2012 Nissan Altima problems
NHTSA has received 581 complaints about the 2012 Nissan Altima, and 25% of them involve drivetrain & axles. After that come engine (12%) and air bags (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 581 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 25% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 41 and 5
- Injuries and deaths
- 39 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 75,000 miles 416 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 74 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 43 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 44 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 65 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 63 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 59 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 38 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 11 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 10 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 6 |
| 200k+ miles | 3 |
What the data shows
Among the 416 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 75,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 92,000 miles (113 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 41 complaints mention a crash; 5 complaints mention a fire; 39 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 13th most-complained-about out of 32 model years of the Nissan Altima with enough data (296 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owned a 2012 nissan altima. While making a left turn and braking at approximately 35 MPH, another vehicle crashed head on into the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy and the seat belt failed to restrain the contact, causing her to sustain a laceration that required medical attention. The front passenger sustained a fractured sternum and internal injuries that required medical attention.
My 2012 nissan altima was stopped at a traffic light, the altima was struck from behind by another vehicle at an estimated speed of approximately 35-40 MPH without braking (stated by police) the driver's side rear seat belt failed to secure and the passenger's head was thrown back and forth striking both the driver's side head rest as well as the rear passenger's head rest. The passenger was evaluated in the emergency room diagnosis "cervical sprain and a closed head injury".
The pedals are positioned too close together. My husband complained of this a few weeks ago when he drove my car because his shoe got caught on the brake pedal as he was lifting his foot off the gas pedal. Then, yesterday, the same thing happened to me. I nearly drove my car through the front of the daycare where I was dropping off my son. I am now aware of how extra-cautious I have to be when driving my car so this doesn't happen again. This has never happened to me with any other car.
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.