There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2012 Toyota Tacomain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle failed to exceed 45 MPH. The contact stated that the check engine and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed him about a Special Service Campaign: 20TC01. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the air injection pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed him that the Special Service Campaign: 20TC01 had expired. No additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
MY 2012 TACOMA WARNING LIGHT 1) ENGINE AND 2 TRAC OFF WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND LOST POWER GOING 65 MPH ON FREEWAY AND WOULD NOT GO OVER 25 MPH (DANGEROUS!). OBD-II SCANNER DISPLAYED ERROR CODE CHECK P2442 INDICATING FAULTY AIR INJECTION PUMPS AND/OR AIR SWITCHING VALVES. *TR
ON MY 2012 TACOMA THE CODE P2440 AND P2442 WHICH REPRESENT A STUCK OPEN VALVE IN THE SECONDARY AIR INJECTION SYSTEM. UPON MY RESEARCH INTO THIS ISSUE ON FORUMS I HAVE LEARNED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE TOYOTA SYSTEMS PARTICULARLY THE 2012 TACOMA. THE COST OF THE PART IS ABOUT 400 TO 500 DOLLARS FOR THE VALVES AND ANOTHER 500 DOLLARS FOR THE SECONDARY AIR INJECTION PUMP. THE FAILURE WILL PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO A LIMP MODE AND HAS TO BE FIXED IN ORDER TO THE TRUCK TO KEEP ON GOOD WORKING CONDITION. IT SEEMS LIKE THIS ERROR HAS AFFECTED MANY TACOMA OWNERS. *TR
TWO DASHBOARD LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AT THE SAME TIME: THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE TRAC OFF LIGHT. AT FIRST I REALLY DIDN'T NOTICE MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE BUT AFTER 2 DAYS I EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT POWER LOSS. I WOULD PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC OK UNTIL ABOUT 20MPH THEN HAVE NO POWER. IT CRAWLED WHILE TRYING TO GET UP TO SPEED. I READ ON THE INTERNET THAT IF YOU DISCONNECT THE BATTERY AND OPEN THE GAS CAP THE LIGHTS WOULD GO OUT AND THE PROBLEM WOULD GO AWAY. I DID THIS AND IT WORKED; OR SO I THOUGHT. I THEN LEFT FOR AN HOUR TRIP (I KNOW DUMB) AND WITHIN 15 MINS THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AND I COULDN'T GET THE TRUCK OVER 60MPH ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. I ACTUALLY STOPPED AT A REST STOP AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND REMOVED THE GAS CAP. AGAIN THIS SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS BUT ONLY FOR ABOUT 5 MINS. THEN THE POWER LOSS WAS BACK. TOOK TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO I TRUST AND HE SAID IT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT WAS SOMETHING CALLED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN BUT NOT YET A RECALL. APPARENTLY THE TUNDRA AND SEQUOIA ARE RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT NOT THE TACOMA. I DON'T GET IT. I WAS TOLD TO KEEP MY RECEIPTS ($1,870.68) RIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS THANK YOU, AND HOPEFULLY ONE DAY GET REIMBURSED IF IT BECOMES A RECALL. I CAN ONLY HOPE THIS IS A NO INTEREST INVESTMENT INTO MY FUTURE. *TR
FAILURE OF THE SECONDARY AIR INJECTION SYSTEM P2440 AND P2442, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING ONTO A CITY STREET FROM A PARKING LOT. WHEN ACCELERATING IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS A DECREASE IN POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALONG WITH THE "TRAC OFF" LIGHT ILLUMINATING SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE VEHICLE HAS A NOW MAXIMUM SPEED OF AROUND 55 MPH AND EXTREMELY SLOW TO ACCELERATE BEING ALMOST DANGEROUS ON BUSIER ROADS. AFTER BEING CHECK OUT BY A THE DEALER IT WAS FOUND TO BE THE SECONDARY AIR INJECTION SYSTEM WHICH IS COVERED BY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT PARTS ARE ON BACK-ORDER.
