What 642 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota Camry

I am reporting a safety-related issue involving the ECM / torque converter on my 2012 Toyota Camry. This issue can cause loss of power, hesitation, or stalling which presents a serious safety concern while driving. The issue impacts drivability and can result in sudden loss of acceleration or engine stalling, especially at higher speeds or during merging. This creates an increased risk of collision for myself, passengers, and surrounding vehicles. I have experienced some scary occurrences with shuddering at high speeds, hesitation while near other innocent vehicles and stalling. I was never notified by Toyota about this recall or service campaign while it was active. I maintain current registration information and would have had the issue addressed immediately. Toyota acknowledged the campaign but refused support due to expiration, despite my lack of notice. I contacted Toyota and was instructed to file a complaint with NHTSA. Toyota declined to repair the issue under goodwill or policy exception. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether this defect should have been classified as a safety recall and whether consumers were properly notified. Sudden loss of power or stalling presents a significant safety risk and may warrant additional remedies or extension of the campaign for affected owners who were not notified.

NHTSA ODI 11709755

Vehicle is shuddering/stalling when trying to accelerate. Currently 150,000

NHTSA ODI 11698853

My engine jumps when I accelerate so I looked on google if there were any recalls and it said there were so i called the Toyota dealership and they said there were no recalls on my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11676858

When I either: i) start the car and drive more than 20 ft OR ii) am at a stop light then accelerate..the car begins to jerk backward. Have changed the gasket and the throttle body and this issue still keeps happening. It started around the 90k Mile mark.

NHTSA ODI 11668312

Abs light flashes randomly at me when driving and at a stop car shakes aggressively

NHTSA ODI 11651976

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 intended. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered and decelerated from 55 MPH down to 20 MPH. The contact stated that the check engine and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 240,000.

NHTSA ODI 11602428

My 2012 Toyota Camry has started shutting off If I do a hard stop or quick stop by pressing on the breaks. My car will be on, in drive and completely turn off. The lights on the dashboard will all flash on then it turns off. I will have to quickly put the car in park, take the key out then put the key back in and turn the car on for it to start again. There are no warning lights that appear on the dashboard before the car turns off. They all flash suddenly and then it stalls out. It has stalled out while driving multiple times with vehicles behind me in my lane. This is very unsafe as I have reduced driving on highways in case it occurs. This has been reproduced by my mechanic who has said it is burning oil very quickly. He confirmed there were no leaks. I’ve only used synthetic oil and bought my car brand new in 2012. Once my oil is changed the problem seems to go away for awhile until the oil gets low again however my oil changes do not last as long in between and I usually need another oil change 20K miles before it is “due”. Since my car has started burning oil so quick my oil change light does not come on to notify me it is low or needed so I’ve been advised to check my oil every 1,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11579394

Toyota has a recall for 2012 camry torque converter issue. The recall was issued with a timeframe and/or mileage limit. My camry never experienced these issues until after the recall expired. i reached out to toyota about the recall and they state they aren't going to fix the issue.

NHTSA ODI 11556274

I purchased my car about 4 years ago. Less than a year later after I purchased the vehicle, I took it back to the dealer informing them of the shaking or vibration. They gave the car back to me telling me there’s nothing wrong with the car. Months later I called them again for the same thing and they said the same. Not long ago, I was driving the car with my 2 year old granddaughter and my daughter, taking a turn, the lights in the dash came on and the wheel became so hard that I almost crashed because I couldn’t hardly turn the wheel. I pulled over on a very busy road Hooper Ave TR NJ. We almost got hit by the traffic because there’s no place to pull over and waited to see if it was safe to drive the car. Took the car to a mechanic and doing research he mentioned the torque converter is bad and that’s the reason why it vibrates and shakes. All along, the dealer knew about the problem and they ignored the issue. “The 2012-2014 Toyota Camry shudder that can potentially happen in these Toyota models made during these years. The shudder comes from the transmission, especially during the acceleration of the Camry models. It can be alarming for the driver and be a safety concern when the gears do not properly change during operation. When this problem persists over a significant period of time, it has the poetry to cause long-term damage to your transmission. Damage to your transmission can be costly and affect the overall performance of your Toyota.” Perhaps maybe now because I have been driving it for a while now with the same issue, believing the dealer that there’s was nothing wrong with it, that’s the problem became worse and more dangerous. Other websites say there’s a recall on the issue so I would like to get this serious issue fixed as soon as possible as this is the only vehicle available to move around.

