YearToAvoid

2012 Toyota Tundra Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

67/100

#6 most-complained of 16 Tundra years

The 2012 Toyota Tundra has a Complaint Index of 67 and ranks 6th worst out of 16 model years, earning a Caution verdict. NHTSA lists 155 complaints, 3 recalls, and 7 crashes, with Engine issues (41% of complaints) the top problem area.

Complaints
155
Recalls
3
Crashes / fires
7 / 2
Injuries / deaths
5 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
15.5
14 city / 18.5 hwy

Top 2012 Toyota Tundra problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine63 (41%)
  2. Fuel System27 (17%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain21 (14%)
  4. Electrical System18 (12%)
  5. Other17 (11%)
  6. Structure & Body16 (10%)
  7. Brakes14 (9%)
  8. Steering12 (8%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires10 (6%)
  10. Airbags9 (6%)

What owners report

  • Owners report sudden, unexpected brake failure or loss of pedal resistance, including a case where a parked truck rolled away on its own.
  • Side-impact airbags reportedly failed to deploy during a severe side crash despite a computer recognizing the impact.
  • Steering wheel shaking and corrosion were reported before a dealer test drive ended in a crash.
  • While towing at 35 mph, a front tire reportedly developed a grinding noise and vibration alongside a traction control warning light, followed by tire failure and a spin.
  • Owners report the vehicle veering off the road into water with door locks failing to release until the alarm deactivated.
  • Engine oil leaks from a cam tower seal reportedly caused smoke from oil burning on the manifold.
  • A check engine light tied to a failed emissions air pump reportedly left the truck undrivable for an extended period.
2012 Toyota Tundra complaints: complaints filed per quarter132012 Q32014 Q32017 Q12018 Q42020 Q32022 Q22024 Q1
209 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2012 Q3 to 2026 Q3; peak 2019 Q2 (13).

2012 Toyota Tundra recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V920000Nov 23, 2021Steering22,462 vehicles

    Steering:rack and pinion

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

  2. NHTSA 13V123000Apr 9, 2013Other7,525 vehicles

    Equipment:other:labels

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

  3. NHTSA 13V014000Jan 16, 2013Structure & Body3,235 vehicles

    Seats

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

2012 Toyota Tundra fuel economy and fuel cost

City
14 MPG
Highway
18.5 MPG
Combined
15.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$4,175
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2012 compared with other Tundra years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Caution731601316
2011Caution601341016
2012Caution67155315.5
2013Good3385515.5
2014Good2793415.5

All Toyota Tundra years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Toyota Tundra reliable?
Compared to other Tundra model years, 2012 carries a Caution verdict with a Complaint Index of 67, ranking 6th worst of 16 years tracked. NHTSA lists 155 complaints and 3 recalls for this year.
What is the top problem area for the 2012 Tundra?
Engine complaints make up 41% of all reported issues (63 of 155 complaints), with a median failure mileage of 78,000 for the model year overall.
Does the 2012 Tundra have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 3 recalls tied to the 2012 Tundra, covering steering gear assembly, an incorrect label issue, and occupant detection sensor recalibration. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2012 Tundra compare to nearby model years?
The 2012 Tundra's Complaint Index of 67 is higher than 2011 (60) and 2013 (33), and much higher than 2015 and 2017, which both earned Best verdicts with indexes of 0 and 13.
What mileage do 2012 Tundra problems typically show up at?
NHTSA's median mileage at failure for the 2012 Tundra is 78,000 miles, with Engine complaints at 81,000 miles and Structure & Body complaints as early as 37,000 miles.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.