Toyota4 independent sources
2016 · Sedan
2016 Toyota Corolla Problems, recalls and specs
An E170 Corolla in the middle of its run, with two versions of the same 1.8-litre engine: the standard 2ZR-FE at 132 hp and 128 lb-ft, and the LE Eco's Valvematic 2ZR-FAE at 140 hp and 126 lb-ft - more power and less torque than the engine below it. Most grades use the CVTi-S, but the base L kept a four-speed automatic and a six-speed manual, which is a real difference between two cars wearing the same badge. NHTSA holds 212 complaints and one recall campaign against this model year.
Photo coming
Power132–140 hpTorque126–128 lb-ftEPA comb.32–34 mpg
Against 2015
What changed for 2016
- A Special Edition grade was added, based on the S grade with the CVTi-S.
- Entune moved to version 2.5, adding Siri Eyes Free.
- Connected Navigation through Scout GPS Link became an option on LE, LE Eco and S grades with Entune Audio Plus.
- The engines and transmissions carried over unchanged.
Before you hand over money
Check before you buy
- Check the title status first - clean, salvage, rebuilt, flood or lemon buyback. It is the one thing about a used car that a test drive cannot tell you.
- Look up open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov. One campaign covers this model year, 20V-024, an airbag control module recall that spans 2011-2019 Corollas; dealers close open recalls free.
- Find out which transmission it has before anything else. The L grade was sold with a four-speed automatic or a six-speed manual and every other grade with the CVTi-S, and the listing photo will not tell you.
- If it is an LE Eco, the engine is the Valvematic 2ZR-FAE rather than the 2ZR-FE. It is the higher-output, higher-economy version and it is not interchangeable with the standard engine in a parts search.
Two engines offered that year
Engines
Which engine a listing has is the first thing that changes the answer.
| Engine | Power | Torque | Transmission | Drive | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2ZR-FE1.8L I4 | 132 hp | 128 lb-ft | CVTi-S, or 6-speed manual or 4-speed automatic on the L grade | FWD | 29 city / 37 hwy / 32 combinedFWD |
| 2ZR-FAE1.8L I4 Valvematic | 140 hp | 126 lb-ft | CVTi-S | FWD | 30 city / 40 hwy / 34 combinedFWD |
EPA city / highway / combined, from fueleconomy.gov.
NHTSA public records
Complaints and recalls
Where the complaints land · top 6
AIR BAGS56
STEERING22
POWER TRAIN20
UNKNOWN OR OTHER14
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL14
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM13
All other categories73
A complaint count is not a failure rate. It tracks how many of these were sold and how much attention a problem drew, so a popular car will always show more complaints than a rare one. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, retrieved 2026-08-13.
Documented mechanisms
Known problems
Charging system: battery and alternator
The alternator charges the battery while the engine runs and powers everything electrical. Both are consumable parts with a service life, and on a used car at least one of them has usually been replaced already — or is due.
Air conditioning compressor failure
The compressor is the pump in the air conditioning loop. When it seizes it can send metal debris through the whole system, which turns a component replacement into a system job.
Suspension and steering noise
Bushings, ball joints, link rods and strut mounts are rubber and grease components that wear continuously. They rarely fail suddenly; they get gradually noisier and vaguer, which is why a test drive on a rough road tells you more than one on smooth pavement.
CVT judder, slip and failure
A continuously variable transmission transmits torque through a steel belt or chain running between two variable-diameter pulleys. It depends on a specific fluid and on the clamping pressure between belt and pulley, which makes fluid condition central to its condition.
Clutch and dual-mass flywheel wear
The clutch is a wear item on any manual car. What changes the arithmetic is the dual-mass flywheel fitted to many modern engines: when it is worn it is replaced with the clutch, and it is the more expensive half of the job.
What it is good at
Strengths
Running it
Ownership and maintenance
Drivetrain
FWDFront-wheel drive, and the EPA figures quoted are EPA's front-wheel-drive rows.
Parts
Common — parts and independent shops are easy to findOne of the most widely sold compact cars in the country over this period. Parts are stocked everywhere and any independent shop will have worked on one; the LE Eco's Valvematic head is the only part of the car that needs the right catalogue entry.
Service intervals
Engine oil and filterPer the manufacturer's stated interval
CVT fluidPer the manufacturer's stated intervalApplies to CVTi-S cars. A four-speed automatic or a manual is a different service entirely.
Spark plugsPer the manufacturer's stated interval
Engine and cabin air filtersPer the manufacturer's stated interval, shorter in dusty use
Cost items
Relative bands only. What a job costs depends on your region, the shop and where the parts come from, so a dollar figure written here would be wrong for most readers — and a wrong number costs more trust than a missing one.
HighCVT service or replacementThe replacement case rather than the service one. Fluid condition is central to how a CVT ages.
MediumAir conditioning compressor
MediumClutch replacementManual cars only.
LowBrake and suspension wear items
LowBattery and alternator