What 182 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Camry

The METAL trunk torsion bar broke with no warning or symptoms while I was sitting in my vehicle with the trunk closed. While it sounds minimal, it caused such a deafening sound I initially thought there had been an explosion in the rear of my vehicle. This occurred a few minutes after I removed an item from the trunk and closed the trunk. I was sitting in the driver's seat with the car running about to back up when the explosive sound occurred. If the trunk had still been open, the risk of significant injury and death would have been quite high given the explosive sound made when it broke and slammed the interior of the trunk. If it had hit my head, chest or an artery with that level of force, it likely would have caused death in my opinion. There were ZERO warnings. My trunk worked fine, no symptoms of any kind that it was about to fail and that is what makes this so dangerous. This is a part that never should have failed. It should last the lifetime of the car. The largest part of the broken torsion bar IS available for inspection. The smaller piece that broke off and became a potentially lethal projectile must be somewhere behind the paneling, but I have not been able to find it. I can make my car available if an inspector would like to search for the missing piece. I have received a quote from the dealer for replacement, so it has been inspected. Components that failed in the trunk: 64531-06500 Hinge Torsion Bar Right Hand 64127-06110 Torsion Bar Bracket/Hardware Kit. Rear Spoiler/Hardware Kit Note- There is also a 64532-06500 Hinge Torsion Bar Left Hand that could possibly fail in the same way.

NHTSA ODI 11742939

Paint delamination. It's a known issue. Toyota extended warranty to cover but the local dealership who sold the car is no help. First noticed the paint pealing a few months ago. Started small now increasing significantly.

NHTSA ODI 11741520

My daughter accidentally rear ended someone in her Toyota Camry. The damage to the front end was severe enough that the car has been totaled but the air bags did not deploy.

NHTSA ODI 11736791

Airbags did not deploy after an accident that resulted in the hood crumpling. Car was at a complete stop when hit from behind at approximately 45mph, resulting in the car being pushed forward into the back of another vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11730079

WAS GLIDING INTO MY GARAGE FOOT WAS ON BRAKE, (SO NO SPEED AT ALL) WHEN I HEARD A SUDDEN ENGINE ROAR AND CAR PICKED UP SPEED AND WAS PROPELLING ME TOWARD THE BACK WALL OF THE GARAGE. I IMMEDIATELY JAMMED ON MY BRAKE BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP BEFORE HITTING RACKS AND WALL AT THE BACK OF MY GARAGE. THIS ACCELERATION OF THE CAR RESULTED IN PROPERTY DAMAGE TO CAR AND AND PROPERTY.

NHTSA ODI 11719007

The driver door began to rattle when the door was closed or when driving down the road. I took it to my Toyota dealer and when they removed the door panel they found the intrusion bar's weld had failed. They confirmed it was a safety issue and referred me to their body shop. The body shop informed they are not allowed to reweld the bar and the only fix is to replace the door. This car has never been in an accident so my only conclusion is that when the car was manufactured the weld was improperly performed. I cannot afford to replace this door and I'm left to drive a car with no intrusion bar to protect me in an accident. I find this very concerning and this should not be something I should have to repair. In conclusion I believe this is Toyota manufacturing issue and they should be responsible for replacing this door which is endangering my safety as an owner and consumer. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI 11701598

The radio touchscreen does not work and the buttons on the steering wheel do not function as well. I am unable to touch the screen and the radio changes stations abruptly without me touching it. I am unable to listen to music or change the radio to Bluetooth to listen to my music on my phone.

NHTSA ODI 11697852

Malfunction of connections to radio system. All buttons surrounding radio, including radio control buttons on steering wheel, do not function. The screen still turns on and displays the typical home screen but the screen does not function either leaving the radio system stuck on the home screen. Again , none of the buttons and/or screen functions work connected to the radio. The clock time is still displayed and will change but it is the wrong time but once again, cannot be changed because the functions surrounding the radio do not work.

