MotorYearvehicle reliability by model year · NHTSA data

2016 Toyota Corolla

2016 Toyota Corolla
Photo: Mr.choppers (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Complaints
211
Per 100k sold
58
≈361k sold (est.)
Recall campaigns
1
Crash / fire reports
66 / 1

Complaints by component

A complaint can name multiple components.

air bags
65 (31%)
service brakes
29 (14%)
seat belts
26 (12%)
unknown or other
23 (11%)
vehicle speed control
22 (10%)
steering
22 (10%)
power train
21 (10%)
structure
15 (7%)
electrical system
14 (7%)
engine
13 (6%)
suspension
11 (5%)
exterior lighting
10 (5%)

Complaints by vehicle age

Years between the model year and the reported incident.

43
22
0
3 · 43 complaints · age 3 years
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
View as table
032
135
226
343
437
59
65
76
811
94
103

Complaints by odometer reading

Mileage at failure, where the complainant reported it. When this curve rises early, problems show up while the vehicle is still young.

37
19
0
0k · 37 complaints · 0,000–10,000 miles
0k
10k
20k
30k
40k
50k
60k
70k
80k
90k
100k
110k
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130k
140k
150k+
View as table
0k37
10k20
20k20
30k14
40k13
50k10
60k7
70k6
80k4
90k3
100k0
110k2
120k1
130k0
140k1
150k+1

Recalls (1)

air bags · 2020-01-17 · 20V024000

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.

Risk: 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.

Crash-test ratings (NHTSA NCAP)

2016 Toyota Corolla 4 DR FWD
Overall★★★★★5/5
Frontal crash★★★★★5/5
Side crash★★★★★5/5
Rollover★★★★4/5
NCAP frontal crash test, 2016 Toyota Corolla 4 DR FWD
NCAP frontal test (NHTSA)
NCAP side crash test, 2016 Toyota Corolla 4 DR FWD
NCAP side test (NHTSA)

Recent complaints

2026-06-26 · unknown or other · ODI 11746704

The factory-applied Super White (paint code 040) paint on my vehicle has peeled down to bare metal on multiple exterior body panels. The peeling is not the result of any collision damage, scratches, or external trauma — it is consistent with the known factory paint adhesion defect that Toyota itself acknowledged through Customer Support Program ZKG, which covered this exact vehicle model, year, and paint color. Toyota's own program documentation states the defect occurs when sunlight degrades adhesion between the factory paint primer coat and the base metal electrodeposition layer. With paint peeled to bare metal, the affected panels are now exposed to moisture and the elements, creating a risk of structural rust and corrosion over time. I purchased this vehicle used in 2023 and was never notified of the Customer Support Program. By the time I discovered the program existed, the coverage had expired. Toyota has declined to provide any assistance. Toyota acknowledged this as a manufacturing defect affecting approximately 1.74 million vehicles under Program ZKG. Owners of 2016 Corollas who purchased their vehicles used were not adequately notified, and coverage has now lapsed for recently expired vehicles despite the defect being identical to those Toyota previously covered. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether Toyota's Customer Support Program ZKG adequately covered all affected vehicles and owners, and whether an expanded or extended remedy is warranted.

2026-05-20 · power train · ODI 11739070

I was driving on the highway and the transmission gave completely out!! with no warning! No check engine light no error message. Car only has 160000 miles on it, if i wasn't calm as I was that could've been lethal!!!!

2026-04-20 · structure · ODI 11732564

I have super white (040) paint and it's flaking off due to original manufacturer paint defect. Paint is flaking off my passenger back door and a large piece/area of roof. flakes of paint will come off at highway speeds, creating a vision hazard for drivers behind me or a distraction when flakes hit the windshield.

2025-12-28 · air bags · ODI 11707349

In 2024, my 2016 Toyota Corolla was involved in a collision. The airbags did not deploy. I went to the emergency room following the crash and later required additional medical treatment, including rehabilitation.

2025-12-02 · power train · ODI 11702599

My 2016 Toyota Corolla suddenly showed a Check Engine light, and the dealer diagnosed a CVT transmission failure with code P2757. This code is linked directly to Toyota’s own TSB T-SB-0150-16 for torque converter clutch/valve-body failure. The dealer confirmed the issue and quoted me $11K to fix it. This is frightening because a failing transmission can slip, hesitate, or lose power at any moment, which puts me and others at risk. There were no early warning signs, just the sudden light. I brought it in immediately, and the problem was fully reproduced and documented by Toyota. My car is available for inspection whenever needed. Toyota corporate reviewed my case but offered very little help since my vehicle is just outside the 7-year timeframe for CA. I bought the extended warranty when the car was brand new. I have done every single service at Toyota, always on time, and my car has never been in an accident. I’ve taken care of it exactly the way Toyota told me to. This is not normal wear. This is a documented defect that puts drivers at risk and places an enormous financial burden on owners who did everything right. I’m filing this complaint because people deserve protection, accountability, and fairness, especially when a safety-related failure happens in a well-maintained vehicle. I’m only [XXX] , and I expected to own many more Toyotas throughout my life. My whole family drives Toyotas. I grew up believing this brand meant safety, reliability, and loyalty in both directions. I honestly wanted to be a Toyota driver for life. But facing an $11K repair for a known issue that Toyota already acknowledged in a TSB—without meaningful support—has broken my trust in a way I never expected. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)