2012 Toyota Camry Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 80,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

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.Owner complaint, filed 2026

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…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 90,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 36,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owned a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed uphill during flooding conditions, the vehicle slipped and hydroplaned. The contact attempted to correct the steering but lost control of the vehicle, causing the vehicle to drive into a ditch and flip over several times before coming to…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 255,000 miles

I recently was a passenger in my vehicle during a motor vehicle crash, and the air bags did not deployed for the driver or the passenger.Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 30,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

Accelerating from a stop the vehicle will sometimes move about 10 feet and then hesitate for about 1 to 2 seconds. It will then accelerate normally. The intermittent hesitation could be dangerous.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 76,000 miles

The car will randomly stop accelerating when depressing the gas pedal. You can then lift up and press back down and it normally will respond again. This is very dangerous in traffic.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 67,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 22,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (44).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door handle was fractured, and she was unable to access the vehicle through the driver’s side door. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the driver’s side door handle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 10,000 miles

I have big car accident on 1/30/2019. It happened on freeway 22east in orange county southern california. My car is between the 3rd and 5th car. It was total loss but the air bag wasn't deploy.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 80,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 48,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

My engine jumps when I accelerate so I looked on google if there were any recalls and it said there were so i called the Toyota dealership and they said there were no recalls on my vehicle.Owner complaint, filed 2025

My 2012 Toyota Camry has started shutting off If I do a hard stop or quick stop by pressing on the breaks. My car will be on, in drive and completely turn off. The lights on the dashboard will all flash on then it turns off. I will have to quickly put the car in park, take the key out then put the key back in and turn the car on for it…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 55,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Two issues involving fuses at approximately 135,000 miles. The fuse for my backup camera has not worked since I bought the car at 130,000 miles. There is no light for this. I have tried any at home remedies to no avail. This could pose to be an issue as I cannot see if a small child is behind my car. A couple of months later (around…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale from AJ Sales & Services in Houston, TX. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 101,375. It was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 245,980. Upon further…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 245,980 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 28,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owned a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while her [XXX] daughter was driving at 35 MPH during traffic, the vehicle suddenly accelerated while attempting to depress the brake pedal. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's daughter kept on depressing the brake pedal but the vehicle continued…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 130,000 miles

Brake, ABS, Traction control lights came on at the same time. Toyota replaced the brake light switch. The light still came on they said it is the brake actuator. The vehicle had 148-152k miles on it at the time. The brake actuator repair is really expensive and other Toyota Camry (non hybrid) have reported the same issue online forums.Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 33,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

The nut on the steering column (steering column damper) seems to be defective. It is a metal nut with green plastic insert. Over time and milage the green plastic breaks apart causing a steering vibration and loud noise. This part is in a range of Toyota Camry's in the early and mid 2012 - newer range. The replacement part from Toyota…Owner complaint, filed 2026

I own a 2012 Camry LE with about 70,000 miles which is in excellent condition and well-maintained. Recently I began to hear a rattle, tapping or knocking sound apparently from somewhere in the left engine or cabin area. I feel confident its sources is possibly a steering column issue. You sort of feel it whenever you have some rough road…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 14,000 miles. Parts named most: Sun / moon roof assembly (9).

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was driving down the freeway going home from work at 9:30PM at night and all of the sudden, there was a loud pop from above my head when driving. It sounded like it came from the roof of my vehicle. When I pulled over, there was a big hole in the glass of the sun roof and the glass was completely shattered. Because of the way the glass…Owner complaint, filed 2021

The contact owns a 2012 toyota camry. While the contact's vehicle was approaching a traffic light and depressing the brake pedal, it was rear ended by another vehicle. The contact stated that the other driver informed him that the brake lights were not illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. There were no warning indicators…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 95,119 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 32,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

I bought this car used from a dealership. within 4 days and less than 40 driving miles on the first cold morning (42°f) the 6 speed automatic transmission slipped. the engine revved as i was backing out of my carport then in less than 50 yards i went to pull up on the street. again the engine revved and car was barely moving. it did…Owner complaint, filed 2021

I took delivery of this 2012 Camry SE on Friday 12-17-21. I have about 75 miles on it since purchase. It was cold here this morning (12-21-21) as I pulled out of my driveway at 9 am. I went up to the street to make a left turn. As I entered the intersection- the transmission slipped- the engine revved to about 3000 RPM and the car was…Owner complaint, filed 2021

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 45,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

I am reporting a potential safety defect involving the driver seat lumbar support mechanism found in multiple vehicle models across the industry. The lumbar support feature applies excessive, uneven, or unstable pressure to the driver’s lower back during normal driving conditions. This occurs even when the feature is set to its lowest or…Owner complaint, filed 2026

When the seatbelt gets pushed into the buckle it does not secure nor stay latched. The vehicle was parked overnight and I went to travel and the buckle does not latch at all.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 163,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 25,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

2012 toyota camry. Consumer writes in regards to brand new tire exploding on vehicle while driving. *ld the consumer stated the whole front of the vehicle was badly destroyed rendering it totaled. The incident occurred with less than 200 miles on the new set of tires.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 44,830 miles

On 11/21/18 I received my car from jim coleman's service dept. My tire icon was displayed on the dash. My tire pressure app. Indicated one of my new tires was severely over inflated at 45 psi. The side wall of the 94 v rated tire said " max load pressure 44 psi never inflate beyond 40 psi." had I not had pressure sensors in my rims, I…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 78,695 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 10,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

Vehicle has 27,500 miles as of today's date. Front strut towers are rusted and must be repaired. Toyota of rockwall, tx refused to make repair under warranty. Toyota national office refused to pay for repair. They told that my washing the motor caused the problem. This is nonsense because I have been washing car motors for over fifty…Owner complaint, filed 2017

Suspension problem: steering needs over-correcting on highways to keep vehicle going straight. Hitting any defect in the roadbed causes the car to bounce and jar causing difficulty with steering and maintaining safe forward travel. Dealership service diagnosis was a leaking front strut. Service wanted to replace leaking strut for $500.…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 38,100 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

I am filing this complaint regarding a known and documented issue affecting my 2012 Toyota Camry (VIN: [XXX] ), which has developed a transmission shudder and vibration between 20, 50 mph. This problem is directly aligned with Toyota Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0079-15 and Customer Support Program ZF4, both of which describe issues…Owner complaint, filed 2025

I was driving about 70 mph on interstate 95 and all of a sudden my car shut off while going 70 mph my check engine light and the traction control light came on the car came back on while still going 70 mph picked up where it left off it was a bit ScaryOwner complaint, filed 2022