2012 Toyota Tacoma Fuel/propulsion System Problems
Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about fuel/propulsion system problems on the 2012 Toyota Tacoma, 18% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 58,900 miles. The words owners use most often: “secondary air” (63% of reports).
- 52fuel/propulsion system complaints
- 58,900median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,900typical repair cost reported by owners
- 30%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.
- Secondary air: mentioned in 33 of 52 complaints (63%)
- Limp mode: mentioned in 17 of 52 complaints (33%)
- Trac off: mentioned in 15 of 52 complaints (29%)
- P2440 P2442: mentioned in 9 of 52 complaints (17%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical fuel/propulsion system repair on the 2012 Toyota Tacoma at $2,900, and half of them between $2,700 and $3,250.
Based on 7 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2016–2026), 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 fuel/propulsion system problems happen?
Based on 47 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 52 complaints, 1 mention a crash.
Toyota Tacoma fuel/propulsion system complaints by model year
| Model year | Fuel/propulsion System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tacoma | 1 | 10% | — |
| 2025 Tacoma | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2024 Tacoma | 4 | 3% | — |
| 2023 Tacoma | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2022 Tacoma | 6 | 10% | — |
| 2021 Tacoma | 6 | 7% | — |
| 2020 Tacoma | 21 | 23% | 3,569 |
| 2019 Tacoma | 55 | 25% | 9,000 |
| 2018 Tacoma | 42 | 20% | 24,000 |
| 2017 Tacoma | 23 | 10% | 19,500 |
| 2016 Tacoma | 14 | 4% | 21,000 |
| 2015 Tacoma | 5 | 5% | 17,000 |
| 2014 Tacoma | 3 | 3% | 41,500 |
| 2013 Tacoma | 6 | 5% | 63,500 |
| 2012 Tacoma | 52 | 18% | 58,900 |
| 2011 Tacoma | 3 | 2% | 39,000 |
| 2010 Tacoma | 5 | 2% | 52,583 |
| 2009 Tacoma | 3 | 1% | 108,000 |
| 2008 Tacoma | 11 | 2% | 140,000 |
| 2007 Tacoma | 6 | 1% | 137,000 |
| 2006 Tacoma | 5 | 1% | 65,000 |
| 2005 Tacoma | 5 | 1% | 140,500 |
| 2004 Tacoma | 15 | 4% | 117,500 |
| 2003 Tacoma | 8 | 2% | 108,000 |
| 2002 Tacoma | 1 | 0% | 94,107 |
| 2001 Tacoma | 2 | 1% | 120,000 |
| 1999 Tacoma | 1 | 0% | — |
| 1996 Tacoma | 2 | 1% | 105,622 |
| 1995 Tacoma | 1 | 1% | 181,652 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists fuel/propulsion system 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.
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…
The check engine light on the dashboard of my 2012 Tacoma turned on and will no longer accelerate appropriately and especially while driving uphill, posing a danger to myself and other drivers. I was on a two-lane highway with a cliffside drop on one side and a wall of steep rock on the other and…
My truck lost drivability while I was going 60 I ran into a ditch to stop. It hads two codes . I took it in they replaced my rack n pinion. Check engine light came on . Mechanic said he could not work on it anymore because of the rust. To much corrosion he would be risking liability for other parts…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Toyota Tacomas have fuel/propulsion system problems?
No. NHTSA has 52 owner complaints about fuel/propulsion system for the 2012 Toyota Tacoma (18% 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 fuel/propulsion system?
No recall currently lists fuel/propulsion system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do fuel/propulsion system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 58,900 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix fuel/propulsion system problems on the 2012 Toyota Tacoma?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,900 (half paid between $2,700 and $3,250), from 7 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about fuel/propulsion system problems on the 2012 Toyota Tacoma?
The most frequent phrase is “secondary air”, in 33 of 52 complaints, followed by “limp mode” (17).
Other 2012 Toyota Tacoma problems
- Engine problems (122)
See all 2012 Toyota Tacoma problems or fuel/propulsion system problems across all Tacoma years.