2012 Toyota Tundra Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 21about this part
- Share
- 13%of 156 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 87,065miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 21 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2012 Toyota Tundra, 13% of the 156 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 87,065 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“While driving down the road the transmission has problems shifting into 1st and 2nd gear. The transmission is a little sluggish while shifting and in some cases even jumps while shifting into 1st and 2nd gear. Have had it looked at and was told have to replace the whole transmission. I have a coworker who had some problems with his transmission on his Tundra, and he ended up trading it in, because it could not be fixed. I have the paperwork from getting it checked if it is needed”
NHTSA complaint #11130052, filed 2018-09, 70,655 miles“Please refer to TSB 0160-11. Toyota recognized that inferior quality parts were used as part of their emissions system and wrote this TSB as a remedy. The problem I have is that they continued to use the faulty parts beyond the 2011 model year cut-off in this TSB. My truck is throwing the same engine and emissions codes associated with this TSB. It also forces the engine into a low power mode greatly reducing the ability to accelerate. Lastly, it turns off traction control which affects the stability of the truck. …”
NHTSA complaint #11139203, filed 2018-10, 106,000 miles“A grinding noise began to develop in the rear end of the truck. The noise was most noticeable between 30 and 60 MPH. I took the truck to a Toyota dealership for diagnosis and they determined the rear wheel bearings had failed. These bearings are sealed, require no maintenance, and should be designed to last the lifetime of the truck. This is a safety concern because a bearing failure could lead to loss of vehicle control and an accident. I have found a number of similar incidents reported on internet Tundra forums, which indicates this is not an isolated problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11154810, filed 2018-11, 97,000 miles“I took my wife and daughter on a couple of runs threw the mud in our 2012 Toyota Tundra crewmax 4x4 trd. The runs were no longer than 2-3 minutes of fun with zero problems. I did not have time to run our truck threw a car wash. I planned on getting it washed the next day after work. On my to work the following day our truck showed no signs of problems until I entered the freeway and continued to accelerate. At that point of time I could feel the transmission was not shifting correctly . I called avondale Toyota immediately informing them there was something wrong with my transmission. …”
NHTSA complaint #10567066, filed 2014-03, 18,000 miles“On numerous occasions while driving, my 2012 Toyota Tundra suddenly lost acceleration power and experienced the engine failure known as fail-safe or limp-home mode. As evidenced by Toyota t-sb-0160-11, warranty policy bulletins, and warranty enhancement programs, Toyota is well aware of this serious design flaw and safety issue, yet has chosen to repair or compensate only a select few. …”
NHTSA complaint #11320896, filed 2020-04, 80,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10164330Jul 1, 2019TSB: REVISION NOTICE July 01, 2019 Rev2: ? Applicability has been updated to 2019 ? 2020 model year Toyota vehicles. ? The Techstream Preparation and Process Overview sections…
- 10134393Apr 11, 2016Technical Instructions: In certain 2012 ? 2014 Model Year Toyota Tundra and Sequoia vehicles equipped with a 5.7 Liter gasoline or 5.7 Liter-Flex Fuel engines, the Engine Control…
- 10134392Apr 7, 2016Technical Instructions: In certain 2012 ? 2014 Model Year Toyota Tundra and Sequoia vehicles equipped with a 5.7 Liter gasoline or 5.7 Liter-Flex Fuel engines, the Engine Control…
- 10134454Aug 24, 2015TechTip: Condition - The vehicle may be difficult to start or have an abnormally low or rough idle after the battery has been disconnected or power to the Engine ECM has been…
- 10111253Jan 8, 2015Region Letter: In certain 2012 - 2014 Model Year Toyota Tundra and Sequoia vehicles equipped with a 5.7 Liter gasoline or 5.7 Liter-Flex Fuel engines, the Engine Control Module…
- 10111259Jan 7, 2015Technical Instructions: In certain 2012 - 2013 Model Year Toyota Tundra and Sequoia vehicles equipped with a 5.7 Liter gasoline or 5.7 Liter-Flex Fuel engines, the Engine Control…
- 10134184Dec 11, 2014TSB: Some 2012 ? 2015 model year Sequoia and Tundra vehicles with the 3UR-FBE engine may exhibit a MIL ?ON? condition with Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) P0171/P0174 (System too…
- 10132332Dec 11, 2014TSB: Some 2012 ? 2015 model year Sequoia and Tundra vehicles with the 3UR-FBE engine may exhibit a MIL ?ON? condition with Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) P0171/P0174 (System too…
- 10109359Nov 7, 2014TSB: Some 2012 - 2013 model year Sequoia and Tundra vehicles equipped with 3UR engines may exhibit a MIL "ON" condition with the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs): ?…
- 10109405Oct 16, 2014TSB: The purpose of this bulletin is to provide information regarding transmission and/or park neutral position switch installation. If the manual shift lever is rotated prior to…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 22% |
| 2025 | 37 | 26% |
| 2024 | 85 | 24% |
| 2023 | 88 | 21% |
| 2022 | 104 | 24% |
| 2021 | 1 | 4% |
| 2020 | 3 | 6% |
| 2019 | 1 | 1% |
| 2018 | 3 | 3% |
| 2017 | 6 | 8% |
| 2016 | 5 | 4% |
| 2015 | 1 | 2% |
| 2014 | 5 | 5% |
| 2012 | 21 | 13% |
| 2011 | 18 | 13% |
| 2010 | 19 | 12% |
| 2009 | 11 | 29% |
| 2008 | 46 | 14% |
| 2007 | 73 | 19% |
| 2006 | 23 | 4% |
| 2005 | 35 | 9% |
| 2004 | 46 | 10% |
| 2003 | 35 | 9% |
| 2002 | 51 | 11% |
| 2001 | 30 | 7% |
| 2000 | 51 | 5% |
Other parts of the 2012 Toyota Tundra
57 complaintsFuel system
27 complaintsElectrical system
19 complaintsOther or unknown
17 complaintsSteering
12 complaintsBody and structure
11 complaintsAir bags
9 complaintsBrakes
7 complaintsElectronic stability control
7 complaintsVehicle speed control
7 complaintsWheels
6 complaintsSeats
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2012 Toyota Tundra
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology