2012 Nissan Altima: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
57%
206 of 362 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
57% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2012 Nissan Altima are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 75% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 63 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 48%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN06/09/2018CRASH1 INJURED
WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE CVT STARTS MAKING NOISE, THE RPM GO UP TO 6,000 RPM THEN I LOOSE ENGINE POWER SUDDENLY SO THE CAR SPEED STUCK ON 40 MPH SUDDENLY AND DECREASE THE SPEED EVEN WHEN I PRESS THE GAS PEDAL, WHEN I PRESS THE GAS PEDAL IT JUST MAKES NOISE AND INCREASE THE RPM AND THE NOISE BUT THE SPEED DON'T INCREASE, …
ENGINE11/22/2025
There is a recall for the manufacturer emissions that the website doesn’t have on this car.
POWER TRAIN07/22/2025
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 get up to 60 very caref…
Three of 206 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (4)
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
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 MIX…
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
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 MANUFACTU…
STEERING
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 transv…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2012 Nissan Altima
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
4 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
