TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE June 23, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0063-20.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2012 Toyota Camry suspension problems
moderate 12 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $900 · see suspension across all vehicles →
Complaints
12
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$900
When does it fail?
Of the 12 suspension complaints filed for the 2012 Toyota Camry, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA suspension complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 12 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering suspension on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE: THIS BULLETIN IS NO LONGER APPLICABLE AND IS NOW OBSOLETE.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Some Avalon, Avalon HV, Camry, and Camry HV vehicles may exhibit an abnormal noise when turning and/or driving over uneven road surfaces. A new improved service part insulator for the front strut is available to reduce the possibility of the dust boot becoming wedged between the strut shaft bumper and strut shaft.; Follow the procedures in this bulletin to address this condition
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of 2012 Camrys cite a clear pattern of suspension and ride-quality issues. The most common complaint is harsh ride quality: the car transmits every minor road imperfection into the cabin with loud noises and excessive bouncing, leading multiple 60-year veterans and other experienced drivers to judge it unsafe. Dealers have compared problem cars side-by-side with other Camrys and confirmed the difference is real, yet still attributed it to specification or owner opinion.
Clunking noises appear across multiple suspension areas. Front-end clunks occur after the car sits, triggered by the first dip at 20–30 mph; rear clunks happen during acceleration and braking. Roof knocking is documented on sunroof models, with multiple repair centers acknowledging it as a known manufacturing issue. One owner faced a $486.85 repair quote for out-of-warranty roof work at only 40,000 miles.
Structural concerns include rust on strut towers at 27,500 miles (with no protective cover or drain per the owner) and leaking front struts requiring $500 replacement outside warranty. Owners also report excessive vibration on freeways, pulling to one side, wheels appearing bowed outward, and front-suspension popping. Diagnostics at dealerships consistently turn up nothing, despite video documentation and clear owner documentation of problems.
Same Toyota Camry suspension reports on nearby years: 2009 · 2010 · 2011
Failure modes owners describe
Harsh ride quality and excessive road feedback
Multiple owners report the car feels unusually harsh over minor road imperfections, with loud noises from underneath and excessive bouncing. Dealers initially dismissed complaints as subjective or within specification. One owner noted the problem was confirmed worse than a comparison Camry at the dealership; tire pressure adjustments did not resolve it.
Symptoms owners cite: extreme discomfort over small road defects; loud noises from under car; car bounces on bumps; feels unsafe while driving
Repairs/costs cited: Tire pressure lowered at dealership but did not improve condition
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota arranged engineer visit; dealers stated vehicle within specification
Front suspension clunk noise after sitting
Owners report a loud, hollow metal clunk from the front suspension that occurs on the first road dip after the car sits for several hours. The noise repeats occasionally during driving but becomes less pronounced. Two dealerships and a Toyota engineering team could not replicate the issue during visual inspection, though owners video-recorded the event.
When: After vehicle sits for several hours; occurs at 20–30 mph over road dips
Symptoms owners cite: loud solitary hollow metal clunk from front end; noise occurs on dips at 20–30 mph; noise less pronounced on repeated encounters; occurs majority of driving days
Repairs/costs cited: No parts changed; visual inspection found nothing abnormal
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Two dealerships and Toyota engineering team unable to replicate or identify cause
Rear roof area knocking with sunroof
Owners with sunroof models report knocking from the back of the roof on the passenger side when body integrity is compromised—such as going over bumps or entering a garage. Multiple repair centers in Puerto Rico acknowledged this is a known customer issue. Online forums document the same problem across 2012 Camrys with sunroof, suggesting a manufacturing defect.
When: Occurs when going over bumps or entering garage from driveway
Symptoms owners cite: knocking sound from back of roof, passenger side; occurs when body is flexed
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer quoted $486.85 to repair out-of-warranty; repair centers acknowledged it as a known issue
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Original dealer refused repair due to 36,000-mile warranty expiration; Puerto Rico centers acknowledged it is a manufacturing issue for which Toyota should be responsible
Front strut tower rust without design protection
At 27,500 miles, front strut towers showed rust. Owner washed the engine regularly without prior issues. Toyota dealer and national office refused warranty coverage, blaming the owner's engine washing. Owner states no drain or cover was manufactured into the tower, calling it a design flaw. Independent mechanic warned of possible failure.
