2012 Toyota Tundra: Reliability Data

213
Total Complaints
79,786mi
Median Mileage
Engine
Top Issue
11
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

37,000 25th Percentile
79,786 Median Mileage
96,500 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine
57
Fuel/Propulsion System
25
Power Train
20
Unknown Or Other
16
Electrical System
14
Steering
12
Body
11
Air Bags
8
Vehicle Speed Control
7
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
7

Severity Assessment

11
Crashes
2
Fires
10
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SEAT FRAME FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE..."
"I WAS DRIVING MY 212 TUNDRA CREWMAX AND WHEN I REACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT--RED, I PRESSED THE BRAKES AND THE TRUCK STARTED TO PULL UP AND THE RPM'S WENT HIGH. EVEN WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKES REAL HARD IT WAS STILL MOVING FORWARD. I PROMPTED TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. REST..."
"WHILE USING TO HORN THE COVER OF THE AIRBAG SPLIT ALONG THE SEAM WHERE THE AIRBAG DEPLOYS. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT INTO GET SCHEDULED SERVICE AND TOYOTA'S POSITION IS THAT IT IS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE OR SAFETY ISSUE. I PLACED 3 CALLS TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER STARTING 10/26/2012 (CASE#[XXX..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine 57 complaints
25th: 75,000 mi Median: 81,120 mi 75th: 106,000 mi
Fuel/Propulsion System 25 complaints
25th: 32,266 mi Median: 78,000 mi 75th: 92,430 mi
Power Train 20 complaints
25th: 44,327 mi Median: 87,000 mi 75th: 95,055 mi
Unknown Or Other 16 complaints
25th: 80,000 mi Median: 90,000 mi 75th: 110,000 mi
Electrical System 14 complaints
25th: 22,000 mi Median: 86,000 mi 75th: 90,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 36 CA: 23 LA: 19 FL: 15 NC: 11 GA: 8 AK: 8 WA: 8 NJ: 7 MA: 7

Who Files Complaints?

0.5%
Original Owners
99.5%
Second+ Owners

Toyota Tundra — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
2000133361
200154237
200264339
200352040
200465035
200549047
200667550
200753540
200845831
2009531
201021620
201118411
20131059
20141153
2015544
20161504
20171093
20181487
20191015
2020525
2021301
20225927
20235259
20243923
20251639

Active Recalls (4)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Sensor/Control Module-Inactive
Campaign 13V014000 | 16/01/2013
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 de
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.
Labels
Campaign 13V123000 | 09/04/2013
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.
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-
Hydraulic Power Assist System
Campaign 21V920000 | 23/11/2021
An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Hydraulic Power Assist System
Campaign 21E103000 | 23/12/2021
An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
  • Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
  • Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
  • Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
  • Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
  • Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

Looking for a replacement?

Based on the data above, here are relevant options.

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28