Does the 2016 Toyota Corolla have any recalls?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2016 Toyota Corolla, the most recent reported on January 17, 2020 (Air bags: air bag/restraint control module). Check a specific car by its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Toyota Corolla?

Owners have filed 215 complaints with NHTSA. The most frequently reported area is air bags (65 complaints), followed by service brakes (30).

How many 2016 Toyota Corolla complaints mention a crash or fire?

66 of 215 complaints report a crash and 2 a fire; 57 injuries were reported in total. Complaints are unverified reports from owners.

2016 Toyota Corolla recalls and problems

1 recall and 215 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Toyota Corolla.

recalls

215

owner complaints

complaints mentioning a crash

mentioning a fire

Recalls apply to specific production ranges. To see whether a particular car still has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Repairs for safety recalls are free at authorised dealers.

2016 Toyota Corolla recalls

Air bags: air bag/restraint control module

NHTSA campaign 20V024000 · reported January 17, 2020 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · 2,891,976 vehicles potentially affected

The problem: 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.
The 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.
The fix: 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.

Most reported problems

Areas named in owner complaints to NHTSA. One complaint can name several areas.

Air bags65
Service brakes30
Seat belts26
Unknown or other24
Power train22
Steering22
Vehicle speed control22
Structure15
Electrical system14
Engine13

What owners report

Recent complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. These are unverified accounts from owners, not findings.

Oct 13, 2026 · Service brakes · fire reported
While operating a vehicle through the peer-to-peer car-sharing platform Turo in Alaska (Reservation: 61060048), the vehicle experienced a sudden, catastrophic brake failure of the braking system while driving. The brakes completely failed to respond, creating an immediate loss of vehicle control. Immediately following…

Sep 11, 2026 · Visibility/wiper
The defrost no longer works. When I put on defrost it doesn't blow out of the defrost causing me not to be able to see out of my windshield. I have found other people online with this same issue. My heat and air conditioner work fine.

Aug 26, 2026 · Tires
Purchased set of 4 Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring 195/65R1591H tires on 26 Jun 2026 @ 48,847 miles on the odometer. Three of the tires had the same serial number of U9AE1CR2622, with the 4th of U9AE1CR4822. Brought car in for service on 20 Oct 2025 @ 65,340 due to a slow leak on the rear passenger and was informed the rear…

Jul 14, 2026 · Power train
The CVT transmission on my 2016 Toyota Corolla initially suffered a complete mechanical failure and was repaired on 01/08/2024, forcing me to pay $3,696 out of pocket for a replacement at an independent shop. Last week, the transmission experienced issues again, and this time a certified Toyota dealership serviced it…

Jun 26, 2026 · Unknown or other
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…

Corolla model years compared

Year	Recalls	Complaints	Crashes	Fires
2013	5	201	46	1
2014	2	269	64	3
2015	1	220	60	1
2016	1	215	66	2
2017	3	178	44	1
2018	3	135	26	5
2019	5	204	24	1

Across all years, the 2009 Corolla has the most complaints (1,459). All Toyota Corolla years →

Questions

Does the 2016 Toyota Corolla have any recalls?: Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2016 Toyota Corolla, the most recent reported on January 17, 2020 (Air bags: air bag/restraint control module). Check a specific car by its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Toyota Corolla?: Owners have filed 215 complaints with NHTSA. The most frequently reported area is air bags (65 complaints), followed by service brakes (30).
How many 2016 Toyota Corolla complaints mention a crash or fire?: 66 of 215 complaints report a crash and 2 a fire; 57 injuries were reported in total. Complaints are unverified reports from owners.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint data, updated October 27, 2026. Latest complaint received October 13, 2026.