CIL AND TRAC ILLUMINATION WITH CODES P2440 AND P2442 CAUSED THE ENGINE TO GO TO LIMP MODE WITH LOSS OF POWER
WHILE ON A ROAD TRIP I HAD MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO DEFECTIVE SECONDARY INJECTION VALVES BEING STUCK CLOSED/OPEN. THE CODES I HAD FOR THIS ISSUE IS P2440 AND P2442. IN MY CASE THIS ISSUE MADE MY TRUCK GO INTO LIMP MODE WHICH IS OFTEN A LOSS OF POWER IN THE ENGINE AND SOMETIMES A RESTRICTION IN ONE'S ABILITY TO SHIFT THE TRUCK. LUCKILY THE HIGHWAY WAS NOT BUSY AT THE TIME THIS HAPPENED, BUT IF IT WERE I WOULD BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE A VERY UNSAFE THING TO HAPPEN GOING 70 MPH. THE PARTS DO HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY UNTIL 2022 IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE TOYOTA IS NOT INTERESTED IN RECALLING THESE PARTS EVEN AFTER THEY HAVE KNOWN FOR MANY YEARS THAT THESE PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE. I HAVE DONE QUITE A BIT OF RESEARCH AND FOUND ISSUES WITH THESE PARTS GOING BACK TO 2013.
KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE SECONDARY AIR VALVE. THROWS THE CODE P2442 VEHICLE GOES INTO SAFE MODE. DEALERSHIPS WANT ABOUT $2,000 TO FIX IT. RECOMMENDING THE FAN-BLOWER AS WILL TO DOUBLE THE AMOUNT. THIS IS KNOWN ISSUE FROM ALL THAT I HAVE READ AND THE DEALERSHIP THAT I PURCHASED IT FROM IN VA LAST YEAR DIDN'T MENTION THIS AT ALL OR OFFER ANY KIND OF WARRANTY TO COVER POTENTIAL ISSUES.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND TRAC OFF LIGHT CAME ON. TRUCK WILL NOT EXCEED OVER 2500 RPM AND/OR REACH A SPEED OVER 25 MPH. NO TORQUE/POWER WHEN GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED, ESPESICIALLY WHEN TRAVELING UP STEEP TERRAIN. TOYOTA NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE.
HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY VEHICLES SECONDARY AIR INJECTION SYSTEM, REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE SUPER EXPENSIVE AND HAVE SEEN MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE, SEEMS LIKE A NON-RELIABLE COMPONENT. ALWAYS GET THE FAULT CODES P2440 AND P2442. I STRONGLY BELEIVE THAT THIS IS A DEFECTIVE COMPONENT.
THE CHECK ENG & TRAC OFF LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AND ALMOST GOT STRUCK FROM THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME. MY TRUCK WENT INTO LIMP MODE & SLOWED DOWN TO 2500 RPMS & WOULDN'T GO ANY FASTER THAN 25 MPH!! THIS IS A HAZARD AS I HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS HAPPENING TO OTHERS, IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO TOYOTA, THEY HAVE REPAIRED THE TUNDRA'S BUT SO FAR AM NOT SHOWING ANY RECALL ON THE TACOMA'S. ERROR P2442 SECONDARY AIR INJECTOR FAILURE. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME. SCARY! PLEASE BEWARE 2012 TACOMA OWNERS! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME! $2000 REPAIR!
83K MILES. ENG LIGHT AND TRAC LIGHTS COMES ON, WHILE DRIVING TRUCK GOES INTO LIMP MODE AND WILL NOT EXCELERATE PAST 2500 RPMS AND WILL NOT GO ANY FASTER THAN 35 MPH. ERROR CODE P2442 SECONDARY AIR INJECTION SYSTEM SWITCHING VALVE PROBLEM. VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN A SUBURBAN AREA IT LOST POWER, SLOWING TO 25 MPH MAXIMUM, I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED. I SWERVED OFF THE ROAD INTO THE GRASS TO AVOID BEING HIT. THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE EMISSION SYSTEM. IT IS THE SECONDARY AIR INJECTION SYSTEM. TOYOTA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME. SOME OF THE 2012 TOYOTA TACOMA'S HAVE A CUSTOMER SUPPORT / WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR THIS PROBLEM, NOT MINE.
