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2016 Toyota Avalon
Buyable, but go in with open eyes: this car has specific known issues to check before money changes hands.
23 owner complaints · 3 recalls · data verified July 15, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why caution?
3 recall campaigns (3 safety-critical). Confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the seller's VIN.
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.
Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.
The math, shown
Full methodology →Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
5/5 overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2016 Toyota Avalon 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 11%
1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file, separate from the recalls above.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2016 Toyota Avalon, plotted where owners report it happening.
Airbags
17%4 complaints
“RECALL OF 1/2020 STILL HAS NO REMEDY FROM MANUFACTURER AND NO ANTICIPATED DATE OF REMEDY AVAILABILITY (NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 20V024).”
Engine
17%4 complaints
“ENGINE HESITATES FOR A FEW SECONDS WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP OR A SLOW SPEED IN CITY TRAFFIC. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS A COMPUTER LEARNING PROCESS AND IT SHOULD GO AWAY.…”
Visibility & wipers
13%3 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“REAR WINDOW IS DISTORTED. THE DISTORTION APPEARS ESPECIALLY ACUTE WHEN HIGHWAY DRIVING. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH AVALONS OVER MORE THAN ONE MODEL YEAR.”
Electrical system
13%3 complaints
“TRAVEL ON THE STREET AND MAY HIT AN OBJECT (COULD BE AN EMPTY TRASH CONTAINER. VEHICLE LEFT THE TRAVEL LANE, GOING UP ON THE SIDEWALK, STUCK 2 GARBAGE CANS AND THROUGH…”
Recalls (3)
Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.
Air Bags · 20V024000
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 disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
Risk: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.
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 the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.
Air Bags · 16V906000
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 panel with incorrect fasteners.
Risk: If the air bag was installed with incorrect fasteners, the fasteners may become loose over time, affecting the air bag deployment and increasing the risk of injury.
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 began on February 8, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G05.
Air Bags · 16V215000
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. 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.
Before you hand over money
Verify the recall work was done
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2016 Toyota AVALON beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2016? See how every Avalon model year scores →
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What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.