2012 Toyota Tundra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
215 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Toyota Tundra, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 16/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Engine leads the reports, typically around 81,060 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2012 Toyota Tundra has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2012 sits among all Tundra years
What owners report
“Wife was driving truck and immediately went into limp mode on the highway. Check engine light came on, no accelerating then died. Had to get it towed. This is the 3rd incident with this issue.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Tundra
“Check engine light came on.the code shoes p0418 air injection valve/pump. 76,000 mi on engine. Cruising down interstate lost power. Toyota extended warranty up to 2011 models.known problem”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Tundra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 160 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 79,786 miles. Half of those reports fall between 37,000 and 97,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain JTEKT power steering gear assembly service parts for 2007-2021 Tundra and 2008-2022 Sequoia, part numbers 44250-0C160, 44250-0C131, 44250-0C170, and 11250-0C121. The power steering gear…
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 17, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at…
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.
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…
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…
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…
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.
Technical service bulletins
316 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and body & structure — are on file for the 2012 Toyota Tundra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 Tundra 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 Tundra reliable?
The 2012 Toyota Tundra drew 215 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 16/100, scored against the model's worst year (2000).
What are the most common 2012 Toyota Tundra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Toyota Tundra are engine (60 complaints), fuel system (27), and other (24).
At what mileage do 2012 Toyota Tundra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Toyota Tundra problems around 79,786 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 37,000 and 97,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Toyota Tundra have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Toyota Tundra. 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.