Car · Toyota problems

2012 Toyota Camry problems

590 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Toyota Camry. The most reported area is power train (transmission and drive) (24% of them). NHTSA also lists 223 service bulletins and 2 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 65. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 590 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Power train (transmission and drive)142 · 24%
• Other or unknown82 · 14%
• Air bags75 · 13%
• Speed control and throttle67 · 11%
• Engine and engine cooling63 · 11%
• Electrical system62 · 11%
• Body and structure61 · 10%
• Steering58 · 10%

18 smaller areas not shown (198 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 223 repair bulletins from Toyota for the 2012 Toyota Camry. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. T-SB-0055-24 Rev2Received February 11, 2026

   Some 2005 - 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present.

2. T-SB-0035-24 Rev2Received January 9, 2025

   Body and structure

   Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere.

3. T-SB-0038-24 Rev2Received January 9, 2025

   Body and structure

   To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover.

4. T-SB-0039-24 Rev2Received January 9, 2025

   Body and structure

   The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds.

5. T-SB-0062-23 Rev2Received January 9, 2025

   Body and structure

   Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc.

6. T-SB-0103-20 Rev1Received July 23, 2024

   Engine and engine cooling

   Updated non-electric water pump leak inspection and diagnostic tips for some 2008 - 2025 model year Toyota vehicles.

7. T-PANT-2024-004-Received April 15, 2024

   Engine and engine cooling

   This is to advise of various price adjustments that will affect Toyota Genuine Motor Oil and Long Life Coolant, effective March 1, 2024.

8. T-SB-0043-14Received March 4, 2024

   Equipment

   OBSOLETE NOTICE January 22, 2024: This bulletin is now obsolete.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2012 Toyota Camry. Recall repairs are free at a Toyota dealer.

1. 13V014000January 16, 2013

   Air bags

   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...

2. 13V442000October 17, 2013

   Electrical system

   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.

See all 2 recalls for the 2012 Toyota Camry, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Camry will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Power train (transmission and drive) 142 complaints · 24%

• Transmission fluid service$140 to $480
• Transmission solenoid replacement$290 to $1,200
• Torque converter replacement$880 to $2,475
• Clutch replacement (manual transmission)$1,000 to $2,050

Air bags 75 complaints · 13%

• Airbag clockspring replacement$230 to $670
• Airbag / occupant sensor replacement$220 to $750

Speed control and throttle 67 complaints · 11%

• Throttle body cleaning$75 to $180
• Throttle body replacement$290 to $900

Engine and engine cooling 63 complaints · 11%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Check a quote you got

Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

0 of 17 characters

Look up this VIN

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

Get quotes for your Toyota Camry

Tell us the job and your ZIP. Free, takes a minute.

Job

ZIP

WhenAs soon as possibleThis monthJust planning

Your name

Phone

Email

Add a phone, an email, or both.

Anything we should know? (optional) I agree that Fair Price and the car repair shops and lead marketplaces listed on our Partners page, or their agents, may call and email me at the number and email I provided about my request, including by automated technology, even if my number is on a Do Not Call list. Ticking this box is how I give this consent. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms. Get quotes

Fair Price is not a contractor or a repair shop. Who sees your request

2012 Toyota Camry: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2012 Toyota Camry?

Of the 590 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Toyota Camry, 142 (24%) name power train (transmission and drive), and 75 (13%) name air bags. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2012 Toyota Camry reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 84 of the 590 complaints as involving a crash and 6 as involving a fire. They also reported 65 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2012 Toyota Camry have?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2012 Toyota Camry. Recall repairs are free at a Toyota dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 223 repair bulletins for the 2012 Toyota Camry.

More

• 2020 Camry problems
• 2019 Camry problems
• 2018 Camry problems
• 2015 Camry problems
• 2014 Camry problems
• 2013 Camry problems
• 2011 Camry problems
• 2010 Camry problems
• 2012 recalls
• All Toyota recalls
• Toyota problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.