2016 Toyota Camry: Common Problems, Recalls and Vehicle Data

What the public data shows

Wait — that framing is exactly what this site avoids. Looking at the actual data for the 2016 Camry, the two recalls sit in different systems entirely: one covers air bags (16V215000), the other covers equipment (16V420000), a mislabeling issue tied to load capacity. With just two campaigns split across two unrelated systems, this isn't a cluster pointing to one component — it's a narrow, scattered record rather than a deep one in either area. There are no repeat-repair campaigns here, meaning no recall was issued to correct a prior recall that didn't take. There's also no open investigation logged for this model year in the public record. The complaint record itself is fairly spread out. The largest single grouping, "other," accounts for 63 of 185 complaints (34 percent), a catch-all category that doesn't point to one part or system. Airbag-related complaints follow at 27 (15 percent), and steering at 25 (14 percent), with electrical and drivetrain complaints tied at 18 each. Toyota's service bulletins for this model year show a heavier concentration on equipment, at 53 of 284 bulletins, with structure- and electrical-related bulletins also represented. Bulletins are guidance to dealers on how to address a symptom, not recalls, and they don't establish that a defect exists. Taken together, nothing in this year's public record points to a single dominant issue. That absence doesn't mean the car is free of problems — it means no one system stands out disproportionately in complaints, recalls, or bulletins for 2016. Complaint counts also reflect how often owners chose to report an issue, not how many vehicles were affected.

187 complaints on file with NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, grouped into CarTold's broad component categories.

Most frequently reported, by the specific component NHTSA logged each complaint under (not CarTold's category groupings above):

• AIR BAGS — 21 complaints (11%)
• UNKNOWN OR OTHER — 20 complaints (11%)
• STEERING — 16 complaints (9%)
• STRUCTURE — 12 complaints (6%)
• POWER TRAIN — 11 complaints (6%)
• VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — 8 complaints (4%)

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."

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

Remedy: SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

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."

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

Remedy: 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.

NHTSA crash-tests each body-style/drivetrain configuration separately, so ratings can differ by variant — shown as tested, not averaged. See how the 5-star ratings work, including why an overall score isn't the average of the three category scores.