Reliable Auto DB

2012 Toyota Tacoma reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2012 Toyota Tacoma has 295 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 12 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Tacoma years here — under the median of the other years, which is 17. NHTSA has 7 recalls on file, including Hinge, Labels, and Brake control module.

2012 Toyota Tacoma
Photo by IFCAR, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

295

Per year

12

Recalls

7

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (122 of 295), then Fuel and propulsion system (52) and Powertrain (35). Those filings include 16 that report a crash and 6 that report an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Tacoma has 125 complaints, 18 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Toyota Tacoma. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (7)

Recall structure, body, hood, hinge 2017-07-03 · NHTSA campaign 17V425000
Summary Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2011-2016 Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner vehicles equipped with accessory hood scoops installed by SET or SET dealers. The adhesive attaching the hood scoop may weaken, allowing the hood scoop to detach from the vehicle.
Remedy SET will notify owners, and dealers will mechanically fasten the scoop to the hood, free of charge. The recall began on September 1, 2017. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-954-429-2000. SET's number for this recall is SET17B.
Recall Labels 2014-08-04 · NHTSA campaign 14V475000
Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2014 FJ Cruiser and Tacoma vehicles equipped with accessory wheels and tires installed by Toyota or dealers prior to the vehicle's first sale. The affected vehicles may list incorrect spare tire size and/or cold tire inflation information on the tire placard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Remedy For the involved vehicles, overlay stickers to correct the tire placard will either be mailed to owners or provided to dealers for placement over the incorrect information on the placard. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Recall Brake control module 2014-02-12 · NHTSA campaign 14V054000
Summary Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Toyota Tacoma and Lexus RX350 vehicles and certain model year 2012 Toyota Rav4 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the brake system contains a brake actuator that adjusts the fluid pressure of each wheel cylinder. An electrical component within the actuator may experience an increased resistance resulting in the illumination of various warning lights, including those for the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system, Antilock Brake System (ABS), and Traction Control system.
Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and Toyota and Lexus dealers will update the software for the Skid Control electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Recall tires, temporary spare tire 2013-10-17 · NHTSA campaign 13V494000
Summary Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Tacoma vehicles equipped with 18" Maverick Alloy Wheels. In the affected vehicles, the spare tire requires the use of a different style of lug nut to attach it to the vehicle than the other wheels use. These lug nuts were not provided with the vehicle.
Remedy SET will notify owners, and dealers will: (a) Install a Warning Label on the spare tire/wheel, (b) supply a bag containing proper spare wheel lug nuts, and (c) place an Owner's Manual Addendum in the vehicle's glove box. The recall began on January 23, 2014. Owners may contact SET at 1-954-429-2000.
Recall Labels 2013-04-09 · NHTSA campaign 13V123000
Summary Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Remedy Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Recall air bags, frontal, inactive sensor control module 2013-01-16 · NHTSA campaign 13V014000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall Labels 2012-04-10 · NHTSA campaign 12V158000
Summary GULF STATES TOYOTA (GST) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 TACOMA TRUCKS. THE TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION PLACARD ON EACH VEHICLE CONTAINS INACCURATE SPARE TIRE SIZE AND COLD INFLATION PRESSURE INFORMATION. THUS, THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110,”TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS.”
Remedy GST WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND SEND EACH OWNER A CORRECTED PLACARD, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 5, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GULF STATES TOYOTA, INC. AT 1-713-744-3465.

Complaints by component (295 total)

Engine
122
Fuel and propulsion system
52
Powertrain
35
Speed control
22
Service brakes
21
Suspension
21
Electrical system
19
Electronic stability control (ESC)
17
Steering
12
Air bags
9
Structure
9
Wheels
7
Exterior lighting
3
Engine and engine cooling
2
Seat belts
2
Seats
2
Tires
2
Traction control
2
Equipment
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Show 13 more Show less
Crash-flagged

