2016 Toyota Yaris

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
32–33 mpgcombined; city 30, highway 35–36; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$9,840–$10,150U.S. average; Ohio $8,790–$9,070 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
4 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
2over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
5filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Yaris. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air bags2203
Service brakes2102
Structure2102
Electrical system1000
Vehicle speed control1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 2007296
  2. 2008247
  3. 2009103
  4. 201090
  5. 201125
  6. 201235
  7. 20139
  8. 20143
  9. 201515
  10. 20165
  11. 201731
  12. 201812
  13. 201926
  14. 202010

Every Yaris year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2016 Yaris over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Air bags: side/window; Electrical system: wiring

NHTSA campaign 19V319000 · reported Apr 23, 2019 · 43,221 vehicles potentially affected

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.

Remedy: 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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Equipment: other; Tires

NHTSA campaign 16V236000 · reported Apr 22, 2016 · 94 vehicles potentially affected

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.

Remedy: 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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 159 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2016 Yaris, the latest on Jan 7, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: equipment (80), structure (37), electrical system (34), engine (9), equipment adaptive/mobility (8).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2016 Yaris.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

EPA class: compact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 8 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Yaris
Front-Wheel Drive		1.5 L, 4 cylManual 5-spdRegular Gasoline30 / 36 / 33
Yaris
Front-Wheel Drive		1.5 L, 4 cylAutomatic 4-spdRegular Gasoline30 / 35 / 32

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data