Most common 2012 Toyota Avalon problems
Share of the 30 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota Avalon complaints by model year
Best Avalon years: 2017, 2020, 2022. Years to avoid: 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 1998. Compare all years →
2012 Toyota Avalon recalls (4)
Air bags › Air bag/restraint control module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge.
Seat belts
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota Avalon vehicles. During a vehicle repair, the seat belt inner buckles may have been replaced with parts that may incorrectly tell the air bag management system that the seat belt is always buckled.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the seat belt assembly to verify that it is properly detecting being unbuckled, replacing the inner seat belt assembly as necessary, free of charge.
Electrical system
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Toyota Avalon vehicles manufactured February 9, 2010, to October 22, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the sub-woofer speaker located in the trunk may experience an intermittent electrical short which may cause damage to the integrated…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the audio system amplifier and install a protective cover around the sub-woofer, free of charge. The recall began on July 1,2015.
Equipment › Appliance › Air conditioner
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Avalon, Avalon HV, Venza, Camry, and Camry HV vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning condenser may become clogged causing water to accumulate at the bottom of the air conditioning condenser unit housing.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing and install a protective cover on the airbag control module, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2014.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2012 Toyota Avalon:
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events.
What 2012 Toyota Avalon owners say
Body & structure
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while it was hot outside, or whenever there was direct sunlight on the dashboard, the dashboard would become very sticky. The contact stated that the glare on the windshield from the reflection of the dashboard made it very difficult to see out the windshield. The contact stated that he contacted the dealer, and manufacturer about the failure, and was informed that previously there was a recall for the failure however, the recall had expired. The contact contacted the NHTSA after researching the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
The trunk lid is not sufficiently counterbalanced and falls closed even when raised to its upper limit. Sometimes the lid will not open from the inside switch; it unlocks, but does not open (3 failures). This failed at the dealership. The lid fell closed, numerous times, minor injury to my head (1 time). Toyota tells me nothing is wrong and is functioning as designed
Air bags
Tl* the contact owned a 2012 Toyota Avalon. The frontal airbags failed to deploy when an 18 wheeler collided into the vehicle while travelling at 65 MPH. The cause of the failure was unknown. The vehicle was destroyed and the driver and passenger were hospitalized with spinal injuries and bruises. The contact stated that while traveling approximately 65 MPH, an 18 wheeler stroke the vehicle in the middle rear when attempting to switch lanes. None of the frontal air bags deployed. The police was present and a report was issued. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. The contact also received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 18V569000 (air bags, seat belts) the vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed and totaled. The approximate failure mileage was 71,000.
My vehicles airbags did not deploy I was hit by an 18 wheeler at a high rate of speed. The vehicle had at least 2 rear end hits by this 18 wheeler estimated at a speed in excess of 25 miles per hour faster than mine (I was going at 70mph northbound on us 75, nine miles south of tulsa oklahoma on a sunny Monday at 3 pm). The street was dry. The truck initially hit me on my rear and on my left rear quarter. I was spun in front of the truck and he hit me again on the rear quarter and the bumper and spun me in the opposite direction and then pushed into the guardrail at an estimated 40+ MPH. The airbags did not deploy for any of the three collisions (two in the rear and one in the front).
Speed control & acceleration
2nd complaint (first complaint - #10522765) - on July 2, 2013, around 5:20 p.m., my fourth incident of brake failure occurred. I was going about 5 miles and applied brakes. Brakes failed and engine sounded like it was racing. I crashed into a the rear of a sedan which was stopped. No injuries were sustained. We were able to drive the cars to a development to exchange insurance information. I drove the car to the dealership for trade-in since it was unreliable for driving at slow speeds. An earlier potential incident occurred in the morning when I was braking and slowing down to make a right hand turn, the individuals were crossing the street on which I was turning into and the brakes seemed to not engaged and the engine began to race. I applied more pressure on the brake pedal and the brakes engaged and stopped the car, barely. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Toyota Avalon. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the contact's vehicle, causing the contact to crash into another vehicle. The contact stated that after the crash, the vehicle accelerated while the brake pedal was being depressed. The emergency brake was engaged and the vehicle crashed into a curb. The air bags failed to deploy. The front passenger struck their head on the dashboard. The police were present. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 15,000.
2012 Toyota Avalon engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 28 / 22 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Toyota Avalon a good car?
Based on 30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Avalon rates better than average: 69% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Avalon at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Toyota Avalon?
The body & structure — 6 complaints, 20% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the air bags (6) and speed control & acceleration (4).
How many recalls does the 2012 Toyota Avalon have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2012 Toyota Avalon, the most recent from January 17, 2020 (air bag/restraint control module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota Avalon?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2017, 2020 and 2022. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 and 1998. See the full Toyota Avalon years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Toyota Avalon problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 33,000 miles; 65% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.