The 2016 Toyota Camry is about as safe and reliable as a used midsize gets, holding a Top Safety Pick+ award with the IIHS, and a perfect five-star rating with the NHTSA. But some models may also come with a miscalibrated airbag sensor or testy steering wheel that could randomly veer left or right.
Key Points
- The 2016 Toyota Camry is one of the most dependable used midsizes on the road today, with just three recalls, zero investigations, and 142 complaints on file with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- A miscalibrated airbag sensor has been the 2016 Camry’s biggest issue, leading to a major recall and several complaints.
- There have been a few reported incidents of steering veering aggressively left or right while in traffic or at a stop.
- Sudden acceleration and deceleration have been reported in a small number of units.
- Annual repair costs average just $365, or a dollar a day.
Miscalibrated Occupant Classification Module May See Airbags Failing to Deploy When Needed
The 2016 Toyota Camry’s most concerning recall was issued in 2016 for faulty airbags. The problem is the car’s occupant classification system was likely to malfunction, owing to improper calibration.
The occupant classification system is there to determine if someone is sitting in a seat, and how much they weigh. So, for instance, if the seat is empty, the airbag doesn’t go off. If the unit is improperly calibrated, you may have the airbags going off when they shouldn’t, or failing to go off when they should.
Thankfully, the fix didn’t involve whole replacements. It was a simple matter of recalibrating the sensors.
This might not have been the end of the problem, however. Airbag complaints have continued to roll in, with the most recent being in January 2022 from a driver who reports that his airbags failed to deploy in a 45 mph head-on collision with another vehicle.
Steering May Veer Aggressively Left or Right in a Handful of Units
The NHTSA currently has 20 complaints on file for steering issues, making this the most reported single problem following airbag complaints at 23.
One driver reports that her steering had “too much play” in it, despite having barely crossed the first 25,500 miles. Another driver reports loud noises when turning.
The most common complaint has the car veering left and right, seemingly at random. One driver reports that if they leave their wheels turned the slightest bit left or right when parking, the car will pull aggressively in that direction when they turn the car back on.
A few drivers report that the dealer told them the issue had to do with a bad battery cell in the power steering system.
But, with no investigation, no recalls, and too few complaints to pull any significant data from, there’s no telling if this is the root cause for more than just a few of these reports.
The Camry sold nearly 400,000 units in 2016, so we can at least say that this problem is rare, coming out to roughly one affected unit per 20,000 sold.
So the good news is that, while there may be no fix in place, your chances of being affected by issues with the power steering are pretty slim.
Sudden, Jerky Acceleration and Deceleration are Big Problems With the Transmission and Engine
A 2020 complaint reports that the car’s acceleration is erratic, and the vehicle may stall when turning, only to suddenly accelerate a second later.
Another 2020 complaint states that the car may lose acceleration at random, requiring some pedal-tapping to get it moving again.
And when it does pick up speed, it’s usually very jerky and sudden. A diagnostics scan turned up nothing.
Read through the 19 vehicle speed control complaints and you’ll see some variation on this report over and over again: The car doesn’t accelerate or decelerate as expected, often jerking and sputtering rather than gradually speeding up.
As with the steering issues, there are no investigations on the matter and there have been no recalls. But, rate of incidence is so low that you’re unlikely to ever have to deal with this issue.
2016 Toyota Camry’s Worst Issues are Rare, and Repair Costs are Low
With just 142 complaints on file and only three recalls, the 2016 Toyota Camry has considerably fewer-than-average issues.
As the vehicle edges towards its first decade on the road, issues may become more common. But, presently, with few of these cars having hit their first 100,000 miles, it’s hard to find anything to complain about.
The vehicle holds a Top Safety Pick+ award with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and a perfect five-star crash test rating with the NHTSA.
In short, it’s simply one of the best used midsize cars on the road today if you’re looking for a reliable daily-driver.
Photos: Toyota
