The Toyota Camry is a tried-and-tested stalwart from the Japanese carmaker, and it has been quite synonymous with the brand’s reputation of reliability for a long time as well. Yet, it did absorb the issues of modern automobiles i.e facing problems with its reliability. The 2016 Toyota Camry's common problems include airbag issues, steering issues, airbag issues, and powertrain problems as well. The current model of the car has already seen 143 official complaints along with three recalls according to the NHTSA’s records. The previous model had a higher count of complaints but a single recall only. The Camry rivals some popular offerings in its class such as the Hyundai Sonata, the Honda Accord, and the Chevrolet Malibu.
Toyota Camry user complaints and problems
Engine problems
- Oil leak and excessive engine oil consumption: Some complaints are present regarding these issues. One of the owners who faced the engine oil problem also mentioned that the engine leaked oil excessively too. The other complaints mention only the engine oil consumption where the affected vehicles would burn more than a quart of oil every 1,000 miles of driving.
- Sudden lurching from powertrain: Several owners complain about this issue. The reports state that while braking the engine would accelerate for a brief moment and then the rpm would be stuck in an increased state. Due to the brief accelerations, the vehicles lurched forward and resulted in crashes in a few instances.
- Vibrations while driving: A few owners report vibrations while driving. During the incidents, the vehicles started to vibrate while driving at speeds around 30-50 mph.
- Vehicle rolling away: A couple of problems were reported by the affected owners. The reports state that while the vehicles were being parked with the engines running, they rolled away. In one case, the transmission lever shifted to reverse from park mode automatically and ran over the owner.
Safety problems
- Airbag failure: A lot of owners have faced this problem. Almost all the reports mention that the airbags of the affected Camrys failed to deploy completely even though the crashes were serious.
- Brake failure: Apart from the airbag failures, a lot of 2016 Camrys faced brake failures too. The complaints state that while driving, the brakes of the affected vehicles stopped working.
- Steering system failure: Several complaints are present mentioning this issue. A majority of the complaints mention that after starting the vehicles, the faulty steering would make the vehicles pull either to the right or left. In one case, the steering suddenly became too hard to turn the vehicle and resulted in a crash.
2016 Toyota Camry recalls
|
S.No. |
Recall Date |
NHTSA Campaign ID |
Issues noticed |
Additional remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
April 14, 2016 |
16V215000 |
Occupant Classification System/FMVSS 208 |
Airbags that do not deploy as intended during a crash increase the risk of injury. |
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will recalibrate the OCS, free of charge. The recall began on May 13, 2016. |
|
2 |
June 9, 2016 |
16V420000 |
Incorrect Load Carrying Capacity Label/FMVSS 110 |
An incorrect label may lead an owner to overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. |
SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. |
|
3 |
July 20, 2017 |
17V462000 |
Front Drive Shaft may Separate |
A front driveshaft separation would result in a loss of propulsion while driving, and if the driver exits the vehicle without applying the parking brake, the vehicle may roll. Both scenarios can increase the risk of a crash. |
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will check the serial number of the vehicle's driveshaft, replacing any that are affected, free of charge. The recall began on August 11, 2017. |
Should you buy a used Toyota Camry?
The Toyota Camry is a value for money sedan in its class but is more suitable for relaxed and chauffeur-driven individuals. The sedan also doesn’t have a scot-free reliability department for the current model as well as the previous models. But the number of the issues faced by the individuals is considerably low as compared to the selling numbers of the sedan. While going with a used example, make sure to look out for the steering issues and the brake fail issues to ensure hassle-free ownership.
