2012 Toyota Yaris problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Air Bags (16) · Wheels (4) · Vehicle Speed Control (4)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Yaris model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
22 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (5)
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2019-10-17 · campaign 19V741000 · 928,220 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2018-01-09 · campaign 18V025000 · 116,126 vehicles
Defect: On January 9, 2018, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified NHTSA that they are recalling 14,585 model year 2010-2012 Yaris vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag assemblies with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0R (Zone B), and H0A (Zone C), J0A (Matrix Zone A), J0A (Matrix Zone A), J0A (Matrix Zone A).
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module 2017-01-09 · campaign 17V006000 · 577,875 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota 4Runner, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, Yaris, Scion xB, Lexus ES350, GX460, IS-F, IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, and Lexus LFA vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless inclu
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 1, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are G0P (Toyota Zone A), G0R (Toyota Zone B), H0A (Toyota Zone C), G
Structure 2015-03-09 · campaign 15V134000 · 16,582 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Yaris vehicles manufactured August 31, 2011, to February 9, 2015, and sold or registered in Puerto Rico. The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with a roof headliner that does not provide the proper occupant protection in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 201, " Occupant Protection in Interior
Risk: If the vehicles are equipped with a headliner that does not meet the impact requirements, there is an increased risk of occupantl injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the headliner, free of charge. The recall began on June 22, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Steering:electric Power Assist System 2013-07-03 · campaign 13V292000 · 74 vehicles
Defect: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012 Yaris vehicles manufactured August 21, 2011, through August 31, 2011. A relay in the Power Steering Control Module of the electronic power steering system could experience a short circuit due to insufficient distance between terminals in the relay and moisture contamination of relay coil windings. A short circuit in the relay could disable power steering assistance.
Risk: If the power steering assistance shuts off, the driver may have difficulty steering the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering control module. The recall began on July 31, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Service bulletins (200)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-01-07 · T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2005 – 2026 toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. the purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. if these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof,
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
to prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. the purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer.
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. if these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfa
Structure:body 2024-12-05 · T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
toyota vehicles are currently protected with rapgardtm protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. this material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. follow the removal procedure in this bulletin to remove the rapgardtm protective film wi
Structure:body 2024-12-03 · T-SB-0062-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. this type of contamination can be identified by the presence of small, red or brown particles on the paint surfa
Showing the 6 most recent of 200 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2022-05-13 · Seat Belts · 76,200 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owned a 2012 toyota yaris the contact stated that while slowing down and coming to a stoplight, a second vehicle traveling 54 mph crashed into the rear of the vehicle. during the crash, both the driver-side and passenger-side seat belts malfunctioned and did not secure the occupants. the driver sustained head and torso injuries and the …”
2022-05-02 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“i was driving a 2012 yaris when i was in an accident that totaled the vehicles. i was hospitalized for 3 weeks which i believe the airbags had played a major role in the seriousness of the injuries i sustained but not sure how to prove that they failed to protect me and possible they made things worse with the scar across my forehead from being sli…”
2020-12-15 · Service Brakes · 87,600 mi“was driving on the freeway at 70 mph and had to brake for slower traffic ahead. when i depressed the brake pedal, the abs system engaged, braking the left side of the car, then the right almost sending me off the road. after this had happened, the speedometer had started jumping to different speeds very rapidly and i was unable to tell my correct s…”
2020-07-06 · Wheels · 163,600 mi · 💥 crash“on my way home, a 70's truck hit my left side, the airbag came out blind me and made lost control of the vehicule. is a miracle that im alive. happened at pr132 km0.4 guayanilla pr 00656.…”
2020-03-08 · Vehicle Speed Control“saludos cuando me detengo las revoluciones bajan muchos el carro empieza a temblar y hace como para apagarse…”
2019-06-08 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“[xxx] on june 3,17 was in a fatal auto collions that costed her life.the auto was towed to hays towing in san bernadino ca. at:5486 industrial pkwy. san bernardino ca 92407. police report [xxx]*dt information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tt*jb…”
2019-02-22 · Vehicle Speed Control“2012 toyota yaris. consumer writes to recommend recalling vehicle model because of its many manufacturing defects. *as *tr…”
2018-12-07 · Wheels · 187 mi“driving down hwy 94....with 4 children in the vehicle and there was a massive chunk of some type of hard debris....the car thumped so hard and scared us all.!!!! we continued on to church at assumption in st paul afterwards we drove off to leave and felt the car flapping...we had to pull over in a turn lane downtown st paul got out and saw we had a…”
2018-09-26 · Engine · 140,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota yaris. the contact stated that the check engine warning indicator was constantly illuminated for approximately one month. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 1809260488. the vehicle was not…”
2018-04-10 · Unknown Or Other“2012 toyota . consumer writes in regards to recall notice replacement parts issues. consumer has different vehicle issues in artemis. *smd *cn…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.