Recalls (4)
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2012 Toyota Avalon. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗
Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.
Check on NHTSA ↗Air Bags/Seat Belt Pretensioners may not Deploy
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.
- 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. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.
Inner Seat Belt Buckle Magnet Missing
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- If the seat belt is falsely interpreted as being buckled, in the event of a crash, the air bags may not deploy appropriately, increasing the risk of injury.
- 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. The recall began September 19, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0S.
Sub-Woofer Electrical Short
- Summary
- 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 circuit (IC) in the audio amplifier. In some cases, the damaged IC may allow a constant electrical current flow to the sub-woofer.
- Consequence
- A constant electrical current flow may cause the sub-woofer to overheat, increasing the risk of fire.
- 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. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
Clogged A/C Drain may cause Air Bags to Deploy
- Summary
- 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. The accumulated water may then leak through a seam in the housing onto the air bag control module potentially resulting in a short circuit of the module.
- Consequence
- A short circuit may cause the air bags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airbag can increase the risk of injury in a severe crash. The power steering assist could also become inoperable resulting in increased steering effort and can increase the risk of a crash at low speeds.
- 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. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.
Owner complaints (30)
30 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The air bags is mentioned most often.
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 6 | 20% |
| Structure | 6 | 20% |
| Electrical system | 4 | 13.3% |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 13.3% |
| Service brakes | 3 | 10% |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 10% |
| Unknown or other | 2 | 6.7% |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 3.3% |
| Engine | 1 | 3.3% |
| Power train | 1 | 3.3% |
How 2012 compares with other Avalon years
Best and worst Avalon years →| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 349 | 6 |
| 2009 | 91 | 7 |
| 2010 | 46 | 7 |
| 2011 | 106 | 1 |
| 2012 | 30 | 4 |
| 2013 | 137 | 4 |
| 2014 | 96 | 4 |
| 2015 | 41 | 2 |
| 2016 | 23 | 3 |
| 2017 | 14 | 2 |
Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Fuel economy: up to 22 mpg combined
- EPA annual fuel cost
- $3,050
- CO₂ tailpipe
- 404 g/mi
- EPA class
- Large Cars
What it costs you to run
Miles ÷ 22 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.
EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.
Specs by configuration
| Engine · transmission | Drive | City / Hwy / Comb | EPA $/yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 L 6-cyl · 6-speed automatic | Front-Wheel Drive | 19 / 28 / 22 | $3,050 | 404 |
Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.
Looking at a 2012 Avalon for sale?
Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.
Where to next
2012 Toyota Avalon FAQ
How many recalls does the 2012 Toyota Avalon have?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns: 20V024000 (air bag), 18V569000 (air bag), 15V047000 (electrical), 13V442000 (air bag). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 2012 Toyota Avalon problems?
Owners filed 30 complaints with NHTSA. Air bags (6), Structure (6), Electrical system (4) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
What mpg does the 2012 Toyota Avalon get?
EPA rates the 3.5 L 6-cyl · 6-speed automatic version at 19 city, 28 highway and 22 combined mpg.
How does the 2012 Avalon compare with other years?
Among the 2008–2017 Toyota Avalon model years at least five years old, the 2017 drew the fewest complaints (14) and the 2008 the most (349). The 2012 drew 30. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EPA fuel economy data (licence confirmation pending)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EIA weekly retail gasoline prices
Weekly, all taxes included
Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.