2012 Toyota Tacoma Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Tacoma years
- More complaints than other years 12th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 7 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 295 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota Tacoma. That ranks 12th out of 32 Tacoma model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (122 complaints, 41%), typically at around 60,100 miles. Complaints mention 16 crashes, 6 injuries. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 295owner complaints
- 7safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 16complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Toyota Tacoma problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 122 | 41% | 60,100 | “air injection” (58%) | $2,650 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 52 | 18% | 58,900 | “secondary air” (63%) | $2,900 |
| Unknown or Other | 43 | 15% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 35 | 12% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 22 | 7% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 21 | 7% | 51,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 21 | 7% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 19 | 6% | 70,650 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 17 | 6% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 12 | 4% | 38,600 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 9 | 3% | 28,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 9 | 3% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 7 | 2% | 48,864 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 1% | 48,122 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 250 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 44,123 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 1% | 60,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 85,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Toyota Tacoma recalls (7)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment; structure:body:hood:hinge and attachments
Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2011-2016 Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner vehicles equipped with accessory hood scoops installed by SET or SET dealers. The adhesive attaching the hood scoop may weaken, allowing the hood scoop to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: If the hood scoop detaches, it may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will mechanically fasten the scoop to the hood, free of charge. The recall began on September 1, 2017. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-954-429-2000. SET's number for this recall is SET17B.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2014 FJ Cruiser and Tacoma vehicles equipped with accessory wheels and tires installed by Toyota or dealers prior to the vehicle's first sale. The affected vehicles may list incorrect spare tire size and/or cold tire inflation information on the tire placard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Risk: If the spare tire is inflated to the incorrect pressure provided on the placard, tire failure may occur while it is being driven on, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: For the involved vehicles, overlay stickers to correct the tire placard will either be mailed to owners or provided to dealers for placement over the incorrect information on the placard. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Electronic stability control (esc); service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Toyota Tacoma and Lexus RX350 vehicles and certain model year 2012 Toyota Rav4 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the brake system contains a brake actuator that adjusts the fluid pressure of each wheel cylinder. An electrical component within the actuator may experience an increased resistance resulting in the illumination of various warning lights, including those for the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system, Antilock Brake System (ABS), and Traction Control system.
Risk: If this occurs, these systems could become inoperative, reducing the directional control assistance, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and Toyota and Lexus dealers will update the software for the Skid Control electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Tires:temporary/emergency spare tire
Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Tacoma vehicles equipped with 18" Maverick Alloy Wheels. In the affected vehicles, the spare tire requires the use of a different style of lug nut to attach it to the vehicle than the other wheels use. These lug nuts were not provided with the vehicle.
Risk: If the spare tire/wheel is installed on the vehicle using the lug nuts from another wheel, damage to the wheel could result and may eventually lead to a loose wheel, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will: (a) Install a Warning Label on the spare tire/wheel, (b) supply a bag containing proper spare wheel lug nuts, and (c) place an Owner's Manual Addendum in the vehicle's glove box. The recall began on January 23, 2014. Owners may contact SET at 1-954-429-2000.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Seats; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Gulf states toyota (gst) is recalling certain model year 2012 tacoma trucks. The tire and loading information placard on each vehicle contains inaccurate spare tire size and cold inflation pressure information. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110,âtire selection and rims.â
Risk: An incorrect placard could lead to improper spare tire use or replacement which could result in a tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gst will notify owners, and send each owner a corrected placard, free of charge. The safety recall began on june 5, 2012. Owners may contact gulf states toyota, inc. At 1-713-744-3465.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Electrical overstress (EA19001) — opened Apr 19, 2019, closed Sep 19, 2024, led to recall 20V024.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Vehicle: 2012 Toyota Tacoma VIN: [XXX] Toyota Special Service Campaign 20TC01 was performed on September 19, 2024, at approximately 103,417 miles. The campaign addressed the secondary air injection system, including the air injection pump and air switching valves. According to Toyota's repair…
- Driverâs seat back recliner mechanism / seatback locking mechanism. During a rear-end interstate collision while stopped in traffic, the driverâs seat suddenly reclined backward unexpectedly. After the accident, the recliner adjustment knob/handle was found detached at the tow yard. The…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Tacoma. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 51,350 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 212,400. The VIN was…
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving at 35-40 MPH, coming up on fog, the driver, attempting to slow down, traveled over a slush patch in the roadway, and an approaching vehicle was in view. She lost control of the vehicle, spun around, and went face-first…
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the undercarriage of the vehicle was significantly rusted. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was repaired under the warranty; however, the failure recurred. The dealer informed…
Other Toyota Tacoma years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tacoma | 10 | 0 |
| 2025 Tacoma | 106 | 5 |
| 2024 Tacoma | 152 | 5 |
| 2023 Tacoma | 54 | 4 |
| 2022 Tacoma | 59 | 3 |
| 2021 Tacoma | 81 | 0 |
| 2020 Tacoma | 90 | 1 |
| 2019 Tacoma | 219 | 4 |
| 2018 Tacoma | 209 | 3 |
| 2017 Tacoma | 242 | 5 |
| 2016 Tacoma | 323 | 4 |
| 2015 Tacoma | 101 | 4 |
| 2014 Tacoma | 93 | 4 |
| 2013 Tacoma | 125 | 6 |
| 2012 | 295 | 7 |
| 2011 Tacoma | 186 | 9 |
| 2010 Tacoma | 294 | 13 |
| 2009 Tacoma | 519 | 13 |
| 2008 Tacoma | 447 | 11 |
| 2007 Tacoma | 541 | 10 |
| 2006 Tacoma | 782 | 11 |
| 2005 Tacoma | 707 | 10 |
| 2004 Tacoma | 414 | 3 |
| 2003 Tacoma | 360 | 3 |
| 2002 Tacoma | 333 | 3 |
| 2001 Tacoma | 396 | 4 |
| 2000 Tacoma | 211 | 0 |
| 1999 Tacoma | 249 | 0 |
| 1998 Tacoma | 300 | 1 |
| 1997 Tacoma | 131 | 0 |
| 1996 Tacoma | 253 | 1 |
| 1995 Tacoma | 177 | 2 |
See all Toyota Tacoma problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Toyota Tacoma?
Owners most often report engine, fuel/propulsion system, unknown or other problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 122 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Toyota Tacoma?
Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Toyota Tacoma a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Tacoma model years, the 2012 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.