31 complaints reported

2012 Toyota Camry Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
31
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jul 2025

My engine jumps when I accelerate so I looked on google if there were any recalls and it said there were so i called the Toyota dealership and they said there were no recalls on my vehicle.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Mar 2022
Mar 2024

My 2012 Toyota Camry has started shutting off If I do a hard stop or quick stop by pressing on the breaks. My car will be on, in drive and completely turn off. The lights on the dashboard will all flash on then it turns off. I will have to quickly put the car in park, take the key out then put the key back in and turn the car on for it to start again. There are no warning lights that appear on the dashboard before the car turns off. They all flash suddenly and then it stalls out. It has stalled out while driving multiple times with vehicles behind me in my lane. This is very unsafe as I have reduced driving on highways in case it occurs. This has been reproduced by my mechanic who has said it is burning oil very quickly. He confirmed there were no leaks. I’ve only used synthetic oil and bought my car brand new in 2012. Once my oil is changed the problem seems to go away for awhile until the oil gets low again however my oil changes do not last as long in between and I usually need another oil change 20K miles before it is ā€œdueā€. Since my car has started burning oil so quick my oil change light does not come on to notify me it is low or needed so I’ve been advised to check my oil every 1,000 miles.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2021
Nov 2023

Toyota has a recall for 2012 camry torque converter issue. The recall was issued with a timeframe and/or mileage limit. My camry never experienced these issues until after the recall expired. i reached out to toyota about the recall and they state they aren't going to fix the issue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2023
Sep 2023

Odometer fraud. Tampered odometer and tried to sell the car and the tampering is huge 100K miles.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Sep 2023
Apr 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle hesitated. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine control module (ECM) software needed to be updated. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 157,033.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Apr 2023
Apr 2023

I purchased my car about 4 years ago. Less than a year later after I purchased the vehicle, I took it back to the dealer informing them of the shaking or vibration. They gave the car back to me telling me there’s nothing wrong with the car. Months later I called them again for the same thing and they said the same. Not long ago, I was driving the car with my 2 year old granddaughter and my daughter, taking a turn, the lights in the dash came on and the wheel became so hard that I almost crashed because I couldn’t hardly turn the wheel. I pulled over on a very busy road Hooper Ave TR NJ. We almost got hit by the traffic because there’s no place to pull over and waited to see if it was safe to drive the car. Took the car to a mechanic and doing research he mentioned the torque converter is bad and that’s the reason why it vibrates and shakes. All along, the dealer knew about the problem and they ignored the issue. ā€œThe 2012-2014 Toyota Camry shudder that can potentially happen in these Toyota models made during these years. The shudder comes from the transmission, especially during the acceleration of the Camry models. It can be alarming for the driver and be a safety concern when the gears do not properly change during operation. When this problem persists over a significant period of time, it has the poetry to cause long-term damage to your transmission. Damage to your transmission can be costly and affect the overall performance of your Toyota.ā€ Perhaps maybe now because I have been driving it for a while now with the same issue, believing the dealer that there’s was nothing wrong with it, that’s the problem became worse and more dangerous. Other websites say there’s a recall on the issue so I would like to get this serious issue fixed as soon as possible as this is the only vehicle available to move around.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Sep 2023
Dec 2022

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he had been adding two quarts of oil every 1,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics who could not duplicate the failure and informed the contact that there were no oil leaks found; however, the spark plugs, oil filter, drain plug, and the drain plug gasket were replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 178,397.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2022
Oct 2022

The torque convert is bad, when driving at up 25 mph and at 45 mph the car has a vibration. I have been seeing many reviews about this issue with the model of Toyota

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Oct 2022
Jul 2022

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the oil and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the camshaft gear had seized. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 227,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Nov 2022
Jun 2022

My Toyota Camry has been burning oil for over two years. Last year it began to get worse. I have been taking it to an auto repairs shop to tap off the oil to prevent the engine from failing. This week it burned 3 pints of oils. I have been using Lucas to slow down the oil combustion. I was advised by an automotive shop that Toyota has recalled some Camrys for oil consumption problems. Moreover, the mechanic advised that the engine could be default regardless of the year of the car. My car is in danger of shutting down on the road. It will end up with engine failure if the issue is not repaired. Toyota explained that some vehicles were recalled for oil consumption- but not mine. This is not fair that my car has not been included. I am seeking justice and for Toyota to do the right thing. I did not do anything to cause this issue. I am the owner of a car that has a manufacture faulty defect that is threatening the life of my car and my safety as well as other drivers. I await to hear back. Sharon Scott

