Owners have filed 216 complaints
about the 2012 Toyota Tundra with NHTSA between 2012 and 2026.
The largest single group is the engine & cooling.
Across this model's run it ranks 20 of 27 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 31
Against the median year of the Toyota Tundra. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 38
7.4% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 41
24% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
NHTSA files every complaint against a named sub-assembly, not just a
system. This is the difference between knowing it was "the engine" and
knowing which part of it — the list to hand a mechanic.
Body
1152.4%
Speedometer/Odometer
419.0%
Driver Clockspring/Spiral Cassette
14.8%
Transfer Case (4-WHEEL Drive)
14.8%
Fuel Injection System
14.8%
Latch
14.8%
Exhaust System
14.8%
Horn
14.8%
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
1,000 – 9,999 miles
159.3%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
2213.7%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
127.5%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
169.9%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
5836.0%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
2817.4%
150,000+ miles
106.2%
NHTSA crash tests
The agency crash-tested this model year itself. These are its own
photographs and star ratings.
Frontal crash test
Side barrier crash test
Side pole crash test
Photographs taken by NHTSA during its own New Car Assessment Program crash
tests of this model year. Public domain.
Configuration
Overall
Front
Side
Rollover
2012 Toyota Tundra PU/CC 4WD
19.8% risk
2012 Toyota Tundra PU/EC 4WD
19.8% risk
2012 Toyota Tundra PU/RC 4WD
19.8% risk
2012 Toyota Tundra PU/CC 2WD
20.4% risk
2012 Toyota Tundra PU/EC 2WD
20.4% risk
2012 Toyota Tundra PU/RC 2WD
20.4% risk
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Aug 2012peak 11Aug 2026
NHTSA investigations into the 2012 Toyota Tundra
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
EA19001Opened 19 Apr 2019Closed 19 Sep 2024AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW. The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mount...
Recalls on the 2012 Toyota Tundra
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
United States — NHTSA
21E103000
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
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 assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.
Risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
21V920000
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
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.
Risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
13V123000
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
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 Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
13V014000
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
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 Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. 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.
Risk: 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.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 202172355,683 units in Canada
Electrical
Issue: This recall is for certain block heater kits installed on certain vehicles or sold as accessories at Toyota or Lexus dealerships. On certain vehicles, the engine block heater cable may not have enough heat protection and could be damaged by high temperatures. If this happens, the cable could short circuit while plugged in, and cause the wiring to overheat or melt. Note: This recall only affects the following block heater/cord part numbers: C014003034 PK5A408J09 PU14000904 C014003151 PK5A408J13 PU14000905 C014000885 PK5A489J11 PU14000907 C014000888 PK5A489J22 PU14000909 C014000907 PK5A410H00 PU14000911 C014100904 PU14000900 PU14000913 C014100907 PU14000901 PU14003571 C014100911 PU14000902 PK5A489J14 PK5A408J05 PU14000903 Safety Risk: Engine block heater wiring that overheats or melts could create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Toyota recommends that you should stop using the engine block heater immediately. Toyota will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to disable the engine block heater. For some vehicles, the corrective actions for this recall are under development. For others, a new engine block heater cannot be installed, and the owner will receive a refund of the purchase price of the engine block heater.
Recall 20217181,235 units in Canada
Steering
Issue: On certain vehicles, a defect in the steering gear assembly could cause it to leak power steering fluid. If this happens, there could be a loss of power steering assist. Note: For 2007-2020 models, this recall only affects 41 vehicles that had a replacement steering gear installed in 2021. Safety Risk: A loss of power steering assist may result in a sudden increase in steering effort, especially at low speeds. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Toyota will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect, and if necessary, replace power steering gear assembly.
Recall 2013353369 units in Canada
Accessories
On certain vehicles equipped with an optional tonneau cover where the front-most panel can be opened with the vehicle ignition key, the lock cylinder could bind. If the lock cylinder were to bind in the open position, the panel may not remain closed and the tonneau cover assembly could separate from the vehicle while it is being driven. This could potentially result in property damage and pose a hazard to other road users. Correction: Dealers will affect repairs when service parts become available. In the interim, the panel release mechanism will be disabled or the tonneau cover removed, at the owner's choice.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Longview, TXFire
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Product almost set my car on fire, luckily I was stop at a car wash when one the cleaning crew members noticed smoke coming out from under my hood my hood , I opened the hood and the actual light bulb was on fire, it burnt my original hardness of my vehicle and the housing of my head light
NHTSA complaint #11728960 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Copley, OHFire
POWER TRAIN
The engine leaks oil in front of the faulty designed cam tower seal and leaks on the manifold. This caused smoke to come from the oil burning off.
NHTSA complaint #11487908 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Copley, OHFire
ENGINE
The engine leaks oil in front of the faulty designed cam tower seal and leaks on the manifold. This caused smoke to come from the oil burning off.
