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2012 Toyota Camry complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2012 record →

Unknown or Other
Filed May 10, 2023NM

HIGH FUMES INSIDE OF CAR HAD ME DAIZED OUT. I STRUGGLED TO KEEP MY EYES OPEN AND NOT BE SLEEPY. I DROVE WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN. FAKE LEATHER.

Power Train
Filed Apr 20, 2023PA

Car gears are sluggish when accelerating in between 15 to 25 mph. It does not accelerate and there is lag when accelerating stop to go.

Power Train
Filed Apr 19, 2023MN

THE CAR SHUDDERS WHEN SHIFTING GEARS , THIS IS DUE TO THE TORQUE CONVERTER. TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE . I CALLED AND THEY SAID THE RECALL WAS SENT TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER BUT THEY DIDN'T GET IT FIXED. TOYOTA NEEDS TO RECALL ALL OF THESE 2012 THRU 2014 CAMRYS AND FIX THESE CARS WHEN PEOPLE CALL.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Engine Control Module (ecu/Ecm)
Filed Apr 13, 2023157,033 milesMD

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle hesitated. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine control module (ECM) software needed to be updated. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 157,033.

Power Train
Filed Mar 19, 2023TX

As a background, we bought the car in 2012 brand new. My background is Mechanical engineering, and hence maintained the car very well. Apart from this issue on Torque convertor rest is all good. The car has about 94,000 miles on it. Around few weeks back, the car started to hesitate when it is shifting between 20-25 mph. Sometimes this can be dangerous as you are expecting the car to pick up the speed esp. when joining the freeway etc. and always worried about being rammed in the rear by the traffic. Anyway, I took it to the dealer who said there was a “Warranty Enhancement” program that expired after 10 years. I am not sure why Toyota is permitted to have this Warranty Enhancement program when they full well know this should be a recall. This is widely discussed on all the Toyota forums. The repair is expensive about $2200 (the work is detailed in the Warranty Enhancement program ZE5) and requires software update to be done which the dealers control. With the cost of new cars and also lack of supply I had no good choice but to pay for this repair. I tried to get Toyota Headquarters to see if they honor the “Warranty Enhancement”, but they refused to even though some of this period coincides with pandemic. We have bought several of the Toyota products including Camry, Sienna & Tacoma and never been more disappointed in them than this handling of the issue. I am still at a loss on why NHTSA would let Toyota do this warranty enhancement, and not a full recall. This is putting l

Unknown or Other
Filed Mar 19, 2023CA

Gear shift from park to reverse is hard. Also, my wife has always complained about a smell coming from the engine, that when she’s inside my vehicle she gets a headache.

Suspension
Filed Mar 15, 2023LA

When I first purchased the car I unlocked the lever to adjust my steering wheel and from that moment further my car never drove the same. If I do not play with the lever for the tilt steering and move steering wheel up and down while driving my car does not drive normal. The tires either feel like they were laying down flat when making a turn either way to the left or the right and the car seemed to be at a different position than my steering wheel was. I changed my lower control arms, inner tire rods(Front), outer tire rods(front),This is all since January of 2022. I contacted the dealership immediately when I began noticing the problem and they told me nothing was wrong with the car and they couldn't not help me. Now when I am driving it sounds like a belt shifted on a tire but hasn't or something is rubbing. My steering wheel shakes when braking, and my steering wheel is really tight. If I put my traction control on off and drive it somewhat drives better but the rubbing sounds from the front still appears. If I play with the tilt lever and move steering wheel in and out or up and down I can feel the transmission almost like releasing from straining but never feels as if it is straining if that makes since. The lever for tilt steering is sometimes really loose like it is about to fall off but other times it is so tight that I am afraid it will snap if I lock it back. No one seems to understand what is the issue at the mechanic shops I brought it too. And I am so scared of

Power Train
Filed Feb 23, 202380,000 milesMA

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH and making a lane change, the vehicle started vibrating while depressing the accelerator pedal, but failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the hesitation lasted for approximately 10 to 15 seconds, before the vehicle jerked forward and accelerated as needed. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer however, the mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure became a recurring failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Structure › Body
Filed Feb 21, 2023FL

On 2/18/23 I took my car into the repair shop to investigate a clunking sound upon braking. The control arm was broken and the level of corrosion is extensive. I am the original and only owner and the car has never been out of Florida or on the beach or immersed in water. Toyota of North America in Plano, TX said they could not receive my pictures and that there was no one at Toyota that I could send documents to. They said if there was a recall I would be notified.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Torque Converter
Filed Jan 9, 202388,000 milesIL

