The 2003 Toyota Avalon has 4 recalls, with two distinct serious issues: airbags and seatbelt pretensioners that can deploy without a crash, startling the driver and potentially causing an accident, and a steering lock bar that can crack and break, locking the steering wheel and causing sudden loss of steering control.
The airbag and pretensioner issue appears across multiple filings but describes the same underlying defect, where the restraint system triggers on its own outside of any impact. The steering concern involves a lock bar that develops hairline cracks over time through repeated use of the ignition lock, and if the bar eventually breaks, the steering wheel freezes in place with no warning while the vehicle is being driven.