2016 Toyota Avalon: problems, recalls and what it’s worth
3 recall campaigns to confirm with a dealer. Few owner complaints for this year.
Ask for the VIN and check it, then get a pre-purchase inspection.
Known problems on the 2016 Toyota Avalon
No generation-wide weak spot is flagged in GarageIntel’s research for this year and model. A specific car can still have its own problems, so get it inspected.
2016 Toyota Avalon recalls
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2016 Toyota Avalon. Repairs are free at a dealer for the brand, and a dealer can confirm by VIN which were already done.
- Airbags
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.
Details 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.
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.
- Airbags
Air bags that do not deploy as intended during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Details 16V215000
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."
Fix: 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.
- Airbags
If the air bag was installed with incorrect fasteners, the fasteners may become loose over time, affecting the air bag deployment and increasing the risk of injury.
Details 16V906000
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.
Fix: 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.
2016 Toyota Avalon safety investigations and free repairs
No open safety investigations.
Free repairs to ask about (warranty extensions):
- Glass: (gst) to inspect and repair certain toyota avalon vehicles equipped with a non-toyota glass break sensor installed by gst which may experience an abnormally high parasitic current draw when the ignition is off.
A dealer for the brand can check these by VIN.
Source: NHTSA, Sep 24, 2026.
2016 Toyota Avalon safety and fuel
From NHTSA’s crash tests and the EPA’s fueleconomy.gov.
What owners complain about
23 complaints filed with NHTSA for this year and model, which is few.
Share of complaints that mention each area. One complaint can mention several.
Other Toyota Avalon years
Printable inspection checklist · Out-the-door price calculator