2012 Toyota Camry
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 644 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 9th highest complaint count among 25 Camry model years with reports.
Of the 2012 reports, 95 involved a crash and 6 involved a fire. 80 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Electrical systemOct 17, 2013
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 accumulated water may then leak through a seam in the housing onto the air bag control module potentially resulting in a short circuit of the module.
A short circuit may cause the air bags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airbag can increase the risk of injury in a severe crash. The power steering assist could also become inoperable resulting in increased steering effort and can increase the risk of a crash at low speeds.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing and install a protective cover on the airbag control module, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Campaign 13V442000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontal, sensor/control module-inactiveJan 16, 2013
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.
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.
Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Campaign 13V014000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: other or unspecified
88 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Seats, Other or unspecified, Feb 23, 2026
I am noticing there is some wiggling and play with the driver’s seat. Every time I hop inside the car, I feel the seat wiggle back a little bit. I notice some movement back and forth when accelerating and braking and it is starting to get very annoying whenever I drive.
Other or unspecified, Feb 19, 2026
The "incident" is not a fault or flaw of my car in any way, but rather is caused by the auto industry's general shift to LED/HID headlights. In my opinion, they make driving unsafe for external observers because they are too bright and create a lot of glare, so that keeping my eyes focused and perceptive of features I need to see in the road directly ahead of me is becoming increasingly difficult, and therefore, by definition, more unsafe. Technology must be improved so that headlights can alter spectral output according to background illumination (dimmer means cooler,) and light output should have finer, adaptive directional control so that more light gets to objects in front that need to be illuminated, and less to oncoming drivers whose visual contrast range may be overwhelmed. I'm [XXX] , and I have the beginnings of cataracts. Older, halogen-based headlights don't interfere much with my vision, but modern headlights do, and quite badly so. This has to improve! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Jan 28, 2025
Unknown
Other or unspecified, Nov 9, 2024, crash
On October 22, I drove my daughter to her high school that is about 6 miles away from my house and dropped her off around 6:50 AM. On my way back, after driving around 2 miles, I was turning around a bend about 25 miles per hour when my car suddenly started accelerating. Startled, I stepped on the brake immediately, but the brake was not working to my surprise. I stepped a second time, and then a third time to no avail. In the meantime, the car was surging forward into the darkness at a higher and higher speed. I panicked; I remember uttering,” oh, my God, Oh, my God” a couple of times and then don’t remember what happened. According to the sheriff’s car crash report, the car veered off the road to the left, glanced off a tree and continued in a straight line and crashed into an electricity pole at about 65 mph and stopped. Obviously, I was in a state of shock and woken up by someone asking me repeatedly, “Are you okay?”. I was dazed. When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by blinking lights from an ambulance. I just sat there bewildered. The window next to me was utterly broken. My left leg was folded. I felt it with my palm and realized that it was broken. I felt my right leg and it was okay. I was asked if I could pull my self out of the car through the passenger’s side door, but I couldn’t move my left leg. So, I gave my back to first responders, and they dragged me out of the car and laid me on the tarmac. Two people held me by my legs and two others by my shoulders and picked me up to a stretcher of an ambulance. My t – shirt and pants were cut up and removed, and I was wrapped by blanket, and taken to the back of the ambulance. Preliminary checking suggested my left leg was indeed fractured, therefore, was wrapped carefully, and I was taken to an emergency room. X-ray of my leg and CT scan of my head and chest showed that my left leg had serious fractures. Surgery to stabilize the fractures was performed. And a second surgery will be performed in two days.
Other or unspecified, Feb 17, 2024
Transmission is shuddering skipping. Causing the car to shake. Happens during acceleration.
Other or unspecified, Dec 26, 2023
I got the shudder from the description online that affects the transmission upon accelerating. . It's from a ecm software recall? When placing the transmission in park, it rolls forward some. I have had this car for a couple yrs. Put only 30, 000 on it. it just reached 100,000. Bought it at 69, 000 miles. Will be taking the car in the Toyota shop friday. When I purchased the vehicle; there was no recalls as stated!
Power train, Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 3, 2023
Car surging while going at low speeds turning to the right x 2. Stepped on brake and car would not steer either direction.
Other or unspecified, Sep 27, 2023
When accelerating transmission is hesitated to almost car dies. When pulling out into traffic cars almost run over you due to this or go to take off at red lights when you accelerate it hesitates then takes off.
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Jul 21, 2023, crash
I WAS GOING TO PARK MY CAR SO I WAS SLOWING HEADING TOWARD THE PARKING SPOT. I SLOWED DOWN AND TRIED TO PARK MY CAR; HOWEVER, AS I WAS STEPPING ON THE BRAKE, MY CAR SUDDENLY ACCELARATED ON ITS OWN AND JUMPED THE CURB. MY CAR HIT THE BUILDING BREAKING SEVERAL WINDOWS. I AM CONVINCED THAT THIS ACCIDENT WAS A CASE OF SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELARATION DUE TO THE MALFUNCTION OF MY CAR.
