When you plan to purchase a new-to-you car, you may know the importance of ensuring the vehicle is in good condition. You may look at the features and specs to determine how well this car can fit your needs, too. Yet, it is also important to take a look at recalls.
A recall occurs when there is a safety or functional problem with a vehicle, and the manufacturer requires changes to be made to it. There are few recalls on the 2012 Toyota Camry, which means owners can feel confident in these cars. However, it is important to ensure any recalls are taken care of properly.
About the 2012 Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is one of the most-recognized vehicles produced by Toyota, a Japanese vehicle manufacturer. It was initially produced in 1982 as a compact-sized vehicle.
Other models are classified as mid-sized. The 2012 model year, which fits into the wide-body style of vehicle, is a part of the vehicle’s fourth generation of this style.
For the 2012 Toyota Camry model year, five trim options were available. The base model, the Toyota Camry L, featured a 2.5L DOHC VVT engine capable of producing 178 horsepower and 170 lb.-ft. of torque. This vehicle has room for five passengers, offers 25/35 miles per gallon in fuel economy, and front-wheel drive with a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift.
The car offers basic entertainment features, including BLU Logic hands-free phone systems, and a USB input with iPod connectivity and control. The exterior of the car has key features, including projector-beam halogen headlamps and high solar energy-absorbing glass.
Recalls on the 2012 Toyota Camry
The 2012 Toyota Camry has had two recalls on it, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as of August of 2020. Here’s a look at them.
Air Conditioner Drain and Airbag Deployment
In October of 2013, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing issued a recall related to the Electrical system, airbags, and other equipment for the 2012 Toyota Camry. The recall impacted other vehicles as well, including the Toyota Avalon and the Toyota Venza.
The recall, NHTSA campaign number 13V42000, relates to the potential for a short circuit occurring. This can lead to the airbags deploying or becoming disabled inadvertently.
In these cars, the drain hose for the air conditioning condenser becomes clogged. This leads to water building up at the bottom of the condenser unit housing. When this happens, the water can leak into the housing itself through a seam.
If this happens, it can enter into the airbag control module. When this happens, it may cause the airbag control module to short circuit. This leads to the risk of the airbag deploying or becoming disabled and not functioning as it should during an accident. This increases the risk of an accident and leads to serious consequences if one should occur.
To fix this problem, which impacted over 802,000 vehicles overall, Toyota notified owners and dealerships. They then worked to seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing system in those affected vehicles.
They also installed a protective cover over the airbag control module to further reduce the risk of a short occurring. The recall repairs were made beginning in February of 2014.
Occupant Sensing System Failures
In January of 2013, Toyota issued a recall related to the airbags and seats. The recall, NHTSA campaign number 13V014000, is related to improper calibration of the front passenger seat occupant sensing system.
If this is not calibrated properly, the airbags for the passenger seat may deploy inappropriately or may not deploy at all. This recall impacted over 3,200 vehicles, according to Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC.
Other vehicles were impacted by this recall as well, including the Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Prius, and the Toyota RAV4, along with others. In these vehicles, the passenger seat occupant sensing system may not have had the standard calibration testing performed on it. This can lead to the occupant sensing system not operating as it is supposed to operate.
The passenger’s size and position in the seat may not be detected properly, leading to the danger of an airbag failure. This can cause injuries, or, in case of an accident, the airbags may not deploy, leading to preventable injuries to the passenger.
To fix this problem, Southeast Toyota issued the recall, alerted owners, and had dealerships test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors. If they were not properly calibrated, then the dealerships recalibrated them to reduce the risk of an injury occurring.
Finding 2012 Toyota Camry Recalls
Before buying a new vehicle of any type, take the time to look for any available recalls on the vehicle itself. For 2012 Toyota Camry recalls, like those for other Toyota vehicles, it is possible to do this using the Toyota Lookup Tool.
This allows drivers to look up all safety recalls as well as service campaigns using their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). It is also possible to look up all recalls related to a specific vehicle by make, model, and year.
Staying up to date on recalls is an important step for drivers and those who plan to buy a car. Once you purchase the car, this is easy to do by connecting to the local Toyota dealership and ensuring you are properly registered as a Toyota owner with the manufacturer. Recalls for the 2012 Toyota Camry may change over time.
Photos: Toyota
