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ProblemsByVinFile / 2012-TOYOTA-YARISNHTSA data synced 4 days ago
2012 · Toyota
Toyota Yaris problems
1 critical safety recall on file — the kind NHTSA opens when crashes, fires, or injuries are documented. 35 owner complaints alongside. Read those first.
Reliability score
7.4 / 10
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
1
Critical
1
Severe
0
Moderate
Should you avoid this 2012 Yaris?
Acceptable — with caveats
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Reliability score 7.4/10 — around the segment average
2 recall campaigns on file
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model —
not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
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What owners are saying
recent NHTSA-filed complaints · verbatim
2012 Yaris· airbagsCrash
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Toyota yaris. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the contact crashed into the front drivers side fender of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The front seat passenger sustained a broken collar bone and the contact…
Tl* the contact owned a 2012 Toyota yaris. The contact stated that while driving down the hill at 40 MPH, lost control and crashed into the tree in front. All the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was…
Was driving on the freeway at 70 MPH and had to brake for slower traffic ahead. When I depressed the brake pedal, the ABS system engaged, braking the left side of the car, then the right almost sending me off the road. After this had happened, the speedometer had started jumping…
Driving down hwy 94....with 4 children in the vehicle and there was a massive chunk of some type of hard debris....the car thumped so hard and scared us all.!!!! We continued on to church at assumption in st paul afterwards we drove off to leave and felt the car flapping...we…
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On January 9, 2018, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified NHTSA that they are recalling 14,585 model year 2010-2012 Yaris vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag assemblies with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0R (Zone B), and H0A (Zone C), J0A (Matrix Zone A), J0A (Matrix Zone A), J0A (Matrix Zone A).
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012 Yaris vehicles manufactured August 21, 2011, through August 31, 2011
If the power steering assistance shuts off, the driver may have difficulty steering the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering control module. The recall began on July 31, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Under investigation
1 open at NHTSA
EAAir Bags › Frontal · opened September 2021
NHTSA has an open defect investigation covering this vehicle — the step that can precede a recall, not a finding of fault. EA21002 on NHTSA →
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.4 out of 10 based on 35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Toyota Yaris is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
Should you avoid the 2012 Toyota Yaris?
The 2012 Toyota Yaris is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.4/10 — around the segment average; 2 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
What's the most common problem on the 2012 Toyota Yaris?
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is airbags, with 17 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 96,229 miles. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop.
What's the most expensive thing that goes wrong?
The airbags is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 96,229 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
How do I check if my Toyota Yaris has open recalls?
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Is an extended warranty worth it on a 2012 Toyota Yaris?
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 35 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $1,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.
Recall and complaint data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database, last synced 4 days ago. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2012/Toyota/Yaris.
Editorial commentary written by ProblemsByVin contributors and reviewed by ASE-certified mechanics.
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