2012 Toyota Camry: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
643 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
643 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 45.93
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Recall was completed on 11/25/14 for a shudder when hitting 35 to 50. The recall was a software issue and they show that a torque converter may have been needed at a later date to further correct the issue. Looking for Toyota to follow up with a complete recall vs just the software.
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.
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure worsened while merging onto a highway and the vehicle vibrated abnormally while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The contact was…
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 13V014000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module-I | Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model ye… |
| 13V442000 | Electrical System | Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Avalon, Avalon HV, Venza, Camry, and Camry HV vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the drai… |
EPA combined 28 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,200
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (145 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 28/100, computed from 643 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2012 Toyota Camry, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 16/01/2013. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.