2012 Toyota Corolla: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 445 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 5 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
445
Complaints
5
Recalls
41
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
28
Injuries
88.5
Severity index
Severity index 88.5 - Medium. 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 Corolla ranks 40 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 69% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 370 | 83.1% |
| STEERING | 18 | 4.0% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 16 | 3.6% |
| STRUCTURE | 14 | 3.1% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 13 | 2.9% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 11 | 2.5% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 10 | 2.2% |
| POWER TRAIN | 8 | 1.8% |
The single most-reported system is AIR BAGS, cited in 370 of 445 complaints (83.1%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 15 |
| 2013 | 15 |
| 2014 | 19 |
| 2015 | 13 |
| 2016 | 7 |
| 2017 | 313 |
| 2018 | 14 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 13 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 1 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19V005000 | 09/01/2019 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, and 2014-2017 Lexus GX460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Ge |
| 19V741000 | 17/10/2019 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, |
| 17V006000 | 09/01/2017 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota 4Runner, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, Yaris, Scion xB, Lexus ES350, GX460, IS-F, IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, and Lexus LFA vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California |
| 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 |
| 20V024000 | 17/01/2020 | AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployme |
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.