How much can a 2001 Toyota Avalon safely tow without ruining the transmission?
Well, the listed towing capacity is 2,000 lbs. But I’d worry about a 10-year-old transmission on any vehicle not set up for towing. What kind of towing? How much? How often? How far? Over what kind of terrain?
My guess is 1,500 lbs which is the rating I believe for a 2000 V6 Camry. Towing anything is tough on the transmission so if you don’t want to hurt your transmission the safe answer is zero.
Your transmission is now 10 years old, has at least a few miles on it had just how many times over the last 10 years was that transmission serviced with new fluid? With a new trans getting close to the value of the car I’d really not recommend any towing with an '01 Avalon regardless of the “rating” given in the owner’s manual.
FWD makes for a horrible tow vehicle.
I agree that at that age, the original capacities are no longer valid. I would keep towing under 1000 lbs at least. If you have to tow frequently, get a truck which is designed to handle towing. Bscar is right. FWD makes terrible tow vehicles. But, if you keep the weight down they can be functional for occasional use.
Not as much as a U-Haul rental. And the U-Haul rental may just end up being far, far less expensive.