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2012 Toyota Tundra
Buyable, but go in with open eyes: this car has specific known issues to check before money changes hands.
154 owner complaints · 4 recalls · data verified July 10, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why caution?
4 recall campaigns (3 safety-critical) — confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the seller's VIN.
Engine problems dominate (37% of complaints, typically reported near 80k miles).
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
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 Tundra, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Transmission & drivetrain (21) · Electrical system (17) · Body & structure (11)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint — a rough guide, not a schedule.
Engine
37%57 complaints · typically near 80k mi · 1 in the last 2 years
“Computer software issues. Flex full engine.”
Fuel system
18%27 complaints · typically near 101k mi · 2 in the last 2 years
“Wife was driving truck and immediately went into limp mode on the highway. Check engine light came on, no accelerating then died. Had to get it towed. This is the 3rd …”
Transmission & drivetrain
14%21 complaints
“2012 Tundra faced a lot of problems like air injection pump failures, sticking of secondary air pumps, knock, along with other issues like speed control, engine coolin…”
Electrical system
11%17 complaints · 4 in the last 2 years
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage dis…”
Recalls (4)
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.
Steering · 21E103000
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain JTEKT power steering gear assembly service parts for 2007-2021 Tundra and 2008-2022 Sequoia, part numbers 44250-0C160, 44250-0C131, 44250-0C170, and 11250-0C121. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.
Risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 17, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 21TH01.
Steering · 21V920000
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2008-2022 Sequoia and 2007-2021 Tundra vehicles. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.
Risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 21TB10 and 21TA10.
Equipment · 13V123000
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
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 TUNDRA beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2012? See how every Tundra model year scores →
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What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score — if they disagree, that’s worth knowing.