Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2012 Toyota Camry: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 644 safety complaints about the 2012 Toyota Camry with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

644
Complaints
2
Recalls
3
Investigations
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 95 crashes, 6 fires, 80 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Power train / transmission leads the complaint list, cited in 146 of 644 complaints, followed by Other / unspecified.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 36 of the 644 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. 3 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2012 Toyota Camry, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 644 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Power train / transmission
146
Other / unspecified
104
Airbags & restraints
92
Body & structure
82
Speed control
73
Brakes & stability
68
Electrical
67
Engine & cooling
66

"Recall was completed on 11/25/14 for a shudder when hitting 35 to 50. The recall was a software issue and they show that a torque converter may have been needed at a later date to further correct the issue. Looking for Toyota to follow up with a complete recall vs just the software."

Owner complaint filed April 2026 · Power Train · NHTSA ODI 11734130

"When I either: i) start the car and drive more than 20 ft OR ii) am at a stop light then accelerate..the car begins to jerk backward. Have changed the gasket and the throttle body and this issue still keeps happening. It started around the 90k Mile mark."

Owner complaint filed June 2025 · Power Train,Engine · NHTSA ODI 11668312

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2012 Toyota Camry over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2012 Toyota Camry
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
4
42
72
98
72
42
50
50
49
36
40
30
26
8
18
7
11121314151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026).

How the 2012 compares with other model years

Across the Toyota Camry model years we track, the 2007 has the most complaints on file (3,614); the 2012 ranks 5 of 8.

Total complaints by model year — Toyota Camry
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
3,614
1,178
1,412
612
621
2012
644
736
393
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 2 recalls

2 recalls apply to some or all 2012 Toyota Camry vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Jan 201313V-014
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 y…

Oct 201313V-442
Electrical System

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Avalon, Avalon HV, Venza, Camry, and Camry HV vehicles. 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 accumu…

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2012 Toyota Camry have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 644 complaints about the 2012 Toyota Camry with NHTSA. The most-reported system is power train / transmission.

How many recalls does the 2012 Toyota Camry have?

The 2012 Toyota Camry has 2 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2012 Toyota Camry safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2012 Toyota Camry an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.