2012 Toyota Camry Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe a shudder or hesitation while accelerating, usually diagnosed as a torque converter or transmission problem, and many say the repair or extended coverage had already expired by the time it appeared. A second theme is electrical and steering trouble, where warning lights come on and power steering assist cuts out, sometimes along with the engine shutting off. Airbag non-deployment in crashes and excessive oil consumption also come up repeatedly in the sample.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Shudder/hesitation on acceleration (torque converter)

   • 149 complaints (25%)
   • median 84,300 mi at 7.3 yrs old (99 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $3,000 (median of 19 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2026

   Complaints describe a vibration or shudder felt while accelerating, most often in the 20-45 mph range, sometimes with lag before the car picks up speed or a lunge when a gear engages. Many owners say a dealer diagnosed the torque converter or the transmission itself, and some were quoted replacement. Several report being told that an extended warranty or service campaign covering the repair had expired, or that their vehicle was not included. Reported from very low mileage up to well past 150,000 miles, with many complaints clustered between roughly 50,000 and 130,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: During a test drive, accelerate gently through 20-50 mph and watch for vibration or hesitation; ask whether the torque converter was ever replaced and whether any related service campaign or extended coverage was applied to the VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Torque converter is faulty. There was a recall for this on my 2012 Toyota Camry that I was unaware of. The recall was acknowledged by Toyota and only covered 5 years 60,000 miles. I never received anything in writing about this recall and there are many consumers complaints regarding this online. I cannot afford a new vehicle and need this repaired by Toyota.”

   NHTSA complaint #11361685, filed 2020-09, 110,000 miles

   “Car starts to shutter and acceleration decreased between 15-45 MPH, the shudder causes the car to lag at this time. We began taking the car to the dealership at 30,000 miles for the issue. We were told that they did not see a problem at the dealership. There was a service order to cars software but that still did not fix the issue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11312074, filed 2020-02, 135,000 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Electric power steering assist cutting out

   • 79 complaints (13%)
   • median 30,000 mi at 3.5 yrs old (57 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $925 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2011–2026

   Owners describe the power steering warning light coming on and steering suddenly becoming very heavy, in some cases after a jump start or shortly before the engine shut off. A few mention a rattle from the steering column or lower steering shaft, and one was told the power steering electrical component needed replacement. Mostly reported between roughly 65,000 and 165,000 miles in the sample.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check that the power steering warning light comes on and goes out normally at start-up, listen for column rattles over rough pavement, and ask whether the steering shaft or power steering components have been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I recently took my 2012 Toyota Camry se in for the repair on my sway bars and I heard a rattling noise in/near my steering wheel/column. I then took it back to the dealer to have the lower steering shaft replace but the rattling noise was there and was getting worse. I took my car to another certified mechanic for a second opinion and he said that the power steering electrical component system would need to be replaced. And that I would need to take it to the dealer. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11364761, filed 2020-10, 148,000 miles

   “The center electronic 6 function etune console, which contains the radio/cd player, GPS, car and cell phone operations, died on nov 16, 2020. I made appointment and took it to daytona Toyota the next day. The tech did a diagnostic and told me that the radio unit was fried. Sm said a replacement unit would cost $827. I agreed. I drove my car home and noticed that the radio had revived, but the only thing in the lcd panel was the station # in the top left corner of screen. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11376249, filed 2020-11, 141,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Engine stalling or cutting out while driving

   • 46 complaints (8%)
   • median 41,000 mi at 4.0 yrs old (40 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2026

   Complaints describe the engine dying while the car is moving, sometimes with multiple warning lights and a loss of power assist for steering and brakes before the vehicle restarts. Some owners link the stalls to low oil, a fuel pump failure, or a camshaft gear seizure found during diagnosis. Spread across the sample from about 20,000 to over 200,000 miles, with no clear mileage pattern.

   What to check: Ask about any history of stalls or warning lights, check the oil level and service records, and confirm the battery and charging system are in good condition.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I had 3 instances when the ABS light came on and another instance when the master warning light did the same. I called Toyota and they said that I didn't qualify because the light has to stay on. If I wanted it checked out I would have to pay a fee of $130 and even then it may not be covered by Toyota . These instances happened while I was driving and on one occasion the engine turned off. Abs”

   NHTSA complaint #11318910, filed 2020-03, 57,000 miles

   “On two occasions, while driving, the engine turned off for approximately 1 or 2 minutes, leading to a loss of control of the vehicle, the brakes and the steering. Then it automatically turned back on, and I could continue driving. On both occasions I was driving at approximately 20kms per hour, and I was making a turn. On the 2nd occasion, the car went uponto the sidewalk and crashed into a tall step that proected the car from going through the display window. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11318533, filed 2020-03, 20,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the transmission and torque converter behavior at low speeds, the steering assist, and oil consumption, and ask for records of any related service campaigns. Confirming that open recalls for the VIN have been completed is also worthwhile.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.