NHTSA complaint #11487908 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 68,000 milesPetaluma, CACrash5 injured
STEERING
I HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE BREAKS AND STEERING NOT WORKING. I WAS WITH MY 3 CHILDREN IN THE TRUCK.
NHTSA complaint #11165814 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 68,000 milesPetaluma, CACrash5 injured
SERVICE BRAKES
I HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE BREAKS AND STEERING NOT WORKING. I WAS WITH MY 3 CHILDREN IN THE TRUCK.
NHTSA complaint #11165814 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 100,000 milesMarietta, GACrash
SERVICE BRAKES
MY TUNDRA WAS PARKED AND IT STARTED TO ROW DOWN THE ROAD NO BODY INSIDE END IT UP ON NEIGHBORS DRIVE WAY HITTING A TREE TOTAL LOSS I BELIEVE IS BRAKE RELATED ISSUE
NHTSA complaint #10872766 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 149,000. It was later discovered upon checking the vehicle history that the mileage was 378,000.
NHTSA complaint #11758046 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Tundra. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 149,000. The vehicle was a dealer sale. An independent mechanic checked the vehicle history report and discovered a mileage discrepancy. The Carfax report indicated that the mileage was 379,000 in May 2025. The contact reported the odometer fraud to Wisconsin's Department of Transportation - Field Investigation Unit, which informed him that the odometer fraud was outside of their jurisdiction because the vehicle was purchased in Kentucky. The contact stated that the current approximate mileage was 395,000.
NHTSA complaint #11747896 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Longview, TXFire
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Product almost set my car on fire, luckily I was stop at a car wash when one the cleaning crew members noticed smoke coming out from under my hood my hood , I opened the hood and the actual light bulb was on fire, it burnt my original hardness of my vehicle and the housing of my head light
NHTSA complaint #11728960 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 137,355. The contact stated that while inspecting the glove box, the contact found three receipts that showed three different odometer readings. The contact then ordered a Carfax report and discovered that the mileage on the Title on October 4, 2025, was 252,307.
NHTSA complaint #11710493 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 161,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 260,000.
NHTSA complaint #11657369 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wells, MN
SEATS
Temperature Seat switches are not working, fire hazard does to malfunctioning.
NHTSA complaint #11621690 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wells, MN
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Temperature Seat switches are not working, fire hazard does to malfunctioning.
NHTSA complaint #11621690 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 20,000 milesWinchester, OH
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle started leaking fuel, and the contact smelled an abnormal fuel odor. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the fuel leak stopped. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuel tank valve assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 20,000.
NHTSA complaint #11613738 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
New Egypt, NJ
ENGINE
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.
NHTSA complaint #11607293 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
New Egypt, NJ
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
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.
NHTSA complaint #11607293 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Centennial, CO
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The fuel pump failed on my Tundra. Several dashboard check engine lights suddenly lit up to warn me of the issue. While I was able to safely get it to a mechanic to repair the independent Toyota certified mechanic I use shared they have seen a volume of these where the car stops immediately with the Fuel pump failing completely. I was lucky as the day prior to this I was driving through mountain passes on the highway in Colorado. I have since found out from the feedback from my mechanic that they have repaired a volume of these, and it is a known issue by Toyota who issued a technical service bulletin. The fuel pump needs to be replaced with a different specification - the original pump is not sufficient. My concern is putting driver/passenger safety at risk with a complete fuel pump failure while driving. I consider this a near-miss for me, and would worry about others that are about to have this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11571836 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Silverhill, AL
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
ECM safety recall air injection pump failure
NHTSA complaint #11560105 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Alameda, CA
POWER TRAIN
My power steering gear blew its seal on the passenger side losing all power steering fluid and almost making me crash into a car next to me, and Toyota refuses to cover it stating that I hadn't had the steering gear replaced prior to whenever their dates were this is clearly faulty equipment and faulty machine work on the steering gear itself. why won't Toyota cover it? I tried contacting One Toyota and Downtown Toyota here in Oakland California and they told me that they wanted $250 to inspect my vehicle and that I would definitely have to pay for it because my vehicle was not under recall it states it is a recall if you look it up.It is worded recall if they're not going to cover it sounds like they're trying to back out of covering it until someone gets seriously hurt or killed like I almost did, I will never buy another Toyota again as long as I live because clearly they don't care about the faulty equipment on their vehicles that's going to hurt or kill someone. All they care about is the mighty dollar and that's just wrong. Safety has gone rite the window and if anyone reading this is thinking about buying a Toyota, I would seriously think twice.
