The 2016 Toyota Corolla offers good resale value and great safety ratings per the NHTSA and IIHS. However, frequent complaints and a recall regarding faulty airbags, bad brakes, and dangerous steering issues have been reported.
Key Points
- Despite a perfect five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the 2016 Toyota Corolla has reported safety risks echoed in the model’s single recall, two investigations, and nearly 200 consumer complaints, which all address malfunctioning airbags that may not deploy in a crash.
- The most commonly reported problems by 2016 Corolla owners cover malfunctioning airbags, failing brakes, unreliable seat belts, and unintended acceleration/deceleration.
- Of the 2016 Toyota Corolla’s over 180 NHTSA complaints, almost one-sixth are related to brake problems.
- Drivers reveal in enthusiast forums like Toyota Nation a common problem with the power steering randomly going out while driving, making it difficult to control the vehicle and leading to reported accidents.
- Despite its recalls and complaints, there are a lot of factors working in the 2016 Toyota Corolla’s favor, including good resale value according to Kelley Blue Book, and strong safety ratings by reputable safety advocacy agencies.
Multiple Airbag-related Problems Hurt the 2016 Corolla’s Otherwise Good Safety Ratings, Triggering a Single Recall
When you consider that the 2016 Toyota Corolla has been on the road for about seven years, the vehicle’s single recall, two investigations, and less than 200 owner complaints registered with the NHTSA are not that alarming in number. But its small number of problems are big safety concerns.
The 2016 model’s unreliable airbags and seatbelts are the top concern. These are mentioned frequently in the vehicle’s recall, investigations, and consumer complaints, which all address defective airbags.
Four years after the 2016 Toyota Corolla debuted, the NHTSA launched the model’s one and only recall, over airbags and seat belts that may not function properly in an accident.
During certain crashes, the airbag’s control unit may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the airbags and/or seat belt pretensioners, which could fail to restrain occupants.
Nearly 200 Owners of 2016 Corollas Register Complaints Over Failing Brakes, Faulty Airbags, and Unintended Acceleration
In addition to reporting issues with malfunctioning airbags and unreliable seat belts, the most commonly reported problems by 2016 Corolla owners also cover failing brakes and unintended acceleration/deceleration.
Of the 2016 Toyota Corolla’s over 180 complaints reported to the NHTSA, almost one-sixth relate to brake problems. Some owners say that when they depress the brake pedal, the brakes begin vibrating and making a grinding noise. Other owners report the incident escalating to delayed stopping and even complete brake failure, sometimes resulting in accidents.
Unintended acceleration or deceleration is another frequently-addressed problem in owner complaints registered with the NHTSA.
“On several occasions, while driving various speeds with the accelerator pedal depressed, the engine revved but the vehicle failed to accelerate in a timely manner,” notes one 2016 Corolla owner.
“I had eased in my parking space and all of a sudden my car started to accelerate and lunge forward, hitting a parked car,” adds another owner. “I did put my foot on the brake, but it didn’t help.”
Power Steering Problems are a Common Issue Reported to the NHTSA and in Auto Enthusiast Forums
Owners of the 2016 Toyota Corolla have headed over to enthusiast forums and the NHTSA website to voice concerns over power steering difficulties, which are also prevalent and worth mentioning.
Drivers report experiencing issues where the steering wheel feels like it’s stiff or locked up, making it difficult to control the vehicle. The problem is usually preceded by a warning light illuminating on the dashboard.
“While attempting to make a left turn at five mph, the steering wheel locked as an unknown warning light illuminated on the instrument panel,” reports one owner to the NHTSA.
“I was coming out of an alley to get onto the main road when the steering wheel froze, locked up, or jammed to the right,” adds another owner. “I quickly stepped on the brake and then had to restart the engine to gain control of the car. It could be fatal if there’s oncoming traffic.”
A 2016 Corolla owner recounts a similar experience on Car Complaints, reporting that when attempting to change lanes at highway speeds, the steering wheel locked up and his vehicle crashed, with the driver sustaining injuries. He also noted that the airbag did not deploy.
Auto enthusiast forums like Toyota Nation confirm the steering problems, with owners lamenting experiencing intermittent steering warning lights with loss of power steering.
Good Resale Value and Strong Safety Ratings are Pros for the 2016 Toyota Corolla, but They May Not Outweigh the Cons of Owner Experiences
There are a lot of factors working in the 2016 Toyota Corolla’s favor, including good resale value according to Kelley Blue Book, and strong safety ratings by reputable safety advocacy agencies are all favorable. However, owner experiences appear to tell a different story.
Frequent complaints of airbag failure and other safety-related problems with the brakes and steering make the 2016 Toyota Corolla a questionable purchase.
But when you consider that the 2016 Toyota Corolla has been on the road for about seven years, its single recall, two investigations, and less than 200 owner complaints are not that alarming in number, making it one of the model’s better years with fewer problems.
Plus, the car has a perfect five-star safety rating from the NHTSA and a mostly good overall safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Photos: Toyota
