Reliable Auto DB

2016 Toyota Avalon reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Avalon over 11 years — 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Avalon years here — under the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Air bag control module, Knee bolster, and Occupant classification.

2016 Toyota Avalon
Photo by aneekr, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

23

Per year

3

Recalls

3

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (4 of 23), then Engine (4) and Electrical system (3). Those filings include 2 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Avalon has 53 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2017 has 14 complaints, 3 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Toyota Avalon. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall air bags, air bag control module 2020-01-17 · NHTSA campaign 20V024000
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.
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.
Recall air bags, knee bolster 2016-12-16 · NHTSA campaign 16V906000
Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Avalon, and 2017 Camry vehicles manufactured August 3, 2016, to September 12, 2016. The front passenger knee air bag module may have been attached to the lower instrument panel with incorrect fasteners.
Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fasteners, and if necessary, replace the instrument panel brace and body bracket and reattach the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 8, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G05.
Recall air bags, sensor, occupant classification 2016-04-14 · NHTSA campaign 16V215000
Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Avalon and Camry vehicles manufactured November 30, 2015 to March 4, 2016. The occupant classification system (OCS) that activates or deactivates the front passenger seat air bag system may have been improperly calibrated. As a result, the front passenger air bag and the front passenger knee air bag may not deploy as intended in certain crash scenarios. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will recalibrate the OCS, free of charge. The recall began by May 13, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G0J.

Complaints by component (23 total)

Air bags
4
Engine
4
Electrical system
3
Structure
3
Lane departure
2
Powertrain
2
Service brakes
2
Speed control
2
Visibility
2
Forward collision avoidance
1
Seat belts
1
Tires
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 5 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

3201632017320185201942020320231202412025
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the sunroof glass shattered. The contact stated that there was no glass inside the vehicle because the sunroof shade was…"
    Visibility · filed 2025-10-03
  • "The manufacturer is no longer producing OEM windshield that comply with the a DAS features which are now in operable because my windshield will not calibrate after replacement because there is not an OEM windshield…"
    Unknown or other, Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2024-03-12
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Avalon equipped with Cooper Tires, Tire Line: CS5 Ultra Touring, Tire Size: 215/55/R17, DOT Number: U93R1CU1820. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front end of…"
    Tires · filed 2023-05-08
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop immediately and made an abnormal sound.…"
    Service brakes · filed 2023-02-10

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Toyota Avalon 4 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2016 Toyota Avalon HYBRID 4 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Avalon 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 21 30 24 MPG $2700
Avalon hybrid 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S6) Front-wheel drive 40 39 40 MPG $1600

Specs and fitment

4th generation (XX40), 2012–2018
Body styles Sedan
Oil 5W-30 (3.5L V6, 2012 only); 0W-20 (3.5L V6, 2013–2018; 2.5L Hybrid, 2013–2018) , 6.4 qt capacity
Tire size 215/60R16 (2012 Base), 215/55R17 (XLE and most trims), 225/45R18 (2016 Limited/Touring)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V-024 covers certain 2012–2018 Avalon and 2013–2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles (along with other Toyota models). During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit may malfunction and may disable deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners; dealers inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness when needed, free of charge. Recall 15V-728 covers certain 2013–2015 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles with the optional Pre-Collision System: the PCS may unexpectedly activate and apply the brakes when the radar detects a steel joint or plate in the roadway as an object, increasing the risk of a crash; dealers replace certain PCS components, free of charge (Toyota campaign numbers F1V and F2E). Recall 14V-715 covers certain 2014 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles equipped with 16-inch and 17-inch rims in which the left-side front suspension lower arm may have been incorrectly manufactured, so the lower arm may separate from the ball joint; dealers replace the left lower arm, free of charge.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Toyota Avalon Next year 2017 Toyota Avalon See every Toyota Avalon model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Toyota Avalon reliable?

Owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Avalon over 11 years — 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Avalon years here — under the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Air bag control module, Knee bolster, and Occupant classification.

What are common problems with a 2016 Toyota Avalon?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (4 of 23), then Engine (4) and Electrical system (3). Those filings include 2 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Toyota Avalon more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Avalon has 53 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2017 has 14 complaints, 3 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

Has the 2016 Toyota Avalon been recalled?

The 2016 Toyota Avalon has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Toyota Avalon?

Owners have filed 23 complaints about the 2016 Toyota Avalon with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Toyota Avalon get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Toyota Avalon is 32 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

When was the Toyota Avalon discontinued in the US?

Toyota ended US Avalon production after the 2022 model year; the fifth-generation car was built in Georgetown, Kentucky through that run.

What generation is a 2016 Toyota Avalon?

4th generation XX40 (2012–2018 in this catalog).

Does the Avalon Hybrid use the same engine oil as the V6?

Both use 0W-20 in the XX40 and XX50 generations, but oil capacity differs: about 4.6 qt with filter on the 2.5L Hybrid versus about 6.4 qt on the 3.5L V6 (XX40); confirm on the dipstick for your engine.