Everything NHTSA's vPIC database knows about this exact vehicle:
Decoding from NHTSA…
Vehicle history — accidents, title & owners
The decode above is what this vehicle is. For what it's been through — accidents, title brands, odometer, theft/total-loss and previous owners — pull a full history report.
NHTSA publishes the first 11 characters of the VIN with every complaint — that identifies the plant, model year, body and engine. So these are reports from cars built exactly like this one, not an average across the whole model.
4T1BF18B1WU••••••1998 Toyota AVALON
This build draws 3.4× more complaints than the average 1998 Toyota AVALON build (20 vs 6).
20on this build
147on the model
25builds in total
3involved a crash
3injuries
Most reportedSuspension 4Visibility 3Vehicle Speed Control 3Electrical System 2
What owners of this build wrote
Vehicle Speed ControlcrashSep 2009
The contact owns a 1998 toyota avalon. While driving between 15 to 30 mph she crashed into a curb. When attempting to reverse away from the curb the vehicle suddenly accelerated. She pulled the steering wheel to attempt to stop and the vehicle rolled over and landed on the right…
Air BagscrashMay 2001
While driving, the vehicle was involved in a crash, and neither of the air bags deployed. Also the seat belts failed to restrain the consumer properly. *ak *sc
VisibilityDec 2004
Intermittent operation of automatic climate control system. No air conditioning, heater or fan operation. Complete shutdown of system. Will sometimes work after the car is turned off and restarted. This becomes very serious because front windshield will not defog. Toyota…
Electrical SystemJul 2003
Inside fan speed turns off randomly with security light and AC controls , outside temperature reading
StructureDec 2000
Weatherstripping gasket on left front (driver) door failed causing excessive noise especially at highway speeds
Read all 20 complaints on this exact buildFull text, search by keyword, and the systems that fail most on cars built like yours.Unlock with Pro →
Owner complaints…
Now the whole model — all 25 builds of it, not just this build. Same NHTSA reports, wider net:
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Exact value for this VIN, adjusted for mileage
The original window sticker and factory options
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Decoded via NHTSA vPIC. Recalls, complaints and safety from NHTSA; MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Full history reports from our partner. VIN 4T1BF18B1WU214589 · decoded Aug 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.