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What 35 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota Yaris Hatchback

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (35)Crash / fire / injury (13)Airbags (18)Body & structure (5)Electrical system (4)Speed control (4)Wheels (4)Brakes (2)Visibility & wipers (2)Engine (1)Seat belts (1)Seats (1)

Newest first · 35 complaints · page 2 of 2

Feb 23, 2017Airbags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA YARIS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V006000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ODI 10956630

Jul 23, 2016

WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN APRIL FROM CARMAX , IT WAS ADVERTISED AS MAKING 28 MPG IN THE CITY AND 32 ON THE HIGHWAY. I AM ONLY GETTING 20-21 MPG (COMBINED, BUT MOSTLY CITY), WHICH IS WHAT I GOT WITH MY OLD DATSUN THAT I JUST SOLD. THIS IS FALSE ADVERTISING. I CALLED CARMAX AND THEY SAID THOSE NUMBERS DON'T COME FROM THEM, BUT FROM TOYOTA. SO I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER TO SEE IF SOMETHING WAS DEFECTIVE. BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, DEALERS CHARGE RIDICULOUS PRICES. I WANTED TO TAKE IT TO MY MECHANIC, BUT TOYOTA SAID THAT THEY DON'T RECOGNIZE OUTSIDE MECHANICS. THE MILEAGE HAD SO MUCH TO DO WITH MY PURCHASING THIS CAR THAT THIS REALLY MAKES ME MAD. WHEN I RE-CHECKED THE 2012 YARIS MPG ON CARMAX, IT SHOWED THEM AS MAKING 32/38 MPG (THESE WERE AUTOMATICS, MINE IS MANUAL, BUT I WOULD THINK MANUAL WOULD BE EVEN BETTER MILEAGE THAN AUTOMATIC?). ANYWAY THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY MANUAL 2012'S LISTED. IF IT WERE OFF A MILE OR 2 OR EVEN 3 THEN OKAY, THERE ARE VARIANCES, BUT TO BE OFF A GOOD 7-8 MILES/GALLON IS WAY TOO MUCH TO NOT SCREAM "FALSE ADVERTISING". IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO - ANY RECOURSE THAT I HAVE? YES, FOR THE LAST 3 GAS FILL-UPS I HAVE RECORDED MY MILEAGE AND THE AMOUNT OF GAS IT TOOK TO FILL, SO I COULD ACCURATELY FIGURE OUT WHAT MILEAGE I'M GETTING.

NHTSA ODI 10887971

Dec 28, 2015AirbagsCrash2 injuries

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA YARIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE FENDER OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER SUSTAINED A BROKEN COLLAR BONE AND THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A BROKEN STERNUM THAT BOTH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000.

NHTSA ODI 10816441

May 8, 2015Body & structureWheelsCrash1 injury

MY CAR CAME TO STOP DUE TO A CAR IN FRONT OF ME STOPPING SUDDENLY MY CAR DID NOT TOUCH THE CAR IN FRONT. I HAD TO BRAKE QUICKLY SINCE CAR IN FRONT BRAKE QUICKLY. CAR BEHIND ME HIT ME CAUSING MY CAR TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT. CAR CRASHED INTO ME IN A APPROXIMATE SPEED OF 30 MPH I PROTECTED MY HEAD FROM HITTING STEERING WHEEL WITH MY OWN STRENGTH HOLDING ON TO STEERING WHEEL. I WAS INJURED FROM MY LEG AND RIBS. NO ON ELSE WAS INJURED. # CARS WERE INVOLVED, INCLUDING MINES. WHY DID MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY? MY GLASSES WENT FLYING AND GOT DAMAGED. MY REAR END IS TOTALLY DAMAGED AND FRONT AS WELL. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10715410

May 7, 2015AirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 TOYOTA YARIS. WHILE IDLING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE SPINE, SHOULDER, AND NECK THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT ALSO SUFFERED FROM HEAD PAIN. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 10715092

Jan 11, 2015Airbags

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON MY AIRBAG. UPON SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT REPLACED I WAS TOLD NOT PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AT ANY TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN GA AND THERE IS KNOW NONE TIME FRAME IN WHICH THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHEN ASKED, "WHAT SHOULD I DO." REPLIED, "I DON'T KNOW, SORRY" NOW I AM DRIVING A DEFECTIVE CAR THAT MY CAUSE FURTHER INJURIES IF I AM IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10671643

May 5, 2014AirbagsCrash1 injury

THE CAR WAS HIT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER CORNER BY A CAR DOING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. THE 2012 4 DOOR YARIS WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO A SIDE STREET WHEN STRUCK. THE YARIS AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NONE OF THEM. THIS MODEL HAS DUAL FRONT SIDE-MOUNTED AIRBAGS AND FRONT AND REAR HEAD AIRBAGS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10586651

Dec 6, 2013Electrical systemFire

I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH MAKING A LEFT TURN WHEN THE CAR ABRUPTLY POWERED DOWN THE INSIDE LIGHTS, OUTSIDE LIGHTS, HEAT, ETC TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MAKE LOUD NOISES AS IF I WAS TRYING TO START THE CAR, BUT I HAD TAKEN THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. I THEN NOTICED THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT WAS ON AND THEN I SMELLED SMOKE. I WAS STUCK IN THE INTERSECTION WITH THE CAR STUCK IN PARK I KEPT PRESSING THE BRAKE, TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T CHANGE GEARS OR EVEN TURN ON AT THIS POINT. I CONTINUED TO SMOKE AND I SMELLED FIRE SO I GRABBED ALL OF MY THINGS AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. IT WAS RAINING AND A GOOD SAMARITAN POPPED THE HOOD AND THE HARD COLD RAIN PUT OUT THE FIRE. I WAITED UNTIL A TOW TRUCK TOLD THE CAR TO THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE BATTERY AND STARTER CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10555063

Oct 1, 2013TiresWheels

TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM DID NOT WORK AT DELIVERY, DEALER HAS HAD MANY EXCUSES NOT TO REPAIR. THIS SHOULD BE A WARRANTY ITEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10546453

Jun 6, 2013Visibility & wipers

MAJOR WINDSHIELD GLARE. NOT SURE IF IT'S THE ANGLE OF THE WINDSHIELD, THE BRUSHED-PLASTIC TYPE DASH THAT SEEMS HIGHLY REFLECTIVE, OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO... BUT WHEN SUNLIGHT HITS THE DASHBOARD, IT CREATES A GLARE ON THE WINDSHIELD. DEPENDING ON THE ANGLE OF THE SUN, IT CAN BECOME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SEE THROUGH AND POSES A HIGH RISK AT ANYTHING IN A SHADED AREA (LIKE DRIVING FROM SUNNY ROAD THROUGH SHADED PATCH). THE GLARE IS NOTICEABLE IN LOW LIGHT AND AT NIGHT WHEN PASSING STREET LAMPS/TRAFFIC LIGHTS. ON A SCALE OF 1-10... THE NIGHT/LOW LIGHT VISIBILITY IS AROUND 1 OR 2 BUT WHEN YOU HAVE THE SUN GLARING ON IT, IT'S MORE OF A 8-9. TEMPORARY SOLUTION WOULD MOST LIKELY BE A DASH MAT BUT MAYBE RE-DESIGN OR DIFFERENT MATERIAL USED WOULD BE BETTER SUGGESTION FOR THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10515391

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Working with the data? Download all 35 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Toyota Yaris Hatchback verdict →