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Jul 11, 2023
N/a
Other or unspecified, Jul 10, 2023
Transmisión problem when acelerate my car
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, May 18, 2023
There was a recall on this Camry model 2012 to 2014 that the Charlotte, NC dealership refused to cover. I am having a transmission issue that causes my car to shudder and vibrate at regular speeds. “shudder comes from the transmission, especially during the acceleration of the Camry models. It can be alarming for the driver and be a safety concern when the gears do not properly change during operation. When this problem persists over a significant period of time, it has the poetry to cause long-term damage to your transmission. Damage to your transmission can be costly and affect the overall performance of your Toyota…” -Toyota of west county website
Other or unspecified, May 10, 2023
HIGH FUMES INSIDE OF CAR HAD ME DAIZED OUT. I STRUGGLED TO KEEP MY EYES OPEN AND NOT BE SLEEPY. I DROVE WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN. FAKE LEATHER.
Other or unspecified, Mar 19, 2023
Gear shift from park to reverse is hard. Also, my wife has always complained about a smell coming from the engine, that when she’s inside my vehicle she gets a headache.
Other or unspecified, Mar 18, 2022
Since I purchased the vehicle I have been smelling a weird smell as if the AC unit is leaking. It has been brought in to Toyota multiple times and they could not find the issue, but I still smell it.
Other or unspecified, Mar 3, 2022
Car started “studdering” or “vibrating” at 20 mph then 40mph then 50-60mph. Every time the automatic car would shift gears it studdered very bad. Like it wasnt goin to excelerate. I am a single mom. Trying to work and go to college to support my children. The car needs fixed very badly. I am afraid it is goin to cause me to wreck. I have contacted toyota and they will not honor the recall. The car has a recall on the torque converter( i took it to a toyota dealer) that is causing the problem. I am still driving the car. It is all i have.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Feb 26, 2022
My car has a problem shifting into first gear and is jerking so bad I was driving and it actually was going super slow and going and secure and I almost got hit from behind it is stuttering and hesitating going into the lower gears it also keeps showing the traction light off and on and when it's on it causes It 2 sway a lot
Other or unspecified, Oct 4, 2021, crash
navegation system send me to wrong way and off route route. Toyota descontinued the updadte for the map and provide no remedy for these concern. Case # 2010910001822
Other or unspecified, Jul 29, 2021
There is an accumulation of water underneath the seat of the back side where rear seated passengers would place their feet.
Other or unspecified, Jul 1, 2021
I learned after purchasing a 2012 Toyota Camry that there was a problem with the Torque Converter. The owner who sold me the car would not acknowledge the problem. Toyota had a recall on the car torque converter but I learned from Toyota it has expired. I was sold this car from U Drive Motors in HIckory, NC on June 10, 2021. I paid $11,000 for the car and the torque converter estimate that I got from Toyota is $1800. When I go down the street there is a shuddering sound and the car hesitates which is a safety hazard if a car is behind me. Since the owner of U-Drive will not take care of the problem would you please ask Toyota to assist. I am a cancer survivor and on a fixed income. The warranty company MVP would not take care of the problem because there was a pre-existing condition and they said the owner of U-Drive knew of the problem prior to selling me the car. I appreciate any assistance you can provide me with contacting Toyota to obtain assistance. Also, Toyota of Hickory, NC recommended a torque converter and a transmission specialist.
Other or unspecified, Apr 10, 2021
THE SUNROOF GLASS SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH ON A 4-LANE OPEN HIGHWAY. RURAL SETTING IN IOWA. DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE PASSING UNDER AN OVERPASS. WAS NOT FOLLOWING CLOSELY BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE. SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION. OUTSIDE CONDITIONS WERE LIGHT RAIN, 10-15 MPH WIND, ABOUT 55 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT (SO NO EXTREME CONDITIONS). FORTUNATELY THE INSIDE SHADE WAS PULLED SHUT, OTHERWISE SHATTERED GLASS WOULD HAVE COME INSIDE THE CAR. FROM THE TOP OF THE CAR THE WINDOW APPEARS THAT IT WAS BLOWN OUT FROM THE INSIDE BECAUSE THE CONNECTED SHARDS OF GLASS POINT SLIGHTLY UPWARD.
Power train, Wheels, Other or unspecified, Mar 20, 2021
2012 CAMTY SHAKES WHEN ACCELERATING AROUND 20-50 MPH.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Mar 14, 2021
WHEN DRIVING THE HESITATING TO ACCELERATE AND SLOW DOWN. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ADVANTAGE TOYOTA I'M VALLEY STREAM NY AND THE TOLD ME THE ENGINE MOUNT IS BROKEN. I PAID 890.00 TO FIXED AND THE PROBLEM NEVER FIX. I TOOK ON 03-12-21 AND GET ON 0313-21. CALL THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT SIX TIME TO SPEAK TO THE SERVICE MANGER AND NEVER RETURN OR ANSWER THE CALL. THEY TOLD ME HE IS BUY.
Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 30, 2020
WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES ON THE HIGHWAY OR THE CITY, IT GETS ABOUT 15.4 MPG INSTEAD OF ~30MPG. I HAVE USED 87 OCTANE GANE FROM DIFFERENT STATION STILL YIELDING THE SAME RESULT. THE AUTOREPAIR SHOP HAS CHECKED FOR EVERYTHING THAT COULD AFFECT GAS MILEAGE, BUT THERE IS NO PROBLEM, WHAT IS GOING ON? I BOUGHT TOYOTA FOR RELIABILITY AND FUEL EFFICIENCY, NOT TO BEHAVE LIKE A TRUCK.
Other or unspecified, Sep 8, 2020
FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, MY CAR VIBRATES FOR NO REASON, WHETHER I AM DRIVING SLOW (40-50 MPH) OR FASTER. RECENTLY, THE ISSUE IS GETTING WORSE.