Home · 2012 · Toyota
2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
Solid pick — the complaint record is strong for its age. It does carry safety recalls, so confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the VIN before money changes hands.
642 owner complaints · 2 recalls · data verified July 10, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Complaint reports have faded — early issues appear resolved or aged out.
The math, shown
Full methodology →Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Airbags (82)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint — a rough guide, not a schedule.
Transmission & drivetrain
23%145 complaints · typically near 100k mi · 12 in the last 2 years
“Vehicle is shuddering/stalling when trying to accelerate. Currently 150,000”
Airbags
13%82 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years
“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.”
Speed control
11%73 complaints · typically near 110k mi · 3 in the last 2 years
“The contact's fiancé owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. While the contact's fiancé was driving 55 MPH with the accelerator pedal depressed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as …”
Body & structure
11%68 complaints · typically near 26k mi
“I WAS BRAKING ON TURNING INTO A PARKING SPOT? BUT INSTEAD OF BRAKING IT WAS LIKE I HAD HIT THE ACCELERATOR. I KEPT STOMPING THE BREAK BUT IT WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN ONLY A…”
Recalls (2)
Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.
Electrical System · 13V442000
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.
Risk: A short circuit may cause the air bags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airbag can increase the risk of injury in a severe crash. The power steering assist could also become inoperable resulting in increased steering effort and can increase the risk of a crash at low speeds.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing and install a protective cover on the airbag control module, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Air Bags · 13V014000
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Before you hand over money
Verify the recall work was done
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150–$250 independent inspection of this exact 2012 Toyota CAMRY HYBRID beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2012? See how every Camry Hybrid model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score — if they disagree, that’s worth knowing.