TT: Some customers may encounter Bluetooth® connectivity concerns such as: ?Difficulty to pair the phone. ?Intermittent Bluetooth® failure to connect to the vehicle when first turning on the vehicle. ?Various Bluetooth® Audio functions are no longer functioning with customer?s phone such as ability to change the track using the steering wheel controls. These concerns can be caused by changes made on the customer?s phone. Make sure to inquire with the customer if the connectivity concerns occurred after receiving an operating system update on their phone, or if they have restored their phone data/settings recently.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2012 Toyota Tacoma steering problems
moderate Owners of the 2012 Toyota Tacoma have filed 12 NHTSA complaints about the steering, typically surfacing around 43,000 miles at roughly $700 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See steering across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
12
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$700
| Model year | steering complaints |
|---|---|
| 2008 Tacoma | 40 |
| 2009 Tacoma | 39 |
| 2011 Tacoma | 17 |
| 2012 Tacoma (this page) | 12 |
| 2013 Tacoma | 13 |
| 2014 Tacoma | 8 |
| 2015 Tacoma | 4 |
| 2016 Tacoma | 4 |
When does it fail?
Of the 12 steering complaints filed for the 2012 Toyota Tacoma, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 100,000-125,000 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 steering complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 7 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 steering 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.
TT: Some customers may encounter Bluetooth® connectivity concerns such as: ? Difficulty to pair the phone. ? Intermittent Bluetooth® failure to connect to the vehicle when first turning on the vehicle. ? Various Bluetooth® Audio functions are no longer functioning with customer?s phone such as ability to change the track using the steering wheel controls. These concerns can be caused by changes made on the customer?s phone. Make sure to inquire with the customer if the connectivity concerns occurred after receiving an operating system update on their phone, or if they have restored their phone data/settings recently.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Some vehicles may exhibit a vibration felt in the seat, floorboard, and/or steering wheel around 15-25 MPH caused by a second order driveline vibration. Use the following procedure to address this condition.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗TOYOTA: STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT RATTLE NOISE. SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT STEERING RATTLE NOISE WHEN DRIVEN OVER ROUGH ROAD SURFACES. ALSO INCLUDED 2WD TACOMA PRERUNNER. MODEL YEARS 2005-2012.
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 Toyota Tacomas describe a range of steering problems starting very early in vehicle life. Steering wheel vibration and shake are the most common complaint, happening at highway speeds or even at low mileage (500–9,100 miles), sometimes throughout the cab. Several owners spent money on wheel balancing and alignment with no improvement.
A recurring issue is steering that fails to return to center after turning, with some owners identifying the intermediate steering rod lower ball joint as failed—the cups and bearings destroyed—at mileage as low as 34,400 miles. One owner reported sudden total loss of power steering while backing up, with no warning lights.
Other reports include steering that becomes stiff and hard to turn, violent shaking and pulling to one side at highway speed (57 mph), truck locking up in curves, and one steering shaft that rotted and seized. One owner reports a seized universal shaft with corrosion noted; Toyota's 2005–2011 Tacomas had a recall covering this, but the dealer declined coverage for the 2012 model. One complaint about tires pulling side-to-side may be tire-related rather than steering system. One complaint about horn operation tied to steering wheel position appears unrelated to steering control.
Same Toyota Tacoma steering reports on nearby years: 2009 · 2011 · 2013
Failure modes owners describe
Steering wheel vibration and shake
Persistent vibration in steering wheel and sometimes throughout cab at highway speeds or during normal driving. Occurs at very low mileage and persists after wheel balancing and alignment.
When: From 500 miles onward; reported at 9,100 miles
Symptoms owners cite: steering wheel vibration; shake throughout vehicle cab; vibration persists after wheel balancing and alignment; occurs at highway speeds
Repairs/costs cited: Owners spent money on re-balancing and alignment with no resolution; dealer unable to identify cause
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota dealers claimed it was normal 'road feedback' or said they could not see the issue in owner videos
Steering fails to return to center
After turning, steering wheel stays in the turned position rather than automatically returning to center. Additional effort required to correct.
When: At 75,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: steering does not return to center after turn; steering remains in turned position; requires additional effort to correct steering
Repairs/costs cited: $550 repair cost paid out of pocket by owner
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer informed owner vehicle was not subject to recall; manufacturer offered no assistance
Intermediate steering rod lower ball joint failure
Lower ball joint of intermediate steering rod fails with destroyed cups and bearing. Also results in harder steering and failure to return to center. Occurs at very low mileage.
When: 34,400 miles
Symptoms owners cite: harder steering than normal; steering does not return to center after turning; visual inspection shows destroyed cups and bearings in lower ball joint
Repairs/costs cited: Owner identified failed part visually; Toyota considers this a normal wear item
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota considers this normal wear
Steering shaft corrosion and universal joint failure
Universal shaft affected by corrosion and seizes. Steering becomes stiff and difficult to turn. Toyota's recall for steering shaft and universal joint assembly covered 2005–2011 Tacomas but not 2012 model.
When: Not specified; one owner paid repair at unknown mileage
Symptoms owners cite: wheel vibrates and shudders in motion; steering wheel becomes stiff; difficult to turn while highway driving; steering shaft rotted and seized
Repairs/costs cited: One owner paid $536.02 dealer repair for rotted and seized shaft; corrosion noted by Bobby Rahal service advisor
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall exists for 2005–2011 models (covering shaft assembly, universal joint, hanger) but not applied to 2012; manufacturer declined coverage
Sudden loss of power steering
Total loss of power steering function while backing up to park. No warning lights or messages on dashboard. Steering becomes extremely difficult.
When: Occurred while backing up to park; mileage not stated
Symptoms owners cite: sudden loss of power steering; extremely difficult steering; no warning lights or dashboard messages
Repairs/costs cited: Owner drove with difficulty to mechanic; power steering unit ordered for replacement
Truck locks up in curves
Vehicle occasionally locks up or becomes difficult to steer while in a curve. Owner reports awareness of multiple other trucks with same issue.
When: Not specified
Symptoms owners cite: truck locks up occasionally in a curve; difficult to steer in curves
Violent shaking and pulling while driving
Vehicle violently shakes and pulls to the left while driving at 57 mph. Continues after dealer repair.
When: At 3 miles on odometer; recurred by 1,100 miles
Symptoms owners cite: violent shake and pull to the left; occurs at 57 mph
Repairs/costs cited: Repaired by authorized dealer but failures continued
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer made aware but offered no assistance
Lower control arm ball joint wear
Lower control arm ball joints fail on both sides, causing steering wheel vibration.
When: Not specified
Symptoms owners cite: steering wheel vibration; lower control arm ball joint failure on both sides
Synthesized from 12 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
My steering shaft rotted and seized. I took it to a dealer and they repaired it but charged me $536.02 to fix it. When I reseached recalls there was one on 5/12/12. I am asking for my money back for this repair
Had steering trouble with your 2012 Toyota Tacoma?
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 steering problem on the 2012 Toyota Tacoma?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 12 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $700 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Across the 9 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most steering failures cluster between 24,500 and 75,000 miles, with the median around 43,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 24,500; a quarter make it past 75,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $700 for steering 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 steering?
No active recalls currently cover steering 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/Tacoma.
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.