Your vehicle report
2016 Toyota Corolla
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 215
- Received Oct 2015 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes33 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Seat belt fails to latch or retract10 complaints · 4.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Unintended acceleration despite braking10 complaints · 4.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #20V024000Toyota 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Paint peels off roof and hoodFirst signal: Apr 2026
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 66 crashes, 2 fires, 57 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 16 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- CVT transmission fails or loses power
- Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps
- Tires blow out or tread separates
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 26 |
| 2017 | 34 |
| 2018 | 27 |
| 2019 | 32 |
| 2020 | 48 |
| 2021 | 12 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 10 |
| 2025 | 7 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 7 |
| Total | 215 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 33 | 15% | – | NHTSA recall #20V024000 |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 10 | 4.7% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 10 | 4.7% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 10 | 4.7% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 9 | 4.2% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 8 | 3.7% | – | |
| CVT transmission fails or loses power | 7 | 3.3% | – | |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 6 | 2.8% | 43.2× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Apr 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.3% |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 6 | 2.8% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 5 | 2.3% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 5 | 2.3% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 1.4% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #20V024000January 17, 20202,891,976 vehicles affected
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. 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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2016 Toyota Corolla.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN