Of the 17 airbags complaints filed for the 2012 Toyota Yaris,
here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 150,000+ mi.
0-25k
0 (0%)
25-50k
1 (20%)
50-75k
1 (20%)
75-100k
1 (20%)
100-125k
0 (0%)
125-150k
0 (0%)
150k+
2 (40%)
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
Airbags accounts for 49% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 4 categories tracked.
No new NHTSA airbags complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 10 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
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).
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering airbags 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.
Service BulletinTSB003220Aug 2023
TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2023 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate.
TSB: Some 2005 ? 2022 model year Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty smell is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This service bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare the interior of the vehicle prior to an odor remediation being performed, as well as contact information for an approved vendor who will arrange the remediation, and instructions on how to prepare the interior of the vehicle for reassembly once the remediation has been completed. Refer to all model and
CSP: On July 30, 2018, a settlement of claims for Economic Loss related to Takata airbag inflators was approved for full implementation. The settlement includes Toyota?s agreement to provide a Customer Support Program (?CSP?) for 2002-2019 model year (MY) vehicles originally equipped with certain Takata airbag inflators or repaired under a recall with Takata airbag inflators to provide coverage for repairs of the airbag inflator contained in the airbag module. This CSP letter is to help clarify how to administer this coverage in accordance with the settlement. This is NOT a recall or a campaign, but is provided to reassure owners that Toyota stands behind the reliability of our vehicles.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of 2012 Toyota Yaris models report two distinct problems with airbags. The primary complaint involves Takata airbag inflators subject to NHTSA Campaign 17V006000—owners received recall notices but faced severe parts shortages, with Toyota dealerships unable to provide replacement parts for months after notification. Owners reported Toyota service departments offering no timeline for repairs and providing no interim loaner vehicles as promised, leaving them driving vehicles they knew were defective. The manufacturer acknowledged awareness of distribution delays but could not confirm parts availability dates.
A secondary, critical issue involves airbag deployment failures during actual crashes. Owners reported multiple collision incidents at speeds ranging from 25 to 45 mph where airbags failed to deploy at all, resulting in serious injuries including broken collar bones, broken sternum, spine injuries, shoulder and neck trauma, and at least one fatal collision. In one case, an airbag that did deploy caused the driver to lose control, and another complaint suggests inadequate deployment quality in a severe accident. These failures occurred across the mileage spectrum (26,000 to 80,000 miles), and most were never reported to the manufacturer or Toyota dealers because owners handled repairs independently or the vehicles were totaled.
Same Toyota Yaris airbags reports on nearby years: 2009 · 2010 · 2011
Failure modes owners describe
Takata airbag inflator defect recall
Owners received NHTSA Campaign 17V006000 recall notices for Takata airbag inflators but replacement parts remained unavailable for extended periods, with some owners waiting 5+ months after initial notification with no confirmed delivery date.
When: 2017 (recall notifications received January–July 2017)
Symptoms owners cite: Recall notice received but no parts available; Dealership unable to provide timeline for repair; Long wait times (2–3+ months quoted repeatedly); Promised loaner vehicles not provided
Codes mentioned:NHTSA Campaign 17V006000
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement airbag inflators required; parts distribution delays prevented dealer repair
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 17V006000; Toyota acknowledged parts not available and could not confirm delivery dates when contacted 3/24/2017 and 6/7/2017; VIN tool confirmed parts unavailable
Airbag deployment failure in frontal and side-impact collisions
Airbags failed to deploy in multiple collision events, including frontal impacts and side-impact collisions, leaving occupants unprotected and resulting in serious injuries.
When: Mileage range 26,000–80,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Airbags did not deploy during frontal crash at 25 mph; Airbags did not deploy during frontal crash at 35 mph; Airbags did not deploy during frontal crash at 40 mph downhill; Airbags did not deploy during side-impact collision at 45 mph; Rear-end collision at low speed—airbag did not deploy; Multiple airbags failed simultaneously in some events
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicles were totaled or deemed total loss; independent mechanic inspection performed in one case but no repair completed
Airbag deployment malfunction causing loss of vehicle control
One owner reported an airbag deployment that blinded the driver and caused loss of vehicle control during a side-impact collision.
When: Unknown mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag deployed but blinded driver; Driver lost control of vehicle following deployment
Synthesized from 17 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting
9 most recent
airbags · 26,000 mi
· filed 12/28/2015
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 sustained a broken sternum that both required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an…
airbags · 80,000 mi
· filed 12/27/2017
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 not contacted and was not made aware of the failure. The contact sustained several bruises and suffered from chest…
airbags
· filed 11/27/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Toyota yaris. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17v006000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue on 3/24/2017 and 6/7/2017 and was not able to…
airbags
· filed 11/24/2017
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 Toyota yaris. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 17v006000 (air bags) on january 9, 2017, but the contact received the interim recall notice less than two weeks ago. Motorworld Toyota (150 motorworld dr #4, wilkes-barre, pa 18702, (866) 652-1257) stated that the contact would need to wait for a second letter because the remedy and parts…
airbags · 205,000 mi
· filed 10/23/2017
My car was in wreck that totalled the car out and the airbags did not deploy
airbags · 163,600 mi
· filed 07/06/2020
On my way home, a 70's truck hit my left side, the airbag came out blind me and made lost control of the vehicule. Is a miracle that im alive. Happened at pr132 km0.4 guayanilla pr 00656.
airbags · 65,000 mi
· filed 07/03/2017
Tl* takata recall. The contact owned a 2012 Toyota yaris. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact struck something in the road. As a result, the vehicle drove off the road and crashed into a tree. None of the air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was totaled and was towed to a tow yard. The vehicle was…
airbags
· filed 06/20/2017
I received a safety recall letter in the mail; the letter stated that there is an issue with my airbag inflators. I tried contacting a few Toyota dealerships, and they made my issue, and more importantly, my safety, seem like it was not their number one priority. They told me that they would have to order new parts but that would take two months. If they received it earlier they said they would…
airbags
· filed 06/08/2019
[xxx] on june 3,17 was in a fatal auto collions that costed her life.the auto was towed to hays towing in san bernadino ca. At:5486 industrial pkwy. San bernardino ca 92407. Police report [xxx]*dt information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tt*jb
Had airbags trouble with your 2012 Toyota Yaris?
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 airbags problem on the 2012 Toyota Yaris?
It's a serious issue. 17 complaints have been filed, including 9 reports involving a crash and 1 fatality(ies). We've classified it as critical based on NHTSA's reported outcomes.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Based on the 17 complaints filed, airbags issues most often appear around 96,229 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 $1,100 for airbags 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 airbags?
Yes — 1 active recall(s) cover airbags issues on this vehicle. Recall fixes are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status. Use the VIN decoder at the top of the page to check if your specific vehicle is affected.
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/Yaris.
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.