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2016 Toyota Camry problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
26%
39 of 151 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2016 Toyota Camry. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 26% of relevant complaints.

Better than 78% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 38 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 21%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2016 Toyota Camry have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 39 of 151 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Camry concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (26%). For comparison, the 2015 scores 27% and the 2017 scores 18%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
39
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
189
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
2
41 crashes · 35 injuries

Complaints by component

UNKNOWN OR OTHER36 · 19%
AIR BAGS31 · 16%
STEERING25 · 13%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL22 · 12%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM21 · 11%
STRUCTURE20 · 11%

The years either side

2010
19%
107 of 613
2011
17%
95 of 623
2012
39%
213 of 644
2013
37%
95 of 301
2014
44%
189 of 480
2015
27%
66 of 271
2016
26%
39 of 189
2017
18%
22 of 148
2018
48%
338 of 744
2019
58%
213 of 395
2020
51%
113 of 274
2021
27%
21 of 157
2022
26%
12 of 61
2023
26%
15 of 64

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2016 Toyota Camry

What one owner reported

AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,ENGINE09/08/2019CRASH1 INJURED
TAKATA RECALL I WAS IN A CAR COLLISION, HIT FROM BEHIND AT A VERY HIGH SPEED AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSING INJURY TO HEAD AS WELL AS MY BACK. CAR COLLISION WAS AUGUST 3, 2019 IN SACRAMENTO. THE VEHICLE WAS IN STATIONARY POSITION WAITING AT A LIGHT. I HAVE A POLICE REPORT, INSURANCE CLAIM FORMS AND ALL OTHER …

One of 39 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2016 Toyota Camry?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2016 Toyota Camry, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

2 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
equipment: other: labels16V420000 · Jun 2016
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…
air bags: sensor: occupant classification16V215000 · Apr 2016
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…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2016 Toyota Camry? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2016 Toyota Camry

Does the 2016 Toyota Camry have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 39 of 151 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Camry concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (26%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2016 Toyota Camry?

No. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2016 Toyota Camry, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Toyota Camry years are better?

Among the Toyota Camry years we track, the 2011 (17%), the 2017 (18%) and the 2010 (19%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2016 (26%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2016 Toyota Camry?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2016 Toyota Camry shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.