Recall Radar

2012 Toyota Avalon recalls

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns since 2013 that include the 2012 Toyota Avalon. The most recent was reported on January 17, 2020.

Check your own car by VIN. A recall applies only to certain vehicles, built in certain periods. NHTSA’s recall lookup checks your 17-character VIN against open recalls and is free.

Recalls at a glance

DateCampaignPartVehicles
January 17, 202020V-024Air bags: air bag/restraint control module2,891,976
August 29, 201818V-569Seat belts19,354
January 28, 201515V-047Electrical system51,495
October 17, 201313V-442Equipment: appliance, air conditioner802,769

Recall details

Air bags: air bag/restraint control module

January 17, 2020 · Toyota Motor Corporation · Campaign 20V-024

What is wrong: 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.

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.

The fix: 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.

Seat belts

August 29, 2018 · Toyota Motor Corporation · Campaign 18V-569

What is wrong: 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.

Risk: 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.

The fix: 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

January 28, 2015 · Toyota Motor Corporation · Campaign 15V-047

What is wrong: 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.

Risk: A constant electrical current flow may cause the sub-woofer to overheat, increasing the risk of fire.

The fix: 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.

Equipment: appliance, air conditioner

October 17, 2013 · Toyota Motor Corporation · Campaign 13V-442

What is wrong: 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.

Risk: 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.

The fix: 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.

Other model years of the Toyota Avalon

All Toyota Avalon recalls · All Toyota recalls

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Toyota Avalon have recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns since 2013 that include the 2012 Toyota Avalon, the most recent reported on January 17, 2020. A campaign covers only certain vehicles, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected.

What parts have been recalled on the 2012 Toyota Avalon?

Air bags (1), Seat belts (1), Electrical system (1), Equipment (1).

Are recall repairs free?

In 4 of the 4 campaigns listed here, the remedy states that the repair is free of charge. Read the remedy in each recall for the details.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall data for passenger vehicles, recalls since 2013, shown as published. This site is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and follow your manufacturer’s notice. Terms and disclaimer.