NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 156 owner complaints for the 2012 Toyota Tundra. Most complaints involve engine (57) and fuel/propulsion system (25). The EPA rates it 15–18 mpg combined, and NHTSA gives it 4 stars overall.
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.
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.
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."
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Complaints for each Tundra model year we’ve synced.
| Model year | NHTSA complaints |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,026 |
| 2001 | 421 |
| 2002 | 511 |
| 2003 | 411 |
| 2004 | 466 |
| 2005 | 377 |
| 2006 | 545 |
| 2007 | 390 |
| 2008 | 327 |
| 2009 | 38 |
| 2010 | 163 |
| 2011 | 134 |
| 2012 | 156 |
| 2013 | 85 |
| 2014 | 93 |
| 2015 | 51 |
| 2016 | 120 |
| 2017 | 78 |
| 2018 | 100 |
| 2019 | 74 |
| 2020 | 47 |
| 2021 | 24 |
| 2022 | 432 |
| 2023 | 412 |
| 2024 | 349 |
| 2025 | 141 |
“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 incident with this issue.”
“The fuel pump failed on my Tundra. Several dashboard check engine lights suddenly lit up to warn me of the issue. While I was able to safely get it to a mechanic to repair the independent Toyota certified mechanic I use shared they have seen a volume of these where the car stops immediately with the Fuel pump failing completely. I was lucky as the day prior to this I was driving through mountain passes on the highway in Colorado. I have since found out from the feedback from my mechanic that they have repaired a volume of these, and it is a known issue by Toyota who issued a technical service bulletin. The fuel pump needs to be replaced with a different specification - the original pump is not sufficient. My concern is putting driver/passenger safety at risk with a complete fuel pump failure while driving. I consider this a near-miss for me, and would worry about others that are about to have this issue.”
“My power steering gear blew its seal on the passenger side losing all power steering fluid and almost making me crash into a car next to me, and Toyota refuses to cover it stating that I hadn't had the steering gear replaced prior to whenever their dates were this is clearly faulty equipment and faulty machine work on the steering gear itself. why won't Toyota cover it? I tried contacting One Toyota and Downtown Toyota here in Oakland California and they told me that they wanted $250 to inspect my vehicle and that I would definitely have to pay for it because my vehicle was not under recall it states it is a recall if you look it up.It is worded recall if they're not going to cover it sounds like they're trying to back out of covering it until someone gets seriously hurt or killed like I almost did, I will never buy another Toyota again as long as I live because clearly they don't care about the faulty equipment on their vehicles that's going to hurt or kill someone. All they care about is the mighty dollar and that's just wrong. Safety has gone rite the window and if anyone reading this is thinking about buying a Toyota, I would seriously think twice.”
Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.
| Version | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel / yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tundra 2WD Auto (S5), 6 cyl, 4.0 L · Rear-Wheel Drive | 16 | 20 | 18 | $3,550 | 494 |
| Tundra 2WD Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L · Rear-Wheel Drive | 15 | 20 | 17 | $3,800 | 523 |
| Tundra 4WD Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 4.6 L · Part-time 4-Wheel Drive | 14 | 19 | 16 | $4,000 | 555 |
| Tundra 2WD Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 5.7 L · Rear-Wheel Drive | 14 | 18 | 15 | $4,300 | 592 |
| Tundra 4WD Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 5.7 L · Part-time 4-Wheel Drive | 13 | 17 | 15 | $4,300 | 592 |
| Tundra 4WD FFV Auto (S6), 8 cyl, 5.7 L · Part-time 4-Wheel Drive | 13 | 18 | 15 | $4,300 | 592 |
| Item | Miles | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine oil & filter | 5,000–10,000 mi | 6–12 months | Follow the oil-life monitor if fitted |
| Tire rotation | 5,000–7,500 mi | Every oil change | Check pressure monthly |
| Engine air filter | 15,000–30,000 mi | 1–2 years | Sooner in dusty areas |
| Cabin air filter | 15,000–25,000 mi | 1–2 years | |
| Brake fluid | — | 2–3 years | Absorbs moisture over time |
| Coolant | 60,000–100,000 mi | 5–10 years | Long-life coolants last longer |
| Spark plugs | 60,000–100,000 mi | — | Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end |
| 12V battery | — | 3–5 years | Heat shortens battery life |
4 safety recalls as of Oct 28, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.
Owners filed 156 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are engine (57), fuel/propulsion system (25), power train (21). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.
The EPA rates the 2012 Toyota Tundra at 15–18 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (6 versions rated).
NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gives the 2012 Toyota Tundra 4 out of 5 stars overall.