2012 Toyota Corolla Problems, Recalls & Reliability
496 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Toyota Corolla, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 25/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 45,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2012 sits among all Corolla years
What owners report
“Takata recall - toyota still has not provided a fix as of today 10-25-17 and this recall was on 1-9-17.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Corolla
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 136 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 38,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 18,000 and 60,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of…
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…
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 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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 20V024.
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 Corolla reliable?
The 2012 Toyota Corolla drew 496 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 25/100, scored against the model's worst year (2009).
What are the most common 2012 Toyota Corolla problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Toyota Corolla are airbags (370 complaints), steering (19), and electrical (16).
At what mileage do 2012 Toyota Corolla problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Toyota Corolla problems around 38,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 18,000 and 60,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Toyota Corolla have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Toyota Corolla. 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.