Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Toyota Tacoma owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
June 1st 2021 I went to park in a parking space at a local mall. My truck instead of stopping it accelerated out of control jumped two stone curbs, drove though a fence and landed into a swamp. Call Toyota and they have opened a new case # 210602000065. Police report # 21-374-AC. This isn't the first time that this has happen with this truck. It happen in Aug 2019. I contacted Toyota case number 1908060035. They sent out EAA Engineering Analysis Ass. out who did a ACM.CDRX file a month later. Toyota came back said they couldn't find anything wrong and my case was closed. Another incident in winter of 2016 where my truck was stopped and it accelerated on its own and It drove in the 4 way intersection where it caused an accident. lots of damage to cars. Toyota was contacted and they sent me to a dealer for repairs. …
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds in areas with low traction, several unknown warning lights would illuminate on the instrument panel and the vehicle would begin to drift independently. Once the contact regained control of the vehicle, the warning lights would disappear, and the vehicle would resume normal operation. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer for repair. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V054000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control) which he linked to the failure. Upon speaking with the dealer, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was directed to the website for assistance. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and had yet to be repaired. …
Will not fix the frame. my husband has a 2005 and it looks new compared to my 2012. The last mechanic I used told me not to bring it back to him to much rust. Toyota said it passed their inspection. There is no way. They've had my truck almost a yr. I thought they was fixing it. No they just been chilling. They never called me to tell me it was they wouldn't honor the recall. Nothing. I keep reading on here cold climate states are the only complaints. Someone is lying on here because I know at least 20 Toyota Tacoma owners from Texas who have filed incident reports.
My truck lost drivability while I was going 60 I ran into a ditch to stop. It hads two codes . I took it in they replaced my rack n pinion. Check engine light came on . Mechanic said he could not work on it anymore because of the rust. To much corrosion he would be risking liability for other parts getting damaged because of all the rust. Took it to mike Shaw to have frame tested. It passed they said. But I can't find a mechanic to work on it but mike Shaw and they'll just keep charging for each item they don't care.
Brakes on vehicle lock-up and are overly sensitive. On many occasions when driving on wet pavement at slows speeds the ABS engaged and locked the brakes with only very light pressure on the brake pedal. On one occasion when driving at 10-15 MPH in a parking lot in snow, a light touch to the brake locked up the brakes causing the vehicle to become unstable and crash. I have had four other Toyota trucks, three of them tacomas and none of them had this braking issue. Barely pressing the brakes shouldn't cause them to lock up which causes the vehicle to become very unstable. Luckily it does it more often at low speeds. It's a major safety concern as the vehicle becomes undrivable.
Shortly after buying my Tacoma new I noticed that my anti-lock brakes were sensitive and would lock up without warning and the stopping distance can vary every time I apply the brakes. I brought this up to my dealer's service department during routine oil changes and was told that this is normal. The varied stopping distance causes problems since the truck could suddenly stop shorter than normal and catch traffic behind me off guard and cause an accident. Other times it feels like the brakes aren't working even though I am pressing firmly and wondering if I'm going to stop in time to avoid hitting a car in front of me. On emergency quick stops my brakes will lock up and with the varied stopping distances I'm surprised I haven't been in a position where the stopping distance in an emergency was more than normal causing me to crash. …
Driving at high way speed; the ABS light, parking brake light, traction light, lost power to windows, A/C, radio, power steering, engine was running rough, then the check engine light came on. Could be a safety issue of control of vehicle for drivers not paying attention. Toyota dealer said the root cause was a bad cell in battery that caused the ign#2 fuse to be blown. These batteries have known issues to be bad from the factory. Reported earlier about 30000 miles the factory battery would not start vehicle and dealer said they replaced because of a bad cell. I own a 2008 Toyota Tacoma also , same model and make as being reported and that battery has been replaced 2 times for same reason.
Right front wheel suddenly locks for several seconds putting a drag on that wheel, slowing that wheel down. Happens on sharp turns only so far, mostly going down hill, all at reasonable, safe speeds for the curve. Driver is not using the breaks at the times this has happened, and releases the gas and holds tight to the steering wheel. No dash lights appear. It is increasing in frequency and starting to scare us on our deep cliff curve roads. This has been happening just once in awhile 5 years, but is now happening 2-5 times each time we drive the 15 mile river canyon with tight curves and steep cliffs. We only know wheels ans brake system are involved, and the stability of the vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, while the brake pedal was not being depressed, the brakes locked up which caused the vehicle to start sliding. The contact stated that the traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 14V054000 (service brakes, hydraulic, electronic stability control) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.
On September 20, 2015, the ABS and traction control lights came on and didn't go off. Upon investigation, I discovered that there was in fact a recall on the 2012 Toyota Tacoma; however, it did not include my VIN number. I contacted both our local dealership and Toyota directly and was told that there were not any plans at this time to expand the recall to include my vehicle. I can not tell if these components are working or not as I have not driven in ice, snow, etc and had a need for them to engage. But at the same time, I don't want to wait until a time in which I do need them and they be inoperable.
Brake complaints in other Tacoma years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2012 Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the brakes of the 2012 Toyota Tacoma, 7% of the model year's 295 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Toyota Tacoma brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2012 Toyota Tacoma, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2012 Toyota Tacoma brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles, and 42% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.