NHTSA ODI 11553539

Computer system failure ABS system not functioning causing driving functions not working. Problem continuously reproduced by independents and finally by Dealer. Dashboard lights on, engine, tracking, ABS, Brak and other lights. MPG reduced with speedometer down to zero while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11542097

Odometer fraud. Tampered odometer and tried to sell the car and the tampering is huge 100K miles.

NHTSA ODI 11526308

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.

NHTSA ODI 11497085

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

NHTSA ODI 11491249

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

NHTSA ODI 11491177

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

NHTSA ODI 11470774

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.

NHTSA ODI 11445978

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.

NHTSA ODI 11433878

OIL CONSUMPTION IS SEVERELY HIGH. I RECENTLY GOT THE OIL CHANGED A WEEK OR TWO BEFORE AND IT WAS EMPTY. THE CAR WOULD SHUT DOWN WHEN TURNING, ONLY TO FIND OUT AT THE SAME DEALERSHIP I HAVE RECEIVED THE INITIAL OIL CHANGE FROM THAT THE OIL IS SEVERELY LOW. I WAS TOLD BY OTHER MECHANICS THAT THERE WERE RECALLS ON PRIOR YEARS OF TOYOTA CAMRY FOR THE SAME ENGINE ISSUES AND I WAS INSTRUCTED THAT I SHOULD FILE AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT BY MULTIPLE MECHANICS.

NHTSA ODI 11398530

THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS CAUSING MY CAR TO SHUDDER AND MAKE UNUSUAL SOUNDS. THIS IS ALSO CAUSING METAL FRAGMENTS TO LEAK INTO MY TRANSMISSION. THIS COULD CAUSE MY CAR TO SLIP GEARS WHILE DRIVING MAKING THIS A HAZARDOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11397599

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED BETWEEN SPEEDS OF 20 TO 40 MPH. THE SHUDDERING STOPPED WHEN THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED 50 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NYE TOYOTA (1441 GENESEE ST, ONEIDA, NY 13421 (315) 363-1000). THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE CONTACT HAD A RECALL REPAIR FOR THE TORQUE CONVERTER SHUTTERING BACK IN 2015. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS EXTENDED BUT HAD SINCE EXPIRED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT SHE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11359792

WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 25 TO 40 MPH THE CAR SHUDDER AND THE ENGINE VIBRATES. I BELIEVE IT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE GEARS AND I HOPE TOYOTA WILL FIX IT FOR FREE.

NHTSA ODI 11308631

110,000 MILES AND ENGINE IS BURNING TWO TO 3 QUARTS BETWEEN OIL CHANGES

NHTSA ODI 11306204

AS I WAS DRIVING, ALL OF THE LIGHTS (OIL, BRAKE, ABS, CHECK ENGINE) ALL OF IT CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME AND MADE A NOISE AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN , WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT WITH A COMMUTE, AND THANK GOD I WAS NEAR A NEIGHBORHOOD TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY. I TRIED WAITING 10 MINUTE TO RESTART, AND IT WOULD NOT EVEN START BECAUSE THE WHOLE THING WAS DEAD AND THE LIGHTS WERE ON. THIS NEARLY KILLED ME.

NHTSA ODI 11288955

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLICKING SOUND AND DECIDED TO CHANGE LANES TO PULL OVER. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE FILLING THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AS IT CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND DESTROYED BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH THEM. POLICE AND FIRE REPORTS WERE FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY INVESTIGATED THE FAILURE AND TOOK PLENTY OF PICTURES OF THE BURNED OUT VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11280739

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE ENGINE SHUDDERED AND VIBRATED WHILE IN SECOND GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11218964