2012 Toyota 4Runner Problems, Recalls & Reliability
112 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Toyota 4Runner, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 14/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 60,500 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2012 Toyota 4Runner has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2012 sits among all 4Runner years
What owners report
“Takata recall: it has been one year since the recall, and toyota has not fixed the problem.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 4Runner
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 43 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 45,144 miles. Half of those reports fall between 28,000 and 80,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (8)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, and 2014-2017 Lexus GX460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama,…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019. Owners…
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…
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.…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota 4Runner, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, Yaris, Scion xB, Lexus ES350, GX460, IS-F, IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, and Lexus LFA vehicles originally sold, or ever registered,…
Fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air…
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2015 Toyota 4Runner vehicles manufactured September 3, 2009, to December 1, 2014. The affected vehicles may be equipped with accessory exhaust tips installed by SET or SET dealers…
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will install a re-designed exhaust tip that is smaller in diameter and is more recessed behind the bumper, free of charge. The recall began September 15, 2016.…
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2015 Toyota 4Runner vehicles manufactured March 29, 2010, to July 30, 2015. The affected vehicles may be equipped with accessory exhaust tips installed by SET or SET dealers that…
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will install a re-designed exhaust tip that is smaller in diameter and is more recessed behind the bumper, free of charge. The recall began on September 22, 2015.…
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…
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…
GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 4RUNNER AND SIENNA VEHICLES, EQUIPPED WITH NON-ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT REMOTE ENGINE STARTERS. A MALFUNCTION IN THE AUDIOVOX ELECTRONICS BRAND REMOTE ENGINE STARTER MODULE CAN PREVENT NORMAL COMMUNICATION OF…
Fix: GULF STATES TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REMOTE ENGINE STARTER WITH A NEW ONE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT JUNE 4, 2012. OWNERS MAY…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Model years named: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Technical service bulletins
356 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and electrical — are on file for the 2012 Toyota 4Runner. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 4Runner TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2012 Toyota 4Runner reliable?
The 2012 Toyota 4Runner drew 112 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 14/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2012 Toyota 4Runner problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Toyota 4Runner are airbags (70 complaints), other (8), and brakes & stability (7).
At what mileage do 2012 Toyota 4Runner problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Toyota 4Runner problems around 45,144 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 28,000 and 80,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Toyota 4Runner have recalls?
8 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Toyota 4Runner. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.