repaired · 2022 Q1
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
Risk. 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.
2012 Toyota CorollaProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 446 owner complaints about the 2012 Toyota Corolla, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 20V-024 the manufacturer reports only 58% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 16, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2012 Toyota Corolla has problems
446 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
370Air bags30 crash/fire/injury
18Steering
16Vehicle speed control
14Structure
13Electrical system
11Service brakes
8Power train
7Seat belts
5Seats
2211 other systems
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 370 | 30 |
| Steering | 18 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 16 | 7 |
| Structure | 14 | 6 |
| Electrical system | 13 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 11 | 4 |
| Power train | 8 | 1 |
| Seat belts | 7 | 2 |
| Seats | 5 | 2 |
| 11 other systems | 22 | 4 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
5 recalls
2012 Toyota Corolla recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2021 Q3
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2021 Q3
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2021 Q3
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Show 1 more recall
no report yet
Frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
Risk. If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for…
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Toyota.
Mileage at failure
When do air bags problems start?
45kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 56 air bags complaints. 82% were reported before 100,000 miles.
Only 26% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.
15under 30k miles46under 100k miles10100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2012 vs. every other Corolla year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Corolla median. How we score
0001110223516331426232771631301721761291352251551451331177214778548408363141,4591,244585446201271220216178136205313188103746632181
'69'70'71'73'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2012 Toyota Corolla safety ratings
2012 Toyota Corolla 4 DR FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★Overall rating
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (12.1% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2012 Toyota Corolla, and the recalls they led to.
- Electrical overstressLed to recall 20V-024
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
In owners' words
What Corolla owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Hit head in passengers side into a cement pole, car was a total loss. No airbags deployed causing bodily injury to driver and passenger from impact and seatbelt, stopping us. Chest cavity injury’s
after fixing airbag with recalls before, i was forced to adjust airbag again. TOYOTA NEEDS ANOTHER RECALL. $1000 OU TOF POCKET
Airbag needed to be replaced....again. This vehicle has had many recalls before, but now I am forced to pay for an additional replacement. Airbags are supposed to last the lifetime of the vehicle. Toyota not covering this $1000 expense is ridiculous and unsafe.
Own a 2012 Corolla?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.