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jun 2019
Mar 2022

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated after recently having an oil change performed on the vehicle; after approximately 2,000 miles while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal knocking noise coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and checked engine oil and noticed there was no oil in the engine. The contact added oil to the engine and continued drive to her destination however, the failure persisted. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the failure as an oil consumption failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2021
Feb 2021

THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS CAUSING MY CAR TO SHUDDER AND MAKE UNUSUAL SOUNDS. THIS IS ALSO CAUSING METAL FRAGMENTS TO LEAK INTO MY TRANSMISSION. THIS COULD CAUSE MY CAR TO SLIP GEARS WHILE DRIVING MAKING THIS A HAZARDOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2021
Jan 2021

OIL CONSUMPTION IS SEVERELY HIGH. I RECENTLY GOT THE OIL CHANGED A WEEK OR TWO BEFORE AND IT WAS EMPTY. THE CAR WOULD SHUT DOWN WHEN TURNING, ONLY TO FIND OUT AT THE SAME DEALERSHIP I HAVE RECEIVED THE INITIAL OIL CHANGE FROM THAT THE OIL IS SEVERELY LOW. I WAS TOLD BY OTHER MECHANICS THAT THERE WERE RECALLS ON PRIOR YEARS OF TOYOTA CAMRY FOR THE SAME ENGINE ISSUES AND I WAS INSTRUCTED THAT I SHOULD FILE AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT BY MULTIPLE MECHANICS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Apr 2021
Nov 2020

WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 25 TO 40 MPH THE CAR SHUDDER AND THE ENGINE VIBRATES. I BELIEVE IT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE GEARS AND I HOPE TOYOTA WILL FIX IT FOR FREE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Nov 2020
Sep 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED BETWEEN SPEEDS OF 20 TO 40 MPH. THE SHUDDERING STOPPED WHEN THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED 50 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NYE TOYOTA (1441 GENESEE ST, ONEIDA, NY 13421 (315) 363-1000). THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE CONTACT HAD A RECALL REPAIR FOR THE TORQUE CONVERTER SHUTTERING BACK IN 2015. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS EXTENDED BUT HAD SINCE EXPIRED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT SHE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jul 2020
Jan 2020

110,000 MILES AND ENGINE IS BURNING TWO TO 3 QUARTS BETWEEN OIL CHANGES

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2020
Nov 2019 Fire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLICKING SOUND AND DECIDED TO CHANGE LANES TO PULL OVER. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE FILLING THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AS IT CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND DESTROYED BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH THEM. POLICE AND FIRE REPORTS WERE FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY INVESTIGATED THE FAILURE AND TOOK PLENTY OF PICTURES OF THE BURNED OUT VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2019
Oct 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE ENGINE SHUDDERED AND VIBRATED WHILE IN SECOND GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2019
May 2019

I HAVE NOTICED THAT MY VEHICLE IS CONSUMING EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL. THE ENGINE BURNS HALF A QUARTER OR MORE OF OIL IN BETWEEN THE OIL CHANGES. IT IS EXHIBITING ABNORMAL OIL CONSUMPTION. MY MOST RECENT OIL CHANGE WAS ON 03/02/19 AND MY VEHICLE IS ALREADY LOW ON MOTOR OIL. I HAVE ATTACHED A PHOTO OF WHERE IT IS TODAY 05/27/19.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2018
Nov 2018

I AM HAVING PROBLEM WITH MY CAR 2 MONTHS AGO, WHEN I STARTING AFTER FEW SECOND SOMETHING BLOCKING AND L STOPS.I AM USING MY CAR FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOME JOB, SCHOOL ON STREET, NOT TO MUCH USING ON HIGHWAY. ON 19 NOVEMBER 2018 I CHANGED MY OIL AND ASKED THEM CHECK EVERYTHING FOR WINTER TIME, ALSO TOLD ABOUT PROBLEM, BECAUSE I AM GRANDMA AND EVERYDAY PICKIN UP MY GRANDKIDS FROM SCHOOL. THE BODY SHOP FIND OUT ABOUT TRANSMISSION AND RECALL. ADVICED ME TO CALL TOYOTA. MY CAR HAD RECALL ON 2014.WE PURCHASED THIS CAR ON 2014 AND DEALER DID NOT TOLD US ABOUT RECALL. CAR HAD ALREADY 60000 MILES, NOW MY CAR HAS 82171 MILES. ALSO RECALL PAPER WAS SENT TO 1 ST OWNER. I TALKED WITH TOYOTA THEY SUGGEST ME TO DO INSPECTION IN ANY TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY WILL FIX, BUT TODAY AUTONATION TOYOTA DEALER LIBERTY I'LL SERVICE TOLD ME WHOLE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO CHANGE AND RECALL WILL NOT COVER COST. INSPECTION SHOWS TRANSMISSION LUNGES SOMETIMES WHEN STARTING FROM STOP DIAG 30 TRANSMISSION FAILING BETWEEN 2ND AND3RD GEARS. I WOULD SAY NEVER REPAIRED TRANSMISSION CONVERTER LAST 5 YEARS THIS DEFECT AFFECTED TO WHOLE TRANSMISSION. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU HELP ME TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION. REPLACEMENT WILL COST$6723.00, WE ALMOST SOON PAYING OFF OUR LOAN LESS THAN THIS AMOUNT.THIS SERVICE CLERK ADVICED ME TO CHANGE TRANSMISSION OR TRADE AND BUY ANOTHER CAR. WE HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY SOON WE WILL NOT GONE HAVE ANYMORE MONTHLY PAYMENTS, SO NOW COME UP LIKE NOT PUT TO DANGER MY GRAND KIDS , WE SHOULD BUY OR PAY FOR REPLACEMENT.EVEN IF WE DO TRADE OUR CAR, DEALER WILL NOT FIX TRANSMISSION AND SALE TO ANOTHER PERSON WHO WILL HAVE SOON A PROBLEM AS LIKE ME.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Mar 2018
Jun 2018

ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR, THE CAR WAS PUT IN PARK AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF USING THE ON/OFF BUTTON, BUT THEN LATER IN THE NIGHT, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING! THE CAR WAS IN THE GARAGE AND THE KEY WAS IN THE HOUSE AT THE TIME.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2018
Jun 2017

CAR HAD NO PROBLEMS TIL I REACHED THE 120000 MILE MARK NOW THE CAR SHUTS OFF WITHOUT NOTICE,BURNING OIL AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES OFF AND ON

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2017
Sep 2016

AC WOULD TAKE ITS TIME COMING ON, FELT LIKE IT WAS STRUGGLING TO BLOW. NOW ITS COMPLETELY BROKEN. FOUL SMELLING ORDER WHEN AC TURNED ON.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Sep 2016
May 2016

I AM GETTING A FLUTTER WHEN I PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL AS I AM DRIVING ON THE ROAD. I THOUGHT IT WAS IN THE WHEEL, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY THE TORQUE CONVERTER. WHEN I CONTACTED TOYOTA THE SECOND TIME ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, A MECHANIC RODE WITH ME TO HEAR WHAT WAS GOING ON. HE STATED IT WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND THAT THEY HAD REPLACED A FEW OF THEM. HE SAID THEY WOULD DO A SOFTWARE UPDATE AND THEN REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER LATER THAT WEEK. I RECEIVED A CALL BACK LATER THAT DAY STATING MY VIN NUMBER WASN'T INCLUDED WITH THE RECALL OF THE TORQUE CONVERTERS AND HE WOULD CONTACT TOYOTA TO SEE IF THEY WOULD STILL COVER IT, BECAUSE THEY HAD COVERED OTHER VEHICLES. I RECEIVED A CALL BACK OVER A WEEK LATER TO STATE TOYOTA SAID THEY WOULD ONLY COVER HALF OF THE COST. THIS DEFECT IS SOMETHING TOYOTA IS FULLY AWARE OF AND SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF THE COSTS FOR THE CUSTOMER. I HAVE GOOGLED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND A LOT OF 2012 CAMRY'S ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CUSTOMER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO COVER THE COSTS OF A MALFUNCTION THAT TOYOTA CAUSED. IF THEY ARE TAKING CARE OF SOME OF THE CUSTOMERS, THEY MOST DEFINITELY SHOULD BE TAKING CARE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS. MY CAR WAS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD WHEN THIS PROBLEM STARTED AND I HAVE TO REPLACE A TRANSMISSION. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. TOYOTA DIDN'T SELL DEFECTIVE ENGINES BEFORE, BUT NOW THEY DO. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS. REGARDLESS IF MY VIN NUMBER DIDN'T FALL IN LINE WITH THE RECALL LIST, I AM HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM SO SOMEONE NEEDS TO INCLUDE IT AND HAVE TOYOTA FIX MY CAR. I'M IN THE LAST YEAR OF PAYING FOR MY CAR AND I HAVE TO PUT OUT ALMOST $5,700.00 OUT FOR AN ENGINE? THIS IS NOT HAPPENING. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND COVER THEIR DEFECTIVE TORQUE CONVERTER AND TRANSMISSION.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jun 2015
Nov 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST POWER. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT LEAST EIGHT TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE REPAIRED, BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Mar 2015

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Quick Summary

The 2012 Toyota Camry has 31 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.