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while driving above 50 MPH, the shaking ceased. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic test showed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

Power Train
Filed Dec 22, 2022FL

Ever since I purchased vehicle back May 2016 with 24K miles on it (currently has 107k miles on it) the car has been vibrating between 35mph - 45mph. I took it to the dealer over 3 times within 30 days of purchase and they couldn’t figure it and replaced tires. They said it vibrates because roads are uneven. Didn’t feel like dealing with dealership and left it at that. Last year in 2021 I decided to research it and found out it’s a known issue (Torque converter) needs to be replaced. Toyota would always email me but for the “ warranty repair” they sent it to my old address. I took it to a Toyota dealer to have it inspected now say that if I want it repaired, I have to pay $2500. I even reached out to corporate July 2021 to see if they would ear 50% of costs and declined. Toyota NEEDS to take care of this properly!

Engine
Filed Dec 12, 2022178,397 milesKY

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he had been adding two quarts of oil every 1,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics who could not duplicate the failure and informed the contact that there were no oil leaks found; however, the spark plugs, oil filter, drain plug, and the drain plug gasket were replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 178,397.

Service Brakes
Filed Dec 9, 2022VA

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.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Nov 7, 2022130,000 milesTX

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, while the transmission was upshifting, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 130,000.

Engine
Filed Oct 28, 2022MA

The car shudders in lower gear while accelerating. Engine, steering wheel and the whole car vibrates at lower speed.

Engine
Filed Oct 27, 2022AL

The torque convert is bad, when driving at up 25 mph and at 45 mph the car has a vibration. I have been seeing many reviews about this issue with the model of Toyota

Power Train
Filed Oct 4, 2022MN

The transmission slips while accelerating through the gears. I understand it is a torque converter issue. The car jerks through each gear, feels like the engine is falling out. It has not been fixed yet as I understand it is about half the value of the vehicle to get it fixed, and I hear the fix can cause other problems with the transmission parts that are not replaced. No warning lights. As this is my only vehicle I'm worried about being in an accident before I can get it fixed. I'm not made of money, and I have to save up first.

Structure › Body
Filed Sep 28, 2022VA

Small accident

Power Train
Filed Sep 18, 2022CA

-Toyota Motors Manufactured 2012-2014 certain camry models with faulty torque converters(Ref- https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/MC-10129984-9999.pdf). -Car is available for inspection. -Shudder makes the car weaker and unstable. Also Delaying throttle response. Babies feel scared when the car shudders and ultra risky while passing another car. Risk for transmission lock up etc. -The problem has been reconfirmed by Toyota Dealers and Independent Service Centers. You can ask any reputed mechanic shop as well about this well known problem. -There was never a warning light and still no warning light. PLEASE SEE- Toyota Motors is making a fortune by selling a few faulty cars- Also, the above warranty plan was only applicable if the car had symptoms of torque converter failure. But toyota evaded liability to replace Torque Converter by blaming software issue initially (https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInfoPortal/staticcontent/en/techinfo/html/prelogin/docs/cp/e03tofaq.pdf) and limiting the extended warranty to 8 years, knowing that most faulty cars will not display failure symptoms during that time (Average failure time is 70-100k miles) Now, they are selling the revised torque converter with installation for over $3000. But, it is not even the fix. The faulty torque converter also damages the transmission, leading to its failure within a few hundred miles after Torque converter replacement. All those faulty torque converters are bound to fail by 100k miles. Toyota is pocketing

Power Train
Filed Sep 8, 202269,000 milesVA

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the transmission was slipping and the vehicle was shuddering while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact released the accelerator pedal and was able to continue driving. However, the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

Tires
Filed Sep 6, 2022VA

265/65

Power Train
Filed Aug 21, 2022TX

While the vehicle speeds up beyond 3-35 mph, the car starts shacking a bit and the vehicle seems to have lost power. Then it recovers and moves on as normal. The problem is identified as a transmission programming/torque convertor problem. This has been going on for some time now and has been getting worse. There are no other problems prior to this issue.

