2016 Toyota Corolla: problems, recalls and what it’s worth
NHTSA has 1 open defect investigation (not a recall). 1 recall campaign to confirm with a dealer. A lot of owner complaints, 30% about airbags.
Ask for the VIN and check it, then get a pre-purchase inspection.
Known problems on the 2016 Toyota Corolla
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 Corolla recalls
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2016 Toyota Corolla. 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.
2016 Toyota Corolla safety investigations and free repairs
Under investigation (not a recall):
- Desiccated air bag inflator rupture since Sep 2021
Ask the seller if the car has had this problem.
Free repairs to ask about (warranty extensions):
- Warranty extension: Dealer Package: Toyota will be sending Safety Recall/Special Service Campaign Follow-Up Notices to owners whose vehicles have not yet had the following Safety Recall/Special Service Campaign repairs completed.
- Warranty extension: Dealer Email: Toyota will be sending Safety Recall/Special Service Campaign Follow-Up Notices to owners whose vehicles have not yet had the following Safety Recall/Special Service Campaign repairs completed.
- Warranty extension: Region Letter: Toyota will be sending Safety Recall/Special Service Campaign Follow-Up Notices to owners whose vehicles have not yet had the following Safety Recall/Special Service Campaign repairs completed.
- Warranty extension: Region Email: Toyota will be sending Safety Recall/Special Service Campaign Follow-Up Notices to owners whose vehicles have not yet had the following Safety Recall/Special Service Campaign repairs completed.
- Transmission: Technical instructions: updated 09-17-18 technical instructions for special service campaign jsd continuously variable transaxle software update certain 2014-2017 toyota corolla certain 2017 toyota corolla im certain 2016 scion im
2 more in the full VIN report.
A dealer for the brand can check these by VIN.
Source: NHTSA, Sep 24, 2026.
2016 Toyota Corolla safety and fuel
From NHTSA’s crash tests and the EPA’s fueleconomy.gov.
What owners complain about
214 complaints filed with NHTSA for this year and model, which is a lot.
Share of complaints that mention each area. One complaint can mention several.
What a 2016 Toyota Corolla is worth
Rough trade-in values — roughly what a dealer would pay — by mileage, from published trade-in guides. Private sales and dealer prices run higher. For the exact car, add its VIN.
| Mileage | Trade-in (rough) |
|---|---|
| 40,000 mi | $10,231 |
| 120,000 mi | $9,306 |
| 160,000 mi | $8,500 |
From new to now
What each Toyota Corolla model year trades in for today at typical mileage.
Typical mileage = 12,000 miles a year; values between two published mileages are estimated in a straight line.
Other Toyota Corolla years
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Printable inspection checklist · Out-the-door price calculator