There are 31 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2012 Nissan Altimain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I ONLY HAVE 96,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE AND I CAN'T ACCELERATE. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. IT PICKS AND CHOOSES WHEN IT WANTS TO ACCELERATE AND I ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY AND ON THE INNER ROADS. THIS IS NOT SAFE AND NISSAN REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
I TOOK THE CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS TOLD THERE IS A RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE AND THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT TELL ME. I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET GOING THE SPEED LIMIT.
ON 8/17/2020 AT 11:30AM I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH WHEN EVERYTHING IN MY CAR, INCLUDING THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WITH NO WARNING. I QUICKLY PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND AFTER 2 ATTEMPTS MY CAR RESTARTED WITH NO OTHER PROBLEMS THAT DAY. ON 8/18/2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 1750HRS AFTER EXITING THE EXPRESSWAY, AGAIN MY CAR SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING 10-15 MPH, AFTER 2 ATTEMPTS MY IT RESTARTED. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 46,000 MILES, I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND THE CAR IS SERVICED AS SCHEDULED BY MANUFACTURER. I CURRENTLY HAVE AN APPOINTMENT ON 8/28/2020 WITH NISSAN OF QUEEN FOR AN EVALUATION OF THIS PROBLEM.
THE ENGINE HAS ALWAYS MADE EXCESSIVE NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT IT HAS BEEN THE TRANSMISSION AND IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION IN NISSAN ALTIMAS. I FEEL THAT GIVEN THE SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS IT TAKES TO FIX THAT NISSAN SHOULD EITHER PUT OUT A RECALL OR COMPENSATE FOR THIS AS IT CAUSES THE DRIVER TO BE STRANDED ONE THE TRANSMISSION DOES EVENTUALLY FAIL. *TR
There is a recall for the manufacturer emissions that the website doesn’t have on this car.
I BOUGHT A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S SEDAN FROM UNIVERSITY NISSAN IN UNIVERSAL CITY, CA. THROUGHOUT ITS LIFE FROM WHEN I RECEIVED CAR AT AROUND 45,000 MILES, EVERY COUPLE THOUSAND 5K-10K CARE ENGINE ENGINE COULD NOT ACCELERATE QUICKER CAR WOULD BEGIN MAKING ENGINE WHINING NOISE. IT WAS NEVER DISGNOSED AS A CVT PROBLEM WHEN I WOULD TAKE CAR TO NISSAN IN WARRANTY REPAIR . DURING DEALERSHIP REPAIR ENOUNTER MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS REPLACED. "MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR" THAT HAS BEEN REPLACED MULTIPLES TIMES THROUGHOUT ITS LIFE AS WELL. CAR NOW HAS A CVT PROBLEM AND STRUGGLES DURING HOT WEATHER AND WORST IF PEOPLE ARE IN CAR NOW.
CVT TRANSMISSION
OIL COOLER LEAK WAS DETECTED DURING ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. RESEARCH SHOWED THIS MODEL & YEAR HAS A RECALL ALREADY ISSUED BUT THERE ARE NO CAMPAIGNS FOR THIS SPECIFIC VIN NOT SURE IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU DEAL WITH OR IF IT'S A MFG ISSUE. NOT SURE WHAT STEPS ARE TO REPORT TO MFG IF THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE.
I BOUGHT MY CAR ONLY A FEW MONTHS AGO AND RECENTLY TAKING IT TO THE BENCH AT THEIR SERVICE, THE TECHNICIANS NOTIFIED ME THAT I HAD A LEAK AND THE GASCKET ENGINE OIL COOLER NEED TO BE REPLACED AFTER THAT I'VE BEEN SEARCHING THE INTERNET ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND I FOUND IT S A VERY COMMON FAULT IN THIS MODEL, MANY OWNERS REPORT THIS PROBLEM AND EVERYONE WONDERS WHY THERE IS NO RECALL YET
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE WENT INTO SAFE MODE AND LOST POWER. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE LACKED THE FAN TO COOL THE TRANSMISSION, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO OVERHEAT. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.