NHTSA ODI 11689375

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the seat belts of the driver’s and passenger’s side rear seats failed to retract, causing concerns for the contact. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the seat belt retractors were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 132,393.

NHTSA ODI 11687577

Car accident, got hit from the front and back. Car is totaled from the accident, airbags failed to deploy

NHTSA ODI 11685815

The engine quit running whenever the headlights, turn signals, or wipers were turned on. This was obviously a serious safety problem when driving! It began intermittently on 6/30/25, but it became a consistent problem by 7/7/25, so I took the car to the closest Toyota Dealership for evaluation. I can provide their service report to you if requested. It took them 6 hours and $1000 to diagnose the problem as bad electrical grounding points (high resistance), which were only revealed after they removed the front bumper. In my opinion, it is an unsafe design to have poor grounding for headlights cause the engine to die.

NHTSA ODI 11672467

the engine pull broke. the mechanics told me it’s a common issue with toyota so why is there not a recall. it causes the car to stall and today it would not go forward. this is safety issue if it happens while i’m driving

NHTSA ODI 11663277

I have a 2016 Toyota Camry LE and I'm having problems with the shaft and that is dangerous. I see that other Camry's are having the same problem as my car is. I think this problem need to be reported as a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11661231

Radio stopped working

NHTSA ODI 11642759

Subject: Investigation Request: Excessive Oil Consumption in 2012-2017 Toyota 2.5L Engines To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to request an investigation into a critical defect with Toyota’s 2.5L 4-cylinder engines in 2012-2017 vehicles, including my 2016 Toyota Camry SE. Despite regular maintenance and timely oil changes, my vehicle began consuming oil excessively around 120,000 miles, leading to significant safety risks. The problem began with sluggish acceleration and grinding noises, both hazardous in city traffic. After hearing grinding noises, I checked the oil level, and the dipstick was completely dry, despite still having 3,000 miles until my next scheduled oil change. The engine was consuming one quart of oil per week under normal driving conditions. Despite multiple visits to Toyota-certified dealerships, the issue was overlooked or minimized. Eventually, a dealership diagnosed worn piston rings, but by 130,000 miles, my engine had completely failed. I’m thankful [XXX] that my engine never quit while I was driving at highway speeds or in city traffic, as it could have been a serious accident. This issue is well-documented among owners of 2015-2017 Toyota Camrys and other models equipped with the same engine, even when vehicles are properly maintained. This defect not only threatens engine reliability but also endangers drivers by causing performance failures, such as grinding noises, sluggish acceleration, and unexpected power loss. Toyota has issued recalls for similar engine defects in other vehicles but has failed to address this issue for the 2.5L 4-cylinder engines in the 2012-2017 models. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this widespread issue and hold Toyota accountable for ensuring the safety and reliability of these vehicles. Many drivers, including myself, are at risk without proper action. Thank you for addressing this pressing matter. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11625944

While loading groceries in my trunk, the torsion bar sheared off and broke (the hook part). It fell hard on my shoulder (fortunately not my neck or head). I have never seen steel actually break rather than bend. I tried to fix it but could not. Trunk is heavy and unstable (falls easily), as is part of car in back. Went to Toyota dealer and found out no recall, and "iffy" fix. They wanted $488.50 to try and fix. My body shop estimated $164. and purchased correct Toyota parts, followed their instructions. The bars only held for a few minutes, then they failed to hold up the trunk again. I was almost injured again with this failure, but managed to catch it in time. They refunded me $100. since they said there was no more "play" to work with. Went on social media only to find that many Toyota Camry 2016 and 2015s had torsion bar failures, with no recall. Some said that they spent over $1000. trying to fix it, but never could, no matter what dealership or body shop repaired it. Others gave up and sold it. It is not something that I can "live with". the trunk is heavy to life and unstable. Have to hold it while trying to put things in trunk. I have had 6 Toyotas in my life and 3 cars with Auto Nation, but have never had the lack of integrity, follow-through and non-solutions that I have experienced with the purchase of this car. Unlike others, I can't afford to sell/replace my car at this time, and can't live with it as is. I truly love my car, but do not feel safe using it and am totally frustrated. All I want is for Toyota and/or its mfr.) to own up to the design flaw and either fix or replace it. Note: I have photos of broken part, failure, and estimates, but couldn't get them to download onto your form. (It just kept deleting the form and having me start over). Please advise if I can send another way.

NHTSA ODI 11620897

The car is beige and peeling everywhere. I know there is a recall for paint for white and Blizzard, but its doing the same for the beige color. I would like it repainted.

NHTSA ODI 11615008

Radio screen failure.

NHTSA ODI 11610910

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, during sunny or rainy weather conditions, the rearview camera image was not working as intended. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the contact was advised that the failure may be related with a faulty light bulb; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,300. The VIN was not provided.

NHTSA ODI 11594779

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that upon coming to a complete stop, the "Check Charging System," message was displayed and the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11592728

Hit a dog on the highway at 66 mph on the passenger front and all of the airbags deployed except the one on the passenger side front. Driver is fine, the poor dog did not make it. Now the car is a total loss.

NHTSA ODI 11591331

Malfunction of connections to radio system. All buttons surrounding radio, including radio control buttons on steering wheel, do not function. The screen still turns on and displays the typical homescreen but the screen does not function either leaving the radio system stuck on the home screen. Again , none of the buttons and/or screen functions work connected to the radio. The clock time is still displayed and will change but it is the wrong time but once again, cannot be changed because the functions surrounding the radio do not work.

NHTSA ODI 11589144

Vehicle- 2016 Toyota Camry As I was making a slight turn on the highway, my steering wheel began to sparatically veering left and right, which resulted in me hitting a curb, not once but twice. Due to the heavy impact and harsh involuntary, out of control steering the airbag should have deployed. However, it failed to do so. Instead, only the "airbag light" came on my dashboard along with warning lights that had not been there prior to accident.

NHTSA ODI 11576277

Erratic steering issue related to weak car battery. I have a 2016 Toyota Camry XLE. The car began pulling to the left then to the right while driving down a straight and even road. The car would then resume normal steering for a minute or two, then the erratic steering behavior would resume for several minutes. In addition, the steering wheel would not return to center after making left or right turns. This steering issue would begin 1 - 5 minutes from the start of a trip a continue throughout the journey. This issue has been reported by many other Camry owners in several online automotive related repair sites with each person describing these same steering issues. They stated that the problem was resolved when they replaced their car battery. I decided to replace my 4-year-old True Start battery with a new DieHard Platinum battery from Advance Auto Parts and had them install it a week ago. Since then, the steering issue has not returned, and I consider this issue resolved.

NHTSA ODI 11574845

I was on the highway during traffic hour going approximately 40 mph at 2 rpm and when I tried to accelerate to keep up with the flow of traffic, the car did not accelerate and actually slowed down and suddenly shifted down below 1 rpm which caused the oncoming cars behind me to hit their brakes hard. After it slowed down and did not accelerate, even though I pressed the gas pedal further, it suddenly shifted to 3.5 rpm and bolted forward towards the vehicle slowing down in front of me causing me to slam the brakes. It felt as if there was a disconnect between the transmission and the engine. Nothing popped up on the dashboard. This continued twice more before I pulled over and restarted the car to see if would help and it sort of did for about 10 miles before occurring once more before I reached my destination, so I pulled over and checked it on my OM126p and it showed no faults in the system. I then took it to the mechanic the next day and the car was fine the mechanic cleared the vehicle and said it was probably due to a clogged fuel filter and I have an appointment with them in hopes of fixing this problem. Now I’ve read into the problem and it seems to be a recurring problem and there’s been countless situations like mine in which the safety of both I and others on the road have been put at great risk. Please look into the problem on the off chance it isn’t a problem with filters. Please look after the safety of everybody on the road. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI 11573267