2012 Nissan Altima Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Altima years
- More complaints than other years 12th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 426 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Nissan Altima. That ranks 12th out of 32 Altima model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (149 complaints, 35%), typically at around 92,800 miles. Complaints mention 24 crashes, 2 fires, 26 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 426owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 24complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Nissan Altima problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 149 | 35% | 92,800 | “cvt transmission” (21%) | $5,450 |
| Engine problems | 68 | 16% | 80,000 | “cvt transmission” (9%) | — |
| Air Bags problems | 57 | 13% | 51,000 | “passenger seat” (35%) | $1,300 |
| Unknown or Other | 56 | 13% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 49 | 12% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 44 | 10% | 46,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 33 | 8% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 17 | 4% | 35,875 | — | — |
| Steering | 17 | 4% | 26,358 | — | — |
| Suspension | 17 | 4% | 30,350 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 16 | 4% | 68,250 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 10 | 2% | 76,979 | — | — |
| Seats | 7 | 2% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 1% | 29,509 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 1% | 113,834 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 1% | 6,250 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 1% | 37,668 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 1% | 35,503 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% | 8,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 0% | 22,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 0% | 145,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 0% | 17,397 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 0% | 32,866 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Nissan Altima recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension; steering
Problem: Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Altima vehicles manufactured from May 10, 2012, through July 26, 2012. These vehicles may have been equipped with transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts that were not torqued to proper specification.
Risk: The affected bolts could become loose and fall out which may lead to a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the bolts to the proper torque specifications. The safety recall is expected to begin during November 2012. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012 altima and versa vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with side curtain air bags that contain an incorrect propellant mixture for the initiator component used, resulting in insufficient output of compressed gas.
Risk: The side curtain air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace one or both side curtain air bag modules, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on march 12, 2012. Owners may contact nissan customer service at 615-725-1000.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012 nissan altima vehicles manufactured from june 15, 2011, through june 21, 2011 and model year 2012 nissan nv vehicles manufactured from june 23, 2011, through june 28, 2011 because the air bag control unit (acu) was assembled incorrectly.
Risk: The affected acu will not operate as designed and this issue may cause the air bags not to inflate in a crash when they are designed to inflate. This could increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Nissan will replace the air bag control unit free of charge. The safety recall began on august 22, 2011. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Suspension
Problem: Nissan is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 nissan altima sedan vehicles manufactured from april 25, 2011, through june 10, 2011 at the canton, mississippi plant. The transverse link bolt may not have been torqued to the proper specification. This condition could cause the bolt to become loose while the vehicle is being driven, creating a rattling noise and vibration.
Risk: If the bolt comes out completely, the driver may experience difficulty controlling the direction of the vehicle which could result in a crash.
Fix: Nissan will replace the transverse link bolts and nuts and tighten them to the proper torque specification free of charge. The safety recall began on august 8, 2011. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Autoliv Air Bag Propellant Mixture (EQ12002) — opened Feb 14, 2012, closed May 8, 2012.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
am submitting a formal safety defect report regarding the steering system on my 2012 Nissan Altima Coupe. The vehicle exhibits a loose and unstable steering feel, accompanied by a distinct clunking impact whenever the wheel is turned, including during lowâspeed maneuvering. This condition…
Took the car to a repair shop to get an alignment. Was told that the frame rear cross member was so rusty that it needed to be replaced, and that if it broke while driving I would lose control of the car. The component has not been removed from the car. No one else has looked at the car. Only prior…
I was working, and as I was on my way to a location a lady in front of me came to a complete stop since a couple of ducks were crossing causing me to come to a complete stop as well. As I stopped I looked into my rearview mirror I noticed the lady behind me was not stopping and then smashed into…
215/60/r16 Driving down, interstate st 70 steering wheel started to shake, then load noise as if running over something, then could see the entire middle tread of the tire flying into the lane behind me to the right. So luckily no one was in that lane or it wouldâve crashed into the front of…
I am reporting a potential unintended automatic emergency braking event involving a 2025 Tesla Cybertruck. On 23Mar2026, at approximately 40 mph, I was traveling behind a Tesla Cybertruck on a public roadway. There were no visible obstacles, hazards, or debris in the roadway that I observed. The…
Other Nissan Altima years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Altima | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 Altima | 7 | 2 |
| 2024 Altima | 41 | 1 |
| 2023 Altima | 30 | 0 |
| 2022 Altima | 31 | 0 |
| 2021 Altima | 70 | 2 |
| 2020 Altima | 158 | 6 |
| 2019 Altima | 233 | 7 |
| 2018 Altima | 226 | 2 |
| 2017 Altima | 391 | 3 |
| 2016 Altima | 554 | 4 |
| 2015 Altima | 955 | 10 |
| 2014 Altima | 1,114 | 8 |
| 2013 Altima | 2,313 | 12 |
| 2012 | 426 | 4 |
| 2011 Altima | 241 | 1 |
| 2010 Altima | 381 | 3 |
| 2009 Altima | 1,547 | 4 |
| 2008 Altima | 1,030 | 4 |
| 2007 Altima | 471 | 3 |
| 2006 Altima | 824 | 3 |
| 2005 Altima | 1,091 | 1 |
| 2004 Altima | 276 | 1 |
| 2003 Altima | 883 | 4 |
| 2002 Altima | 1,047 | 5 |
| 2001 Altima | 159 | 1 |
| 2000 Altima | 160 | 1 |
| 1999 Altima | 87 | 0 |
| 1998 Altima | 123 | 0 |
| 1997 Altima | 108 | 1 |
| 1996 Altima | 92 | 0 |
| 1995 Altima | 180 | 3 |
See all Nissan Altima problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Nissan Altima?
Owners most often report power train, engine, air bags problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 149 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Nissan Altima?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Nissan Altima a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Altima model years, the 2012 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.