2012 Toyota Camry Problems
What owners have reported about the 2012 Toyota Camry, which problems come up most, at what mileage, and which recalls to check.
From NHTSA owner complaints and recalls. Updated Oct 17, 2026.
Is the 2012 Toyota Camry a good year?
It's about average for this model. Owners have filed 590 complaints with NHTSA, the 6th most of 17 Camry model years. The most reported problems involve the transmission, airbags and acceleration and speed control.
590 complaints 2 recalls 6th worst of 17 Camry years
Top 2012 Toyota Camry problems
Transmission problems
142 complaints (24%) name the transmission, most often the torque converter and automatic transmission.
Airbag problems
75 complaints (13%) name the airbags.
Acceleration problems
67 complaints (11%) name the acceleration and speed control, most often the accelerator pedal.
Engine problems
63 complaints (11%) name the engine, most often the crank / camshaft position sensor and engine control module (ECU / ECM).
Which parts fail most
Share of complaints that name each system. One complaint can name several.
Mileage when it failed
Each dot is a complaint that gave a mileage (413 of 590). The amber line is the middle value, about 44,000 miles.
When problems were reported
Complaints by the year the problem happened.
2012 Toyota Camry recalls
Air conditioner
In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning condenser may become clogged causing water to accumulate at the bottom of the air conditioning condenser unit housing. The accumulated water may then leak through a seam in the housing onto the air bag control module potentially resulting in a short circuit of the module. A short circuit may cause the air bags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airbag can increase the risk of injury in a severe crash. The power steering assist could also become inoperable resulting in increased steering effort and can increase the risk of a crash at low speeds.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing and install a protective cover on the airbag control module, free of charge.
Recall 13V442000 · Oct 2013Sensor / control module-inactive
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. 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.
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary.
Recall 13V014000 · Jan 2013Get an email when your 2012 Toyota Camry gets a new recall
We check NHTSA every month. If a new recall or safety investigation covers the 2012 Toyota Camry, you'll hear about it the same week.
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Camry years to avoid
Total NHTSA complaints by model year. Newer years have had less time on the road, so their totals will keep climbing. See the full comparison.
2012 Toyota Camry problems by system
Common questions
Is the 2012 Toyota Camry a reliable year?
It's about average for this model. Owners have filed 590 complaints with NHTSA, the 6th most of 17 Camry model years. The most reported problems involve the transmission, airbags and acceleration and speed control.
What are the most common 2012 Toyota Camry problems?
Owners most often report problems with the transmission, airbags, acceleration and speed control and engine. 142 complaints (24%) name the transmission, most often the torque converter and automatic transmission.
At what mileage do 2012 Toyota Camry transmission problems start?
Reported mileage ranged widely, but most complaints fell between about 50,000–112,000 miles, with a middle value near 84,000 miles.
How many recalls does the 2012 Toyota Camry have?
2. Air conditioner (13V442000); Sensor / control module-inactive (13V014000). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if the work was done.
Should I buy a used 2012 Toyota Camry?
Ask for service records covering the transmission, confirm the recall work was done, and compare with the 2024, 2022 and 2023 models, which have the fewest complaints.
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls databases. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Counts include each complaint once per model year.