2012 Nissan Altima Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 149 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2012 Nissan Altima, 35% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 92,800 miles. The words owners use most often: “cvt transmission” (21% of reports).
- 149power train complaints
- 92,800median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $5,450typical repair cost reported by owners
- 71%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- CVT transmission: mentioned in 32 of 149 complaints (21%)
- Safe mode: mentioned in 9 of 149 complaints (6%)
- Whining noise: mentioned in 9 of 149 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2012 Nissan Altima at $5,450, and half of them between $5,300 and $5,850.
Based on 11 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2014–2022), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 116 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 149 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Nissan Altima power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Altima | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2024 Altima | 4 | 10% | — |
| 2023 Altima | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2022 Altima | 4 | 13% | — |
| 2021 Altima | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2020 Altima | 17 | 11% | 14,500 |
| 2019 Altima | 9 | 4% | 82,000 |
| 2018 Altima | 24 | 11% | 12,105 |
| 2017 Altima | 133 | 34% | 66,000 |
| 2016 Altima | 235 | 42% | 64,700 |
| 2015 Altima | 161 | 17% | 61,500 |
| 2014 Altima | 209 | 19% | 70,000 |
| 2013 Altima | 505 | 22% | 69,000 |
| 2012 Altima | 149 | 35% | 92,800 |
| 2011 Altima | 68 | 28% | 100,200 |
| 2010 Altima | 73 | 19% | 54,964 |
| 2009 Altima | 95 | 6% | 120,000 |
| 2008 Altima | 80 | 8% | 110,000 |
| 2007 Altima | 62 | 13% | 103,000 |
| 2006 Altima | 79 | 10% | 55,500 |
| 2005 Altima | 115 | 11% | 65,749 |
| 2004 Altima | 17 | 6% | 61,500 |
| 2003 Altima | 34 | 4% | 59,000 |
| 2002 Altima | 39 | 4% | 80,000 |
| 2001 Altima | 6 | 4% | 453,400 |
| 2000 Altima | 9 | 6% | 36,000 |
| 1999 Altima | 7 | 8% | — |
| 1998 Altima | 6 | 5% | 164,500 |
| 1997 Altima | 8 | 7% | 131,000 |
| 1996 Altima | 7 | 8% | — |
| 1995 Altima | 27 | 15% | 83,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2012 Nissan Altima. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I drove out of town about 40 miles and everything was fine, next day went to leave to come home and immediately noticed high RPMs going about 20MPH. I pulled over, turned the car off and turned it back on, started driving and same thing. I had no choice but to drive it on the interstate. I could…
The vehicle is unsafe to driver and others on the road. The power steering hose has had a leak since it was manufactured and was not fixed by the manufacturer at all! Tie rods gave away within 5 years of a mileage less than 24,200 miles. Cv joints along with tie rods have been easily compromised…
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into gear. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Nissan Altimas have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 149 owner complaints about power train for the 2012 Nissan Altima (35% of the 426 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Nissan Altima power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 92,800 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2012 Nissan Altima?
Owners report a typical cost of $5,450 (half paid between $5,300 and $5,850), from 11 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2012 Nissan Altima?
The most frequent phrase is “cvt transmission”, in 32 of 149 complaints, followed by “safe mode” (9).
Other 2012 Nissan Altima problems
- Engine problems (68)
- Air Bags problems (57)
See all 2012 Nissan Altima problems or power train problems across all Altima years.