2016 Toyota Corolla problems
What owners reported to NHTSA, at what mileage, and every safety recall for this model year.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports. NHTSA does not confirm each one.
- No denominator: popular cars get more complaints. Counts are not failure rates; a best-seller will show more reports than a rare model.
Most reported problems
Complaints by component. One complaint can name more than one component, so these add up to more than 215.
When problems show up
Reports by odometer reading at the time of the problem, top components. Each bar is a 25,000-mile band, labeled by where it starts (0 = 0–25k miles). Reports without mileage are left out.
Air bags
Service brakes
Seat belts
Safety recalls (1)
Recalls that cover the 2016 Toyota Corolla. Some apply only to certain trims or build dates. This page cannot tell whether a specific car's recall work was done.
Check a specific VIN's open recalls on nhtsa.gov
Air bags › air bag/restraint control module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles…
Full recall text and remedy
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.
Questions to ask the seller
Has the airbag warning light ever stayed on? Was any airbag replaced after a crash?
65 owner complaints mention the air bags, half of the reports with mileage are between 19,750 and 62,702 miles.
When were the brakes last serviced? On the test drive, check for pulsing, grinding, a soft pedal, or ABS warnings.
30 owner complaints mention the brakes, half of the reports with mileage are between 6,392 and 33,500 miles.
Do all seat belts latch, release, and retract smoothly? Any seat belt warning light?
26 owner complaints mention the seat belts, half of the reports with mileage are between 14,047 and 59,250 miles.
Has the transmission been serviced or repaired? On the test drive, watch for slipping, delayed engagement, or harsh shifts.
22 owner complaints mention the transmission or drivetrain, half of the reports with mileage are between 40,500 and 71,000 miles.
Any steering noises, pulling, stiffness, or loss of power assist? Turn lock to lock while parked and listen.
22 owner complaints mention the steering, half of the reports with mileage are between 6,750 and 33,647 miles.
Has the open recall work been done? Ask for dealer service records, and check the VIN on nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year.
Other Toyota Corolla years
Owner complaints per model year (2010–2022). Older cars have had more time to collect reports.
Get the LotCheck app
iOS & Android app coming soon: scan the VIN at the lot, see this report offline, and get a printable inspection checklist. One email when it launches. No spam.