75K MILES. CEL LIGHT AND TRAC OFF LIGHTS COME ON, TRUCK GOES INTO LIMP MODE AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE PAST 2500 RPMS, AND WILL NOT REACH SPEEDS ABOVE 35 MPH. VERY VERY DANGEROUS AND ENDANGERS NOT ONLY THE TRUCKS DRIVERS, BUT OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. THIS IS DUE TO A FAULTY DIVERTER VALVE THAT IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT TOYOTA HAS ISSUED RECALLS ON FOR OTHER MODELS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.
AIR INJECTOR PUMP CAUSING ENGINE LIGHT AND TRAC LIGHT TO COME ON AND SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. VEHICLE IN MOTION WHEN OCCURRING.
SECONDARY AIR INJECTOR SYSTEM SWITCHING VALVE PROBLEM AT 55000+ ODOMETER
WENT ON VACATION TO TEXAS, STOPPED TO GAS UP AND WHEN I WENT BACK ON INTERSTATE I HAD A DRAMATIC LOSS OF POWER. COULD NOT KEEP UP ENOUGH SPEED TO GO SPEED LIMIT. AIR CONDITIONER DID NOT WORK. AT DESTINATION A LOCAL TOLD ME ABOUT A REPAIR SHOP. COST ME A HUNDRED DOLLARS TO RESET TO FACTORY SPECS. THIS HAS HAPPENED AGAIN FOUR OTHER TIMES. I DISCONNECTED BATTERY AND RESET MYSELF. NOW IT`S A DAILY THING.
SECONDARY AIR INJECTION PROBLEMS (VALVES AND/OR PUMP) CAUSES A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON, AND PUTS THE ENGINE IN "LIMP HOME" MODE, WITHOUT WARNING, WHICH LIMITS TOP SPEED TO ~40MPH. THIS IS NOT ONLY RIDICULOUS, BUT DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY IF IT HAPPENS WHILE ON A FREEWAY. THE "LIMP HOME" MODE PERSISTS UNTIL THE CODE IS CLEARED, BY USING AN ODB TOOL, OR CLEARING THE ECU BY OTHER MEANS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME 3 TIMES WHERE, WITH NO WARNING, THE TRUCK SUDDENLY LOST POWER, AND I HAD TO FIND THE NEAREST "SAFE SPOT" TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC AND PULL OVER. TOYOTA HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS ISSUE IN A TSB, BUT PROVIDES NO RECALL, DESPITE THIS BEING A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN IT HAPPENS.
AT 60,000 MILES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND TRAC OFF LIGHTS COME ON WHEN STARTING UP TRUCK IN MORNING. THIS PUT THE TRUCK INTO LIMP MODE. MY MECHANIC CLEARED THE CODES BUT DID NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN REPAIRING AS HE COULDN'T GUARANTEE IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN DOWN THE ROAD AND SAID TOYOTA WILL NOT WARRANTY THE REPLACEMENT PARTS. DEALER ADVISED APPROXIMATELY $2,000 TO REPAIR. AFTER SEEING ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS FROM 2012 TACOMA OWNERS, I CAN NOT BELIEVE TOYOTA WILL NOT COVER THIS UNDER A RECALL SINCE THEY COVERED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH THE TUNDRA AND SEQUOIA.
VACUMME SWITCHING VALVE AND AIR INJECTION PUMP FAILURE AT 43,000 MILES, COST TO REPAIR IS $2052.32. THIS PART IS PART OF THE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY TOYOTA BUT IS NOT. WHEN THIS VALVE THROWS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THE TRUCK GOES INTO LIMP MODE AND IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AS IT HAS REDUCED POWER.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026