Power Train
Filed Jul 27, 2022162,000 milesGA

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from idle, the vehicle hesitated. The contact stated that the transmission was shaking while driving between 20 and 50 MPH. The contact stated that the issue was remedied while driving above 50 MPH. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the torque converter had failed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact stated the failure was occurring more frequently. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA ID Number: 10109488 (Power Train) and had been previously been repaired under the TSB Limited Service Plan; however, the repair failed to fix the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 162,000.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Crank/Camshaft Position Sensor
Filed Jul 22, 2022227,000 milesTX

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the oil and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the camshaft gear had seized. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 227,000.

Power Train
Filed Jul 15, 2022MA

Torque converter shudder hesitation at 20 -25 mph

Air Bags
Filed Jul 13, 2022NY

我

Engine
Filed Jun 23, 2022FL

My Toyota Camry has been burning oil for over two years. Last year it began to get worse. I have been taking it to an auto repairs shop to tap off the oil to prevent the engine from failing. This week it burned 3 pints of oils. I have been using Lucas to slow down the oil combustion. I was advised by an automotive shop that Toyota has recalled some Camrys for oil consumption problems. Moreover, the mechanic advised that the engine could be default regardless of the year of the car. My car is in danger of shutting down on the road. It will end up with engine failure if the issue is not repaired. Toyota explained that some vehicles were recalled for oil consumption- but not mine. This is not fair that my car has not been included. I am seeking justice and for Toyota to do the right thing. I did not do anything to cause this issue. I am the owner of a car that has a manufacture faulty defect that is threatening the life of my car and my safety as well as other drivers. I await to hear back. Sharon Scott

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Torque Converter
Filed May 19, 202263,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle jerked. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with torque converter failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.

Power Train
Filed May 9, 2022MI

Shudder noticed in the vehicle while accelerating light between 25 and 50 mph.

Air Bags
Filed Apr 27, 2022CA

I was driving one day and notice my airbag came on and now my horn won’t work and it makes a clicking sound from the steering wheel

Unknown or Other
Filed Mar 18, 2022CA

Since I purchased the vehicle I have been smelling a weird smell as if the AC unit is leaking. It has been brought in to Toyota multiple times and they could not find the issue, but I still smell it.

Power Train
Filed Mar 18, 2022SC

So I own a 2012 Toyota Camry and this vehicle started having issues when shifting gears it almost feels like the break is being hit. My wife freaked out and almost had and I accident. I went to the dealership at Rick Hendrick here in North Charleston South Carolina. They told me that it was the torque converter in the transmission that was bad. They asked me for almost $2,700 at the time in 2021. I couldn't afford that but later I found out that Toyota had issued a warranty extension for the specific issues for models 2012 to 2014. Apparently this is a known issue.I was not sent any notification via mail. Once I found out that Toyota was covering the issue it was already too late because she has 160,000 miles on the car. Apparently I missed the deadline by a month and they refuse to help. Now I'm left with a car when shifting between 20mph to 40 mph feels like your hitting the Break. I can't believe this is happening to " the most reliable car on the market"

Service BrakesCrash
Filed Mar 14, 2022CA

Brake booster brake failed to stop car and cause accident yes accident on Nov. 12, 2016

Unknown or Other
Filed Mar 3, 2022KY

Car started “studdering” or “vibrating” at 20 mph then 40mph then 50-60mph. Every time the automatic car would shift gears it studdered very bad. Like it wasnt goin to excelerate. I am a single mom. Trying to work and go to college to support my children. The car needs fixed very badly. I am afraid it is goin to cause me to wreck. I have contacted toyota and they will not honor the recall. The car has a recall on the torque converter( i took it to a toyota dealer) that is causing the problem. I am still driving the car. It is all i have.

Electrical System
Filed Feb 26, 2022CA

My car has a problem shifting into first gear and is jerking so bad I was driving and it actually was going super slow and going and secure and I almost got hit from behind it is stuttering and hesitating going into the lower gears it also keeps showing the traction light off and on and when it's on it causes It 2 sway a lot

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Torque Converter
Filed Feb 14, 2022IL

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would occasionally lose motive power. The contact would release the accelerator pedal and the vehicle would regain normal functionality; however, the failure would reoccur. The contact stated there were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact failure might be due to the torque convertor however, the vehicle was not under recall for the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle had to be repaired out of pocket. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

