UsedScore

2016 Toyota Camry: Solid

Owners filed 122 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Camry in its first five years on the road, about 31 for every 100,000 sold: 0.6× the rate of a typical Camry year. That's close to a typical year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the air bags (15% of complaints, median 45,000 miles).

Complaint index
0.6×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Camry year
Rank
3rd of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
122
first five years; 31 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
3
campaigns
7th generation, 2012–2017 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2017 Toyota Camry SE

Photo: 2017 Toyota Camry SE · MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Air bags15% · 18 complaints · median 45,000 miles
  2. Brakes16% · 19 complaints · median 14,000 miles
  3. Speed control14% · 17 complaints · median 11,000 miles
  4. Body and structure10% · 12 complaints · median 26,000 miles
  5. Engine9% · 11 complaints · median 19,000 miles
  6. Steering16% · 19 complaints · median 61,000 miles
  7. Powertrain11% · 13 complaints · median 5,000 miles
  8. Wheels and tires6% · 7 complaints · median 8,000 miles
  9. Seats and belts7% · 9 complaints · median 28,000 miles
  10. Suspension3% · 4 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Air bags

Many owners describe crashes at various speeds where the front, side, or curtain air bags did not deploy, sometimes resulting in injuries. Several mention confusion around a Takata-related recall status, and a few had unrelated warning lights or steering issues before the crash.

Warning signs:
Some owners report warning lights (air bag or seat belt indicators), a passenger air bag status light that changes unexpectedly, or a spiral cable/steering issue before the crash.
What shops did:
A few owners had a dealer diagnose a spiral cable needing replacement or told them Takata recall parts were already addressed, but most report the vehicle was towed, deemed a total loss, or never taken to a dealer for diagnosis.
Mileage:
most between 25,000 and 70,000 miles, among 16 complaints that give it

“Car rolled several times. Wife's neck broken (she lived) admitted to hospital.”

Brakes

Owners describe brakes that feel soft or sink to the floor, sudden loss of stopping power, and warning lights, sometimes leading to collisions. Dealers frequently could not duplicate the problem, leaving some owners uneasy about relying on the brakes.

Warning signs:
Owners report grinding or roaring noises, pedal creeping to the floor, ABS and brake warning lights, and shaking or shimmying when braking.
What shops did:
Dealers often ran diagnostics or road tests and reported finding no problem; a few owners had the ABS actuator, brake pads, rotors, or ABS system replaced.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 30,000 miles, among 19 complaints that give it

“At long stoplights the brake was going to the floor. After having this happen several times the car would actually start moving with the pedal down on the floor”

“When I applied the brakes multiple times, the car would not stop and it continued forward until I rear ended the other car”

Speed control

Owners describe episodes of sudden acceleration or, in other cases, hesitation and stalling while driving or parking, sometimes leading to collisions. Dealers often could not find a cause, though a few replaced parts or found electrical issues.

Warning signs:
Some report engine revving, lurching, jerking, or stalling at low speeds, with brakes sometimes feeling unresponsive; often no warning lights appear.
What shops did:
Dealers frequently could not duplicate the problem or found no fault codes, and some owners report parts like the throttle body or accelerator pedal assembly were replaced or cleaned.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 45,000 miles, among 15 complaints that give it

“The car lurched very hard backwards. The car hit a pole that holds up the covered parking.”

“The vehicle intermittently loses acceleration (begins to decelerate) despite continued pressure on the accelerator pedal.”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (3)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 17V462000July 2017671 vehicles

    Power train: driveline: driveshaft

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Camry Hybrid and Avalon Hybrid vehicles. The front drive shaft may separate.

    Risk: A front driveshaft separation would result in a loss of propulsion while driving, and if the driver exits the vehicle without applying the parking brake, the vehicle may roll. Both scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will check the serial number of the vehicle's drive shaft, replacing any that are affected, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 16V420000June 20164,253 vehicles

    Equipment: other: labels

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Camry and Highlander, 2015-2016 Toyota Tundra, Scion FR-S, and tC vehicles. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

    Risk: An incorrect label may lead an owner to overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 16V215000April 201658,515 vehicles

    Air bags: sensor: occupant classification

    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."

    Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended during a crash increase the risk of injury.

    Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will recalibrate the OCS, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Toyota sent NHTSA 301 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2016 Camry. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • TSB003220 · August 2023TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ?
  • T-SB-0094-21 Rev · November 2022TSB: Some 2005 ?
  • TTT063620 · March 2022TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions
  • Toyota Safety Re · March 2021Toyota Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
  • T-TT-0636-20 Rev · March 2021TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.
  • T-TT-0636-20 · December 2020TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.
  • T-SB-0037-19 · April 2019TSB: Some 2015 ?
  • T-TT-0491-18 · March 2018TT: BRAKE Warning Light Illuminated ?

All 2016 Camry bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2016 Toyota Camry reliable?
Owners filed 122 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Camry in its first five years on the road, about 31 for every 100,000 sold: 0.6× the rate of a typical Camry year. That's close to a typical year. Ratings compare Camry years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2016 Camry problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the air bags (15%), the brakes (16%) and speed control (14%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2016 Toyota Camry been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2016 Toyota Camry, the most recent in July 2017 (power train). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Toyota. The 2016 Toyota Camry on NHTSA.gov · How we rate