2012 Toyota Yaris Problems, Recalls & Reliability
47 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Toyota Yaris, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 20/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 84,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2012 Toyota Yaris has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2012 sits among all Yaris years
What owners report
Recalls (5)
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…
On January 9, 2018, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified NHTSA that they are recalling 14,585 model year 2010-2012 Yaris vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag assemblies with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2018. Owners may contact…
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…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Yaris vehicles manufactured August 31, 2011, to February 9, 2015, and sold or registered in Puerto Rico. The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with a roof…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the headliner, free of charge. The recall began on June 22, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012 Yaris vehicles manufactured August 21, 2011, through August 31, 2011. A relay in the Power Steering Control Module of the electronic power steering system could experience a short circuit due to insufficient…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering control module. The recall began on July 31, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
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,…
Technical service bulletins
200 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and electrical — are on file for the 2012 Toyota Yaris. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
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 Yaris reliable?
The 2012 Toyota Yaris drew 47 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 20/100, scored against the model's worst year (2008).
What are the most common 2012 Toyota Yaris problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Toyota Yaris are airbags (18 complaints), wheels & tires (5), and electrical (5).
Does the 2012 Toyota Yaris have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Toyota Yaris. 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.