2012 Toyota Avalon
The Verdict
Worst problem area
Body, Seats & Latches
Body, Seats & Latches leads by volume: 7 of 30 complaints (23%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Airbags & Restraints include more reported injuries (5) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed fell from 106 in 2011 to 30 in 2012.
Data last changed . Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology
Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | vs. 2012 Large Cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 2,700 | 2,700 | 2,850 | 1,550–2,600 | 1,550–2,600 | |
| Combined MPG | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24–40 | 24–40 | |
| City / Highway MPG | 19 / 28 | 20 / 29 | 19 / 28 | 21–40 / 30–39 | 21–40 / 30–39 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 386 | 386 | 404 | 224–365 | 223–365 | |
| Complaints filed | 46 | 106 | 30 | 160 | 114 | |
| Recalls issued | 7 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 6 | 14 | 8 | 18 | 8 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Injuries reported | 6 | 6 | 6 | 21 | 11 | |
| Deaths reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Configurations compared | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.
Common questions
How many recalls does the 2012 Toyota Avalon have?
4 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Sep 16, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.
What is the most common complaint about the 2012 Toyota Avalon?
Body, Seats & Latches: 7 of 30 NHTSA complaints (23%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2012 Toyota Avalon get?
EPA rates it 22 MPG combined.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2012 Toyota Avalon?
EPA estimates $2,850 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (1)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Automatic (S6) | 6 | 3.5L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Large Cars | 19 mpg | 28 mpg | 22 mpg | $2,850 | 404 g/mi |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 6 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.
Recalls (4)
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE · Campaign 20V024000 · Jan 21, 2020
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.
AIR BAGS; SEAT BELTS · Campaign 18V569000 · Aug 31, 2018
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota Avalon vehicles. During a vehicle repair, the seat belt inner buckles may have been replaced with parts that may incorrectly tell the air bag management system that the seat belt is always buckled.
Consequence: If the seat belt is falsely interpreted as being buckled, in the event of a crash, the air bags may not deploy appropriately, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the seat belt assembly to verify that it is properly detecting being unbuckled, replacing the inner seat belt assembly as necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 19, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0S.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · Campaign 15V047000 · Jan 28, 2015
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Toyota Avalon vehicles manufactured February 9, 2010, to October 22, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the sub-woofer speaker located in the trunk may experience an intermittent electrical short which may cause damage to the integrated circuit (IC) in the audio amplifier. In some cases, the damaged IC may allow a constant electrical current flow to the sub-woofer.
Consequence: A constant electrical current flow may cause the sub-woofer to overheat, increasing the risk of fire.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the audio system amplifier and install a protective cover around the sub-woofer, free of charge. The recall began on July 1,2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; AIR BAGS; EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER · Campaign 13V442000 · Oct 17, 2013
Defect: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Avalon, Avalon HV, Venza, Camry, and Camry HV vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning condenser may become clogged causing water to accumulate at the bottom of the air conditioning condenser unit housing. The accumulated water may then leak through a seam in the housing onto the air bag control module potentially resulting in a short circuit of the module.
Consequence: A short circuit may cause the air bags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airbag can increase the risk of injury in a severe crash. The power steering assist could also become inoperable resulting in increased steering effort and can increase the risk of a crash at low speeds.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing and install a protective cover on the airbag control module, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.