2012 Toyota Camry: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 643 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 2 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
643
Complaints
2
Recalls
95
Crash reports
6
Fire reports
80
Injuries
164.2
Severity index
Severity index 164.2 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Toyota Camry ranks 6 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 95% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 145 | 22.6% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 88 | 13.7% |
| AIR BAGS | 83 | 12.9% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 73 | 11.4% |
| STRUCTURE | 68 | 10.6% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 67 | 10.4% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 66 | 10.3% |
| STEERING | 65 | 10.1% |
The single most-reported system is POWER TRAIN, cited in 145 of 643 complaints (22.6%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 42 |
| 2013 | 72 |
| 2014 | 98 |
| 2015 | 72 |
| 2016 | 42 |
| 2017 | 50 |
| 2018 | 50 |
| 2019 | 49 |
| 2020 | 36 |
| 2021 | 40 |
| 2022 | 30 |
| 2023 | 26 |
| 2024 | 8 |
| 2025 | 18 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 6 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13V014000 | 16/01/2013 | 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 ye |
| 13V442000 | 17/10/2013 | 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 uni |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.