THERE IS A CVT AND CVT COOLANT ISSUE IN THIS MAKE MODEL AND YEAR AND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE OF PRIOR YEARS WITH THE SAME ISSUE AND NISSAN WILL NOT REPLACE IT. IT MAKES THE CAR SLUGGISH AND GO VERY SLOW UPHILL. IT IS NOT A DEFECTIVE CVT BUT THE CVT IN THE ORIGINAL MODEL. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR USED SO WE MAY HAVE GONE TO TRY TO GET THE RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE EARLIER BUT NISSAN IS SAYING THEY WON'T HONOR THE RECALL NOW BECAUSE IT HAS EXPIRED.
ENIGINE/TRANSMISSION ISSUES ON OUR WAY OUT OF TOWN, NOT 45 MINUTES INTO OUR TRIP AND WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR GOES FROM 65 MILES TO LESS. THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE. WITH A TWO LANE HIGHWAY AND TRUCKS BEHIND US. I AM VERY CONCERNED OF GETTING STRANDED IN THE DESERT, KILLED OR SEVERELY INJURED. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME. IT'S OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. OUR DEALER PEORIA NISSAN IN AZ SAID, THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG EVEN AFTER WE INSISTED. SOMETHING'S WRONG, I SWEAR IT'S A FAULTY TRANSMISSION ISSUE.
CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING, FOUND OUT THE TRANNY WAS BAD. NISSAN WONT REPLACE OR COMPENSATE. NISSAN DEALER EXPECTS ME TO PAY 4000 OUT OF POCKET FOR A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION. CAR IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD. HAVENT EVEN PAID THE CAR OFF YET AND TRANSMISSION IS ALREADY GOING BAD. AVOID NISSAN ALTIMAS AT ALL COSTS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE STATIONARY, THE OIL COOLERS IN THE VEHICLE FRACTURED AND LEAKED ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIR WORK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,895.
POOO18 CRANKSHAFT/CAMSHAFT SENSOR ENGINE DIES LOSS OF BRAKES AND STEERING THANK GOD COMING UP TO HOUSE SLOWING TO PARK, CITY STREET. RESTART ENGINE SOUNDS LIKE RUNNING ON 3 CYLINDERS. TURNED OFF START AGAIN, PULL CODE AND ERASE. IT RUNS LIKE NOTHING EVER HAPPENED. CALLED NISSAN AND THEY TOLD ME THAT SINCE I ERASED THE CODE THEY CAN DO NOTHING. GOOGLE 2012 ALTIMA ENGINE STALL AND PREPARE TO SPEND THE REST OF YOUR AFTERNOON READING STORIES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND WAITED UNTIL THE ENGINE COOLED OFF. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT USUALLY HAD TO WAIT A WHILE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MOSSEY POWAY NISSAN (14100 POWAY RD, POWAY, CA 92064, (858) 668-3600) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A COOLING SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT IT I HEARD A WHISTLING SOUND AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOTHING. I TRAVEL A LOT AND WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE I WENT FROM GOING 75 MPH TO 30 AND IT WOULDN'T ACCELERATE. I WOULD PULL OVER AND WAIT ABOUT 10 MINUTES UNTIL I COULD ACCELERATE. INITIALLY I THOUGHT IT WAS THE FUEL LINE SO I PUT FUEL INJECTOR IN IT AND IT A COUPLE DAYS LATER IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT LEAST 5 TIMES. I CAN'T EVEN DRIVE IT ON THE INTERSTATE. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE MULTIPLE MECHANICS I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION AND IT WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT VIBRATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS TURNED ON, THE SMELL OF BURNING OIL WAS NOTICED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED WHEN STARTED AND WOULD NOT SWITCH INTO GEAR PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.
CAR LOSES POWER AFTER DRIVING FOR SO LONG AND DECREASES IN SPEED. IT'S HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. I PULL OVER TO GIVE CAR A REST BUT IT'S DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT WON'T ACCELERATE WHEN IT HAPPENS AND ON THE INTERSTATE IS NO PLACE TO BE DRIVING 40MPH!!
Showing 1–20 of 31 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