Reliable Auto DB

2016 Toyota Corolla reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2016 Toyota Corolla has 214 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 29 per year. That is about even with the other Corolla years here. Their median is 27 complaints per year. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Air bag control module.

2014 Toyota Corolla S
Photo by A. Bailey, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Complaints

214

Per year

29

Recalls

1

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (65 of 214), then Service brakes (29) and Seat belts (26). Those filings include 66 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 43 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Corolla has 219 complaints, 29 per year, and the 2017 has 189 complaints, 29 per year. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as 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 Corolla. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

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.

Complaints by component (214 total)

Air bags
65
Service brakes
29
Seat belts
26
Powertrain
22
Speed control
22
Steering
22
Structure
15
Electrical system
14
Engine
13
Suspension
11
Exterior lighting
10
Fuel and propulsion system
8
Tires
8
Seats
7
Visibility and wipers
6
Wheels
5
Electronic stability control (ESC)
4
Visibility
2
Show 10 more Show less
Crash-flagged

66

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

43

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201526201634201727201832201948202012202152022620231020247202562026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Unknown or other, Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-09-11
  • "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…"
    Tires · filed 2026-08-26
  • "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,…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-07-14
  • "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 —…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-06-26
  • "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!!!!"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-05-20

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Toyota Corolla 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 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
Corolla 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S7) Front-wheel drive 28 36 31 MPG $2100
Corolla 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 29 37 32 MPG $2050
Corolla 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic 4-speed Front-wheel drive 27 35 30 MPG $2150
Corolla 1.8L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 28 36 31 MPG $2100
Corolla LE Eco 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 30 40 34 MPG $1900
Corolla LE Eco 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 30 38 33 MPG $1950

Specs and fitment

11th generation, 2014–2019
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 , 4.4 qt capacity
Tire size 195/65R15 (L/LE Eco), 205/55R16 (LE/XLE/S), 215/45R17 (SE/XSE)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V-024 covers certain 2011-2019 Toyota Corolla vehicles, along with other Toyota and Lexus models: during certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit may malfunction, possibly disabling deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners. Recall 20V-012 covers certain 2018-2019 Toyota Corolla vehicles, and Toyota later expanded that campaign to include certain 2018 Corolla vehicles, because the low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. Recall 13V-505 covers certain model year 2014 Corolla vehicles: the windshield wiper switch assembly may short circuit, which can make the wipers inoperative. Dealers replace the wiper switch, the fuel pump, or install the air bag ECU noise filter as applicable under each campaign.

Compare

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

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Toyota Corolla reliable?

The 2016 Toyota Corolla has 214 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 29 per year. That is about even with the other Corolla years here. Their median is 27 complaints per year. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Air bag control module.

What are common problems with a 2016 Toyota Corolla?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (65 of 214), then Service brakes (29) and Seat belts (26). Those filings include 66 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 43 that report an injury.

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

The 2015 Corolla has 219 complaints, 29 per year, and the 2017 has 189 complaints, 29 per year. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

Has the 2016 Toyota Corolla been recalled?

The 2016 Toyota Corolla has 1 recall 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 Corolla?

Owners have filed 214 complaints about the 2016 Toyota Corolla with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Toyota Corolla get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Toyota Corolla is 31.8 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2018 Toyota Corolla?

11th generation (2014-2019 in the US).

What oil does a Toyota Corolla use?

Recent US Corolla generations specify 0W-20; capacity is typically about 4.4 qt with filter on the 1.8L, but always check the owner manual for your engine.

Does the Toyota Corolla come as a hatchback?

In the US, the Corolla Hatchback joined the sedan starting with the 12th generation (2020 model year onward); earlier US Corollas were sedan only.