, the engine may get damaged mechanically, possibly resulting in an engine oil leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine including the engine block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA04. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA02.
98.6% repairedof 44,191 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 20V064000

PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.

Owner complaints (0)

0 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings).

0involved a crash
0involved a fire
0injuries reported
0deaths reported

As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.

Most-reported components

NHTSA has no component data for this model year.

How 2020 compares with other Avalon Hybrid years

Best and worst Avalon Hybrid years →
23 18 12 2 1 1 6
2013201420152016201820192021
This year (2020)Other yearsStill collecting reports

Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Crash tests: 5 stars overall

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crashDriver 4★ · Passenger 4★★★★★☆
Side crashDriver 5★ · Passenger 5★★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
RolloverRollover risk 10.5%★★★★☆
Front seat of a modern car with the seat belt buckled across the passenger seat
Compare fairly. Compare stars only between vehicles of similar size and weight. Ratings apply to the tested configuration.

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid 4 dr fwd, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Fuel economy: up to 43 mpg combined

43
mpg combined
43
city
43
highway
EPA annual fuel cost
$1,550
CO₂ tailpipe
203 g/mi
EPA class
Midsize Cars

What it costs you to run

$1,519per year
$127per month
349gallons a year

Miles ÷ 43 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.

EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.

Specs by configuration

2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid configurations with EPA data
Engine · transmissionDriveCity / Hwy / CombEPA $/yrCO₂ g/mi
2.5 L 4-cyl · AV-S6 CVTFront-Wheel Drive43 / 43 / 43$1,550203

Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.

Used blue SUV on a sunny dealer lot with its hood open and a clipboard on the fender

Looking at a 2020 Avalon Hybrid for sale?

Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.

All Avalon Hybrid years

Where to next

2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid FAQ

How many recalls does the 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid have?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns: 23V865000 (air bag), 20V734000 (air bag), 20V064000 (engine). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.

What mpg does the 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid get?

EPA rates the 2.5 L 4-cyl · AV-S6 CVT version at 43 city, 43 highway and 43 combined mpg.

What safety rating did the 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid get?

NHTSA rated the 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid 4 dr fwd 5 stars overall, with 4 stars frontal, 5 stars side and 4 stars rollover (10.5% rollover risk).

How does the 2020 Avalon Hybrid compare with other years?

Among the 2013–2021 Toyota Avalon Hybrid model years at least five years old, the 2018 drew the fewest complaints (1) and the 2013 the most (23). The 2020 drew 0. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.

How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes

Processing

  • Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
  • Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.

Limitations

  • Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
  • Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
  • Recent model years are still collecting reports.

Review

Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.

Changelog

  • 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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