AI Damage2012 Toyota Yaris: common problems
Owners of the 2012 Toyota Yaris filed 35 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 35
- involving a crash
- 12
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 51% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 14% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 11% of all complaints
- 5 Wheels 11% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 3% of all complaints
- Air bags: 18 complaints (51% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 5 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (11% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 4 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Wheels: 4 complaints (11% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 35 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 18 | 9 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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 front passenger who was the driver's wife sustained broken ribs, and head and spine injuries. Medical attention was received.
I was slowly pulling into a parking space when the car suddenly accelerated and jumped a curb and crashed in front of a restaurant.
All the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted and was not made aware of the failure. The contact sustained several bruises and suffered from chest congestion that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed.
The air bags failed to deploy. The front seat passenger sustained a broken collar bone and the contact sustained a broken sternum that both required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired.
Why did my airbag did not deploy? My glasses went flying and got damaged. My rear end is totally damaged and front as well.
The contact's air bag failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the spine, shoulder, and neck that required medical attention. The contact also suffered from head pain. A police report was filed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure.
The antilock brakes have continued to engage randomly when they are not needed, cause loss of braking control and the overall ability to come to a stop. The speedometer also jumps around every now and then. The abs light was only triggered once, and then turned off.
Saludos cuando me detengo las revoluciones bajan muchos el carro empieza a temblar y hace como para apagarse
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,335 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Yaris has 43 complaints (19 years in the data). This year has 35, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
- Yaris 20065 sources
- Yaris 2007258 sources
- Yaris 2008218 sources
- Yaris 200992 sources
- Yaris 201090 sources
- Yaris 201125 sources
- Yaris 20139 sources
- Yaris 20143 sources
- Yaris 201515 sources
- Yaris 2016113 sources
- Yaris 2017114 sources
- Yaris 201888 sources
- Yaris 2019110 sources
- Yaris 202077 sources
- Yaris 202313 sources
- Yaris 20243 sources
- Yaris 20253 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Toyota Yaris?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, structure, electrical system. Total complaints: 35. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (17%), warning lights, check engine (6%), brake failure (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2012 Toyota Yaris?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2012 Toyota Yaris from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2012 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.