2012 Toyota Tacoma Engine Problems
Owners have filed 122 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2012 Toyota Tacoma, 41% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 60,100 miles. The words owners use most often: “air injection” (58% of reports).
- 122engine complaints
- 60,100median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,650typical repair cost reported by owners
- 29%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air injection: mentioned in 71 of 122 complaints (58%)
- Limp mode: mentioned in 51 of 122 complaints (42%)
- P2440 P2442: mentioned in 33 of 122 complaints (27%)
- Engine trac: mentioned in 28 of 122 complaints (23%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2012 Toyota Tacoma at $2,650, and half of them between $2,350 and $2,700.
Based on 26 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2016–2020), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 116 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 122 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Toyota Tacoma engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tacoma | 3 | 30% | — |
| 2025 Tacoma | 3 | 3% | 19,600 |
| 2024 Tacoma | 6 | 4% | 23,000 |
| 2023 Tacoma | 8 | 15% | 2,000 |
| 2022 Tacoma | 7 | 12% | 26,000 |
| 2021 Tacoma | 12 | 15% | 20 |
| 2020 Tacoma | 14 | 16% | 2,527 |
| 2019 Tacoma | 29 | 13% | 11,000 |
| 2018 Tacoma | 26 | 12% | 14,500 |
| 2017 Tacoma | 36 | 15% | 9,375 |
| 2016 Tacoma | 47 | 15% | 20,000 |
| 2015 Tacoma | 12 | 12% | 12,400 |
| 2014 Tacoma | 6 | 6% | 78,500 |
| 2013 Tacoma | 7 | 6% | 30,000 |
| 2012 Tacoma | 122 | 41% | 60,100 |
| 2011 Tacoma | 3 | 2% | 7,706 |
| 2010 Tacoma | 6 | 2% | 41,750 |
| 2009 Tacoma | 8 | 2% | 45,125 |
| 2008 Tacoma | 8 | 2% | 86,000 |
| 2007 Tacoma | 8 | 1% | 81,000 |
| 2006 Tacoma | 18 | 2% | 102,500 |
| 2005 Tacoma | 18 | 3% | 151,000 |
| 2004 Tacoma | 11 | 3% | 115,000 |
| 2003 Tacoma | 5 | 1% | 200,000 |
| 2002 Tacoma | 3 | 1% | 129,000 |
| 2001 Tacoma | 2 | 1% | 228,296 |
| 2000 Tacoma | 1 | 0% | 220,000 |
| 1999 Tacoma | 1 | 0% | 7,500 |
| 1998 Tacoma | 1 | 0% | — |
| 1997 Tacoma | 1 | 1% | — |
| 1995 Tacoma | 1 | 1% | 200,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2012 Toyota Tacoma. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
June 1st 2021 I went to park in a parking space at a local mall. My truck instead of stopping it accelerated out of control jumped two stone curbs, drove though a fence and landed into a swamp. Call Toyota and they have opened a new case # 210602000065. Police report # 21-374-AC. This isn't the…
I brought truck to toyota dealership as part of rusted frame recall to be verified. They stated truck was not rusted enough underneath for toyota to approve recall. That was a couple of months ago. I have recently brought it to a few mechanics to do some work on a/c as the a/c stopped working and…
My 2012 tacoma warning light 1) engine and 2 trac off warning light came on and lost power going 65 mph on freeway and would not go over 25 mph (dangerous!). Obd-ii scanner displayed error code check p2442 indicating faulty air injection pumps and/or air switching valves. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Toyota Tacomas have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 122 owner complaints about engine for the 2012 Toyota Tacoma (41% of the 295 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Toyota Tacoma engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 60,100 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2012 Toyota Tacoma?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,650 (half paid between $2,350 and $2,700), from 26 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2012 Toyota Tacoma?
The most frequent phrase is “air injection”, in 71 of 122 complaints, followed by “limp mode” (51).
Other 2012 Toyota Tacoma problems
See all 2012 Toyota Tacoma problems or engine problems across all Tacoma years.