2012 Toyota Avalon Problems

Below Average Complaints

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2012 Toyota Avalon.

20112013
Complaints
35
Crashes
11
Fires
1
Injuries
9
Fatalities
Recalls
4

Worst 2012 Toyota Avalon Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#16 complaints

Airbags

Avg mileage:54,867 mi
Crash-related:4
#25 complaints

Body Structure

Avg mileage:29,712 mi
Crash-related:1
#34 complaints

Electrical Faults

Fires:1
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2012 Toyota Avalon.

Airbags
6
complaints
Crashes
4
Fires
Avg Miles
54,867
Body Structure
5
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
29,712
Electrical Faults
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
1
Avg Miles
Unintended Acceleration
4
complaints
Crashes
4
Fires
Avg Miles
Brakes
3
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Wipers & Visibility
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Electronic Stability Control
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Engine Problems
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Transmission / Drivetrain
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat Belt Issues
1
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat-Related Issues
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Structure:Interior Panels:Dashboard
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Suspension Failures
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Sunroof/Moonroof
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2012 Toyota Avalon. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2012 Toyota Avalon

4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~3,765,594 vehicles.

20V024000Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module
~2,891,976 affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.

18V569000Seat Belts · Airbags
~19,354 affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota Avalon vehicles. During a vehicle repair, the seat belt inner buckles may have been replaced with parts that may incorrectly tell the air bag management system that the seat belt is always buckled.

15V047000Electrical System
~51,495 affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Toyota Avalon vehicles manufactured February 9, 2010, to October 22, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the sub-woofer speaker located in the trunk may experience an intermittent electrical short which may cause damage to the integrated circuit (IC) in the audio amplifier. In some cases, the damaged IC may allow a constant electrical current flow to the sub-woofer.

13V442000Equipment:appliance:air Conditioner · Airbags · Electrical System
~802,769 affected

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Avalon, Avalon HV, Venza, Camry, and Camry HV vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning condenser may become clogged causing water to accumulate at the bottom of the air conditioning condenser unit housing. The accumulated water may then leak through a seam in the housing onto the air bag control module potentially resulting in a short circuit of the module.

Other Toyota Avalon Years

2012 Toyota Avalon — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2012 Toyota Avalon reliable?
Verdict: Below Average Complaints. The 2012 Toyota Avalon has 35 NHTSA complaints, 11 crash-related, and 4 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Airbags with 6 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2012 Toyota Avalon?
Top reported problems: Airbags (6 complaints, avg 54,867 mi); Body Structure (5 complaints, avg 29,712 mi); Electrical Faults (4 complaints). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2012 Toyota Avalon?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 43,433 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2012 Toyota Avalon?
NHTSA complaints for the 2012 Toyota Avalon include 11 crash-related reports, 1 fire reports, 9 injuries, and 0 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2012 Toyota Avalon have any recalls?
Yes — 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 3,765,594 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2012 Toyota Avalon?
Fewer complaints than typical for this model. That's a good sign, but every individual car is different — the VIN still tells you what happened to this specific one.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Toyota Avalon reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

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