2016 Toyota Avalon Problems, Recalls & Reliability
33 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Toyota Avalon, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 10/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2016 Toyota Avalon has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2016 sits among all Avalon years
What owners report
Recalls (3)
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 20V024.
Technical service bulletins
266 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and electrical — are on file for the 2016 Toyota Avalon. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2016 Avalon TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2016 Toyota Avalon reliable?
The 2016 Toyota Avalon drew 33 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 10/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 2016 Toyota Avalon problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 Toyota Avalon are other (5 complaints), engine (4), and airbags (4).
Does the 2016 Toyota Avalon have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 Toyota Avalon. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.