2012 Nissan Maxima: engine and transmission complaints
41% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2012 Nissan Maxima are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Better than 53% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 28 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 30%).
Looking at a specific Maxima?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.
Check a VINComplaints by component
The years either side
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
Cleaner alternatives
Same car, a better year
Other full-size sedans with no elevated signal in 2012
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
Three of 32 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Before you buy a 2012 Nissan Maxima
- 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.
- 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.
Check a VINExperimental 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.