Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Toyota Tundra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle started leaking fuel, and the contact smelled an abnormal fuel odor. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the fuel leak stopped. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuel tank valve assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 20,000.
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. …
2012 Toyota Tundra has a known design flaw in that moisture is allowed to condense, accumulate and corrode in components of the secondary air intake system leading to decrease performance especially in regards to acceleration which is critical to operating a vehicle safely.
Monday, January 15th I drove at 65 MPH to work at and home on the freeway with no problems. Tuesday and Wednesday the truck was stationary due to cold weather conditions in houston, texas. Thursday morning the 18th, I drove at 65 MPH to work via freeway with no problems. After lunch I drove at 45 MPH back to work on a street and noticed the check engine and traction light came on and simultaneously the truck then starting driving extremely sluggish and and far below the speed limit obstructing the flow of traffic. I carefully got over and drove the truck only allowed at 30 MPH back to the office. After carefully driving home via street at the end of the day I got home and removed the negative wire from battery and re-connected it to see if this would resolve the issue. After doing so, the results were the lights in the dash were now off and the truck drove proper with no hindrance. …
My 2012 Tundra has just under 70,000 miles on it and the trac light and engine light came on yesterday. Had it looked at and the mechanic says the problem is with the secondary air pump and it is a known problem. Called the dealer and they knew of the problem and told me there is a csp that covers certain 2012 Tundra's. Unfortunately the csp only covers the 5.7 l. Engines and not my 4.6l model. My mechanic says that everything is the exact same set up as far as the secondary air pump, it's just a different size engine. Not sure why one is covered but the other isn't but I'll have to suck it up and pay the price. Maybe if more people make Toyota aware of this they will eventually cover it. I'm a Toyota fan and have been driving them for 40 years and this won't push me away but it is disappointing.
Check engine and traction light came on. 4lo sign flashed. Vehicle goes into limp mode, slowing down, and at times creeping along while the vehicle was in motion on the highway. There is a large decrease in performance especially going up any sort of incline. Took it to the Toyota dealership for evaluation. They recommended replacement of the fuel pump and was told Toyota is aware of this problem and this make/model is not part of the recall at this time. I called the Toyota hotline, and the worker verified she could see info on the recall talking about warning signs -but they were not specific. She forwarded on my information to another individual. That individual called today, and she advised my warranty was over and my vehicle was not included in the recall.
2012 Toyota Tundra 4.6 l at 101,000 miles went into limp mode causing a lack of power and acceleration during city driving which could have resulted in a rear end collision. Was able to limp vehicle to nearby Toyota dealer who diagnosed that the secondary air injection system was faulty. Cost to repair was more than I wanted to pay beingthat I had just purchased the truck within the past month or so. Toyota did not cover the repair so a bypass kit was installed at my expense to get the truck back under power. Contacted Toyota and they advised that the system was not covered however it should be noted that on 2010 models and others the warranty on the system was extended to 150,000 but not on the 2012 4.6l engines that have the same problems as the others.
At first I started hearing what sound like a fan running under the hood after I started my truck. About a week later my check engine light came on followed by the track light. Code p2442 which stated that the air injector pumps and valves were failing. We brought the truck to Toyota and they had told us that it would cost us 4000.00 to get it fixed, after charging us 144.72 to hook a code reader to it which would of cost us nothing to take it to auto zone. Our warranty was supposed to cover bumper to bumper up 10yrs or 100,000 miles with ever came first. They told us that our warranty expired the week before we brought it in.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated after the check engine light illuminated, the vehicle was taken to walker Toyota (5735 coliseum blvd, alexandria, la 71303) to be diagnosed. It was determined that there was a hesitation in response when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 97,000. Consumer stated manufacturer is aware of the issue with 2010,2011, and 2012 fuel/propulsion system (pws) Toyota tundras. Update: Toyota technician stated issue May be pumps and valves.
My 2012 Tundra had a trac off and engine light come on. This is the same problem for numerous Toyota Tundra in regards to failure of the secondary air valves and pumps. I was told my VIN number was not on the 10 year , 150,000 mile warranty for this same problem. I urge you to force Toyota to add my VIN number to the extended warranty. My vehicle cannot go over 60 and be safe. It was raining and rain got into the pump system. Toyota has replaced thousands of these badly designed system and more needs to be done. It cost over $2,000 to replace badly designed system.
Fuel System complaints in other Tundra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2012 Toyota Tundra?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2012 Toyota Tundra, 17% of the model year's 156 complaints. The component named most often is fuel injection system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Toyota Tundra fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2012 Toyota Tundra, though it has 3 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 Tundra fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 77,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 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.