1998 Toyota Avalon XLE review from North America

Initial quality not equal to Ford F250 purchased new at same time, as the F250 has needed nothing of any kind fixed (7 free recalls though). Avalon had vacuum tube fall off, the car alarm that car came with has always been intermittent. Minor issues.

One front and one rear wheel bearing failed. Dealer wanted 835$ to fix front bearing with new steering knuckle, easy fix with online used knuckle for 40$ including tax and shipping.

Bearings at top of struts rattle, as in many of these cars.

Exceptional materials quality. Plastic headlamp covers still clear, FORD F-250 purchased at same time clouded up 10X more. Rubber not cracked.

Engine still so quiet it is hard to judge weather it is running, 152Kmi with no valve adjustment. F250 clatters loudly upon start, has lots of different ticks and resonances. Ultra smooth turbine-like quality.

Did you know that soft springs and suspension make car motion sickness much more likely? Suspension, especially in rear, way too soft. Very stupid, Toyota designers.

Brake pads last 90kmi. :-)

Power steering pump does not have enough mass fluid flow, when an emergency happens and the steering wheel gets slewed life or death, and super-human strength is suddenly required (and the sudden inability to spin the wheel does give a big burst of adrenaline that does give super human strength).

All the springs are too soft, brake pedal stuck to the floor once, parking brake does not pop back up anymore.

Evidentally, Toyota equated soft with luxury, erroneously in my opinion.