ToyotaAvalon XLS1996Overview/toyota/avalon-xls/1996/base/

1996 Toyota Avalon XLS

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1996 Avalon XLS.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1996 Toyota Avalon XLS is a passenger car equipped with an automatic four‑speed transmission and an engine that requires five quarts of 10W‑30 or 5W‑30 API oil, delivering EPA estimates of 18 city, 26 highway and 21 combined miles per gallon. Those fuel‑economy numbers are notable for a passenger car of this class. Owner reports total 120 complaints, the most frequent involving the engine and cooling system, while the model year has zero recalls, indicating a largely clean recall history with a concentrated complaint area.

Model year201120102009200820072006200520041996

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type10W-30 / 5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque76 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy18/26/21 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 35 · 360 CCA battery, OE oil filter 90915YZZD1. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 35 · 360 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnOFFOEM · verified
Tire sizeP205-65HR15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter90915YZZD1
Engine air filter1780103010
Fuel filter2330029045 alt 2321762020
Front wiper blades85212YZZ08TM
Serpentine belt9091602401 alt 9008091212
Thermostat90916A3003 alt 1632562010

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length190.2 in
Overall width70.5 in
Overall height56.3 in
Wheelbase107.1 in
Curb weight3285 lb
Track (front / rear)61 / 60.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)62/38

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined18 / 26 / 21 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume106 cu ft
Cargo volume15 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5 qt of 10W-30 / 5W-30 API engine oil, FINAL DRIVE: DEXRON in the differential. Torque lug nuts to 76 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 27.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Differential Gear OilFINAL DRIVE: DEXRON
Differential Gear Oil Capacity2 Pints
Engine Oil10W-30 · API · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity5 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts239 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug27.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts76 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub159 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub159 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Spark Plug ManufacturerDenso
Spark Plug Gap0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque13.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing7-19 degrees

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.32 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil TypeND 8 oil
Oil Capacity6.90-7.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number35
Standard BCI Cranking Performance360 cca
Optional BCI Group Number24F

Service checks

Engine Compression145-218 psi
Intake Valve Lash0.006-0.010 in
Exhaust Valve Lash0.010-0.014 in

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket79 ft-lbs / 25 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle76 ft-lbs / 34 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.039; Rear: 0.039 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness0.039 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in / 0.0059 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.102 in / 0.354 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.102 in / 0.354 in
Rotor Discard at or Under1.024 in / 0.315 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 60,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Final Drive (inspect fluid level)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 60,000 miEngine Valves (inspect valve lash) · Fuel Evaporative Canister (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1996 Toyota Avalon XLS top in one area — the engine & engine cooling, 18 of 120 reports (15%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 11 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the engine & engine cooling pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
61
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
3
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
120
Owner complaints
11 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 120 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling18
Visibility12
Service Brakes, Hydraulic12
Steering10
Exterior Lighting9
Vehicle Speed Control8
Electrical System6
Air Bags6

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 61 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
TSB0032202023-08-17Air BagsTSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or…
TTT0636202022-03-17Back Over PreventionTT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake…
Toyota PRO19-022022-01-12TiresPOL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all…
T-TT-0636-20 Rev2021-03-12Service BrakesTT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake…
T-SB-0032-20 Rev2021-02-03EquipmentTSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Avalon XLS. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1996 Avalon XLS take?

5 qt of ABOVE 0 F: 10W-30 API, BELOW 100 F: 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1996 Avalon XLS have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Avalon XLS get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 26 highway / 21 combined mpg.