16

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

6

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12011122012920131420141620154720169820173020182620191320201320213202242023120244202542026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Vehicle: 2012 Toyota Tacoma VIN: [XXX] Toyota Special Service Campaign 20TC01 was performed on September 19, 2024, at approximately 103,417 miles. The campaign addressed the secondary air injection system, including the…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-31
  • "- Driver’s seat back recliner mechanism / seatback locking mechanism. During a rear-end interstate collision while stopped in traffic, the driver’s seat suddenly reclined backward unexpectedly. After the accident, the…"
    Seats · filed 2026-01-30
  • "Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Tacoma. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 51,350 and at the time…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-01-22
  • "The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving at 35-40 MPH, coming up on fog, the driver, attempting to slow down, traveled over a slush patch in the roadway, and an approaching vehicle…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-01-14
  • "The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the undercarriage of the vehicle was significantly rusted. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was…"
    Powertrain, Structure, Tires · filed 2025-07-30

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 Toyota Tacoma PU/CC 2WD 4 stars 3 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2012 Toyota Tacoma PU/CC 4WD 4 stars 3 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2012 Toyota Tacoma PU/EC 2WD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2012 Toyota Tacoma PU/EC 4WD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2012 Toyota Tacoma PU/RC 2WD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2012 Toyota Tacoma PU/RC 4WD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Tacoma two-wheel drive 2.7L, 4-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 19 24 21 MPG $3100
Tacoma two-wheel drive 4L, 6-cyl Automatic 5-speed Rear-wheel drive 17 21 19 MPG $3400
Tacoma two-wheel drive 2.7L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Rear-wheel drive 21 25 22 MPG $2950
Tacoma two-wheel drive 4L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 21 18 MPG $3600
Tacoma four-wheel drive 2.7L, 4-cyl Automatic 4-speed Part-time four-wheel drive 18 21 19 MPG $3400
Tacoma four-wheel drive 4L, 6-cyl Automatic 5-speed Part-time four-wheel drive 16 21 18 MPG $3600
Tacoma four-wheel drive 2.7L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Part-time four-wheel drive 18 20 19 MPG $3400
Tacoma four-wheel drive 4L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed Part-time four-wheel drive 15 19 17 MPG $3800

Specs and fitment

2nd generation, 2005–2015
Body styles Regular Cab, Access Cab, Double Cab
Oil 0W-20 (2.7L 4-cyl); 5W-30 (4.0L V6)
Tire size 245/75R16, 265/65R17, 265/70R16 or 265/60R18 (trim-dependent)
Towing capacity 6,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA recall 14V-054 covers certain 2012 and 2013 Tacomas: increased resistance in the brake actuator’s electrical component can illuminate VSC, ABS, and traction-control warnings and leave those systems inoperative, reducing directional control assistance. Toyota dealers update the skid-control ECU software at no charge. Separately, Toyota settled a U.S. class action over frame corrosion on 2005–2010 model years in that generation, agreeing to inspect and repair or replace rust-perforated frames (or buy back affected trucks under the settlement terms).

Compare

Next year 2013 Toyota Tacoma See every Toyota Tacoma model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Toyota Tacoma reliable?

The 2012 Toyota Tacoma has 295 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 12 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Tacoma years here — under the median of the other years, which is 17. NHTSA has 7 recalls on file, including Hinge, Labels, and Brake control module.

What are common problems with a 2012 Toyota Tacoma?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (122 of 295), then Fuel and propulsion system (52) and Powertrain (35). Those filings include 16 that report a crash and 6 that report an injury.

Is the 2012 Toyota Tacoma more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Tacoma has 125 complaints, 18 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Toyota Tacoma been recalled?

The 2012 Toyota Tacoma has 7 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Toyota Tacoma?

Owners have filed 295 complaints about the 2012 Toyota Tacoma with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Toyota Tacoma get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Toyota Tacoma is 19.1 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2020 Toyota Tacoma?

3rd generation (2016-2023).

How much can a Toyota Tacoma tow?

Published maximums vary by generation, cab, engine, and equipment; many recent U.S. specs list up to 6,500 lb when properly equipped.

When did the 4th-generation Tacoma start?

The 2024 model year (4th generation) followed the 2016-2023 3rd generation in the U.S. lineup.