When: Appeared by 27,500 miles
Symptoms owners cite: rust on front strut towers
Repairs/costs cited: Independent mechanic warned of failure possibility; owner did not proceed with repair
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer and Toyota national office refused warranty coverage; attributed to owner's engine washing
Leaking front struts
At 38,163 miles, owner reported steering that required over-correction on highways to maintain straight travel. Road defects caused bouncing and jarring, making steering difficult and creating unsafe conditions. Dealership diagnosed a leaking front strut and quoted $500 for replacement.
When: 38,163 miles; vehicle was off-lease purchase at 32,698 miles
Symptoms owners cite: steering requires over-correction on highways; bouncing and jarring when hitting road defects; difficulty maintaining safe steering
Repairs/costs cited: $500 quoted for new strut replacement only
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Strut not covered by warranty (expired at 36,000 miles)
Rear suspension clunk on acceleration and braking
Owners report a loud, hollow clunk from the rear of the car when slowing to a stop or accelerating from a stop. Two dealerships examined the vehicle and attributed it to normal suspension rebound noise, despite owners noticing the sound as early as 158 miles and persisting well beyond 2,000 miles.
When: Noticed at 158 miles; persists beyond 2,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: loud hollow clunk from back of car during deceleration and acceleration; occurs when slowing to stop or accelerating from stop
Repairs/costs cited: Dealerships found nothing wrong
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Told by two dealerships it is normal suspension rebound noise
Excessive vibration on freeway with grooves
Car shakes aggressively when driving on freeways with groove patterns. Owner reports this as a major safety concern, making the vehicle feel unsafe. Owner has driven seven other vehicles of different makes and models and none exhibit this behavior. Toyota stated this is normal for the car.
Symptoms owners cite: aggressive shaking on freeway with grooves; feels unsafe and uncontrollable
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota stated this is normal for the car
Front suspension popping with unusual tire wear and handling instability
Owner reports a popping sound from the front suspension, unusual tire wear on the inside (tire wires visible), and a feeling that the front end is flexing downward. This causes the front end to feel light and uncontrollable, with the vehicle pulling to the left. Wheels appear bowed outward.
Symptoms owners cite: popping sound from front end suspension; unusual interior tire wear with visible wire; front end feels light and uncontrollable; vehicle pulls left; wheels appear bowed outward
Rear roof knock/tap/clunk on inclines
Owner reports knock/tap/clunk sound from the roof at the rear of the car, first noticed around the 10,000-mile service. The sound occurs every time the car drives up or down an incline at an angle.
When: 11,600 miles; noticed around 10,000-mile service
Symptoms owners cite: knock/tap/clunk from rear roof; occurs on inclines at angle
Vibration and unsafe handling on highways
Owner reports the suspension feels unsafe when driving on highways, with vibration throughout the vehicle. The owner states Toyota said the vehicle was designed that way, refusing to address the concern.
When: Under 40,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: vibration on vehicle when on highways; suspension feels unsafe
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota stated vehicle was designed like that
Brake actuator assembly failure with warning lights
ABS, traction control, and air bag warning lights illuminated intermittently. Dealer diagnosed a failing brake actuator assembly and replaced it.
When: 10,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: ABS light intermittently illuminates; traction control light intermittently illuminates; air bag light intermittently illuminates
Repairs/costs cited: Brake actuator assembly replaced
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer made aware of failure
Synthesized from 12 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
I own a 2012 4cyl camry xle. A knocking sound coming from the back of the roof on the passenger side happens when the body integrity is compromised, like when going over bumps or entering a home garage from the driveway. Brought the car to the Toyota dealer in december 2013 who refused to repair the problem because the car was out of warranty (the car had over 40,000 miles and the warranty…
Had suspension trouble with your 2012 Toyota Camry?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the suspension problem on the 2012 Toyota Camry?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 12 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $900 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the suspension typically fail?
Based on the 12 complaints filed, suspension issues most often appear around 23,600 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $900 for suspension repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to suspension?
No active recalls currently cover suspension issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2012/Toyota/Camry.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.