NHTSA complaint #11534487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Alameda, CA
STEERING
My power steering gear blew its seal on the passenger side losing all power steering fluid and almost making me crash into a car next to me, and Toyota refuses to cover it stating that I hadn't had the steering gear replaced prior to whenever their dates were this is clearly faulty equipment and faulty machine work on the steering gear itself. why won't Toyota cover it? I tried contacting One Toyota and Downtown Toyota here in Oakland California and they told me that they wanted $250 to inspect my vehicle and that I would definitely have to pay for it because my vehicle was not under recall it states it is a recall if you look it up.It is worded recall if they're not going to cover it sounds like they're trying to back out of covering it until someone gets seriously hurt or killed like I almost did, I will never buy another Toyota again as long as I live because clearly they don't care about the faulty equipment on their vehicles that's going to hurt or kill someone. All they care about is the mighty dollar and that's just wrong. Safety has gone rite the window and if anyone reading this is thinking about buying a Toyota, I would seriously think twice.
NHTSA complaint #11534487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Alameda, CA
SUSPENSION
My power steering gear blew its seal on the passenger side losing all power steering fluid and almost making me crash into a car next to me, and Toyota refuses to cover it stating that I hadn't had the steering gear replaced prior to whenever their dates were this is clearly faulty equipment and faulty machine work on the steering gear itself. why won't Toyota cover it? I tried contacting One Toyota and Downtown Toyota here in Oakland California and they told me that they wanted $250 to inspect my vehicle and that I would definitely have to pay for it because my vehicle was not under recall it states it is a recall if you look it up.It is worded recall if they're not going to cover it sounds like they're trying to back out of covering it until someone gets seriously hurt or killed like I almost did, I will never buy another Toyota again as long as I live because clearly they don't care about the faulty equipment on their vehicles that's going to hurt or kill someone. All they care about is the mighty dollar and that's just wrong. Safety has gone rite the window and if anyone reading this is thinking about buying a Toyota, I would seriously think twice.
NHTSA complaint #11534487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lexington, SC
POWER TRAIN
2012 Tundra faced a lot of problems like air injection pump failures, sticking of secondary air pumps, knock, along with other issues like speed control, engine cooling, and throttle failure. At present, it has been slapped with 136 complaints, 4 recalls, and 1 investigation as recorded on NHTSA site.Sep 2, 2022
NHTSA complaint #11529370 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lexington, SC
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
2012 Tundra faced a lot of problems like air injection pump failures, sticking of secondary air pumps, knock, along with other issues like speed control, engine cooling, and throttle failure. At present, it has been slapped with 136 complaints, 4 recalls, and 1 investigation as recorded on NHTSA site.Sep 2, 2022
NHTSA complaint #11529370 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lexington, SC
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2012 Tundra faced a lot of problems like air injection pump failures, sticking of secondary air pumps, knock, along with other issues like speed control, engine cooling, and throttle failure. At present, it has been slapped with 136 complaints, 4 recalls, and 1 investigation as recorded on NHTSA site.Sep 2, 2022
NHTSA complaint #11529370 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 175,000 milesPlainfield, VT
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while plowing his driveway, there was an abnormal burning odor detected. The vehicle suddenly lost power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that oil was needed. The mechanic became aware that oil was dripping through a small crack on the cam shaft on the right cylinder bank onto the exhaust manifold. The contact was informed that the engine wiring harness was burned. The mechanic recommended that the engine and transfer case be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed after an investigation, that there was no evidence of a defect. The claim was denied. There was no additional assistance provided. The approximate failure mileage 175,000.
NHTSA complaint #11522694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 175,000 milesPlainfield, VT
POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while plowing his driveway, there was an abnormal burning odor detected. The vehicle suddenly lost power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that oil was needed. The mechanic became aware that oil was dripping through a small crack on the cam shaft on the right cylinder bank onto the exhaust manifold. The contact was informed that the engine wiring harness was burned. The mechanic recommended that the engine and transfer case be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed after an investigation, that there was no evidence of a defect. The claim was denied. There was no additional assistance provided. The approximate failure mileage 175,000.
NHTSA complaint #11522694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 98,000 milesGrass Valley, CA
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the light stayed illuminated while driving. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent certified mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the secondary air injectors needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that the manufacturer had offered an Extended Warranty Program to cover the failure under "Warranty Enhancement Program ZG6" for "Air Injection Pumps and Air Switching Valves" and that the warranty had expired several months prior. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
NHTSA complaint #11500345 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Benton, KS
WHEELS
My driver's side rear lug studs all broke while driving, causing damage to my when and rear axle of the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11497762 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Benton, KS
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The horn no longer works on the vehicle. I can no longer alert drivers who do not see me while driving or in parking lots. My auto shop confirmed the horn did not work and estimated the repair. There were no warnings.
NHTSA complaint #11497764 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wheeling, IL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Computer software issues. Flex full engine.
NHTSA complaint #11495869 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wheeling, IL
ENGINE
Computer software issues. Flex full engine.
NHTSA complaint #11495869 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
