2012 Toyota Tundra Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Tundra years
- About as many complaints as other years 14th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 156 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota Tundra. That ranks 14th out of 28 Tundra model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (57 complaints, 37%), typically at around 81,120 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 2 fires, 5 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 156owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Toyota Tundra 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 | 57 | 37% | 81,120 | “air injection” (49%) | $3,950 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 25 | 16% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 21 | 13% | 87,065 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 19 | 12% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 17 | 11% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 12 | 8% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 11 | 7% | 42,600 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 9 | 6% | 24,809 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 7 | 4% | 79,786 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 4% | 82,030 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 4% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 6 | 4% | 55,800 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 3% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 3% | 90,627 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 2% | 77,023 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 48,465 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 72,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 49,385 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | 16,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Toyota Tundra recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Steering:hydraulic power assist system; steering:rack and pinion
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2008-2022 Sequoia and 2007-2021 Tundra vehicles. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.
Risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 21TB10 and 21TA10.
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.
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.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Tundra. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 128,907. The contact discovered after the dealer provided a Carfax report that the mileage was 381,746. The…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 149,000. It was later discovered upon checking the vehicle history that the…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Tundra. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 149,000. The vehicle was a dealer sale. An independent mechanic checked the vehicle history report and discovered a mileage discrepancy. The Carfax report indicated that the mileage was 379,000…
Product almost set my car on fire, luckily I was stop at a car wash when one the cleaning crew members noticed smoke coming out from under my hood my hood , I opened the hood and the actual light bulb was on fire, it burnt my original hardness of my vehicle and the housing of my head light
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 137,355. The contact stated that while inspecting the glove box, the contact found three receipts…
Other Toyota Tundra years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tundra | 32 | 1 |
| 2025 Tundra | 139 | 5 |
| 2024 Tundra | 345 | 10 |
| 2023 Tundra | 410 | 13 |
| 2022 Tundra | 431 | 13 |
| 2021 Tundra | 24 | 2 |
| 2020 Tundra | 46 | 4 |
| 2019 Tundra | 74 | 9 |
| 2018 Tundra | 100 | 8 |
| 2017 Tundra | 78 | 5 |
| 2016 Tundra | 120 | 5 |
| 2015 Tundra | 51 | 4 |
| 2014 Tundra | 93 | 4 |
| 2013 Tundra | 85 | 5 |
| 2012 | 156 | 3 |
| 2011 Tundra | 134 | 10 |
| 2010 Tundra | 163 | 15 |
| 2009 Tundra | 38 | 12 |
| 2008 Tundra | 327 | 12 |
| 2007 Tundra | 390 | 12 |
| 2006 Tundra | 545 | 10 |
| 2005 Tundra | 377 | 12 |
| 2004 Tundra | 466 | 8 |
| 2003 Tundra | 399 | 7 |
| 2002 Tundra | 482 | 3 |
| 2001 Tundra | 415 | 2 |
| 2000 Tundra | 1,011 | 3 |
| 1999 Tundra | 1 | 0 |
See all Toyota Tundra 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 Tundra?
Owners most often report engine, fuel/propulsion system, power train problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 57 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Toyota Tundra?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Toyota Tundra a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Tundra model years, the 2012 has about as many complaints as a typical year, 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.