Air Bags
Filed Feb 7, 2022VA

The drain hose for the AC Condenser may be clogged. Water has leaked from the seam of the airbag compartment on the driver's side near between the window and windshield. My safety and the safety of others are at risk because the water accumulation may cause an electrical issue and the car may not be safe to drive. My vehicle will undergo state inspection on Wednesday, February 9, 2022. I noticed this problem in January 2022.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed Feb 5, 2022MD

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 Scary

Air Bags
Filed Jan 28, 2022AR

The vehicle was taken to J & J Auto Service for normal maintenance, in addition to the airbag warning light being on. When picking up the car, the owner was informed that a pin/screw was missing from the airbag located in the steering column. Owner was advised that the airbag could deploy at any time and cause injury or death to the driver. The cost for repair - $900.00. or could be higher. Owner followed up by checking for recalls on this manufacturing flaw, but saw no recall for this problem.

Engine
Filed Jan 3, 2022145,000 milesGA

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated after recently having an oil change performed on the vehicle; after approximately 2,000 miles while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal knocking noise coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and checked engine oil and noticed there was no oil in the engine. The contact added oil to the engine and continued drive to her destination however, the failure persisted. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the failure as an oil consumption failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Dec 29, 2021CA

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 catch as i cleared that intersection and behaved normally till the next cold early morning. i have spoken to used car salesman and the sales manager. i have an appointment to take it in for evaluation soon!

Structure › Body › Door › Handle › Exterior
Filed Dec 27, 202110,000 milesNY

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 independent mechanic who advised the contact that the door handle was easily fractured due to the plastic-based material. The contact stated that the independent mechanic replaced the door handle; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Dec 21, 2021CA

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 barely moving. I drove the car about 5 miles and 15 minutes to get my first gas fill-up. The problem did go away with the warming of the transmission. I've been driving long enough to recognize what this is, a problem with the 6 speed automatic transmission. This problem did not show when I test drove the car on 12/16/21. The salesman made no mention of it. I know I bought the car 'As-Is' . I feel this is a safety problem that should be remedied sooner than later.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Torque Converter
Filed Dec 8, 202150,000 milesNY

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a lag in the transmission while shifting through the low gears. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the torque convertor replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Unknown or OtherCrash
Filed Oct 4, 2021MA

Navegation system send me to wrong way and off route route. Toyota descontinued the updadte for the map and provide no remedy for these concern. Case # 2010910001822

Power Train
Filed Sep 28, 2021127,000 milesTN

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating and the contact felt as if the vehicle would shut-off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with torque converter failure. The dealer informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN and the vehicle was over the 10-year warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Torque Converter
Filed Sep 21, 202183,400 milesNY

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving approximately 20-25 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently started shuddering. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that while she was driving on the highway 40-50 MPH, the failure stopped. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission had failed, and the torque converter needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under an unknown TSB as the extended warranty of the vehicle had expired. The contact stated that the vehicle was also taken to the independent mechanic who confirmed the dealer's diagnostic result. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving at 25-30 MPH. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist and referred the contact to the dealer. A case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 83,400.

Power Train
Filed Sep 21, 202135,000 milesMD

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving 25-35 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and loss motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where they were unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to a local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. The VIN was not available.

Power Train
Filed Sep 10, 2021NY

TORQUE CONVERTER, (UPON ACCELERATION VEHICLE DELAY IN ACCELERATING/SHIFTING AND ABNORMAL HEAVY VIBRATION/SHUDDERING FELT ), I ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT WHILE TRYING TO CHANGE LANE A FEW TIMES, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE DOES NOT ACCELERATE/SHIFTING CORRECTLY/DELAYED,(MY WIFE AND KIDS WERE IN THE VEHICLE), TOOK THE VEHCILE TO TOYOTA DEALER, SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT THE TECH COULD NOT DUPLICATE CONCERN, WHEN CLEARLY THERE IS A PROBLEM, DID SOME READING/RESEARCH ONLINE ALOT OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING TOYOTA TURNING A BLIND EYE WHEN IT COME TO THIS SPECIFIC CONCERN ( TORQUE CONVERTER SHUDDERING) THEY GIVING CUSTOMER THE RUNNING AROUND,NO WARNING LAMP ON WHEN PROBLEM OCCUR.

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Aug 10, 2021CA

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 shatters, I had to remove as much of the glass as I could to ensure that none of it would fly off the vehicle and hit vehicles driving behind me. I don't believe there was any prior damage to the sun roof that would have caused this to happen as I don't ever use the sun roof to begin with.

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

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