2016 Toyota Yaris problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Structure:body (2) · Vehicle Speed Control (1) · Electrical System (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Yaris model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (2)
Air Bags:side/Window 2019-04-23 · campaign 19V319000 · 43,221 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Yaris vehicles. The wire harnesses for the side air bag sensors located within the front doors may crack and corrode, possibly causing the non-deployment or improper deployment of the front seat side air bags and the curtain shield air bags.
Risk: In the event of a crash, front seat side air bags and curtain shield air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wire harness assembly in the front doors, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is K1F/K0F.
Equipment:other:labels 2016-04-22 · campaign 16V236000 · 94 vehicles
Defect: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars.
Risk: An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.
Service bulletins (159)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-01-07 · T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2005 – 2026 toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. the purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures
Electrical System 2025-06-13 · T-SB-0058-23 Rev1 · Service Campaign
the air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. the procedures outlined in this service bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. if these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof,
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
to prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. the purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer.
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. if these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfa
Structure:body 2024-12-05 · T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
toyota vehicles are currently protected with rapgardtm protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. this material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. follow the removal procedure in this bulletin to remove the rapgardtm protective film wi
Showing the 6 most recent of 159 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2021-09-08 · Vehicle Speed Control“my acelerator pedal is so small and i had almost an accident because during a trip my foot got stuck underneat the pedal, i was able to remove at time but it was hard to change to the brakes cause it took like a second to remove my foot, also sometimes i need to speed faster to change a lane to avoid a sudden stop and my foot just jump from the ped…”
2019-06-19 · Structure:body · 70,000 mi · 💥 crash“was in a car accident in december of 2018 and air bags didn't deploy. went to the dealership and they said they couldn't help. entire sensor of the front were torn off and still didn't deploy. my sister was seriously injured. she was driving and crashed at 35mph on a city streer and crash into a stop light and sign because someone took a red on her…”
2018-09-09 · Structure:body · 32,000 mi“i drove from richmond ca to los angeles round trip. on my return trip, i heard a loud sound and when i saw my passenger's side mirror, it looked like my rear bumper was going to fall. the bumper was flapping vigorously. soon after, my passenger's side was doing the same thing. i still had 100 miles to go on my trip. the rear bumper seems poorly des…”
2018-09-03 · Electrical System · 36,500 mi“the voltage regulator has gone out and my yaris has less than 37,000 miles.…”
2016-10-03 · Air Bags · 10,000 mi · 💥 crash“tl* the contact owned a 2016 toyota yaris. the contact stated that after becoming dizzy and attempting to pull over at 55 mph, the contact lost control of the vehicle. as a result, the contact crashed into a ditch. the air bags failed to deploy. a police report was filed. the contact sustained a cracked sternum that required medical attention. the …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.