U.S. public vehicle records

2012 Nissan ALTIMA problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

425 owner complaints analyzed

4 distinct recall campaigns

75,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2012 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 307 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 145 of 425 complaints (34.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	145	34.1%
Braking behavior	34	8.0%
Electrical and battery issues	19	4.5%
Steering behavior	19	4.5%
Engine operation	16	3.8%
Fuel system concerns	5	1.2%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Power Train

145

Engine

Air Bags

Unknown Or Other

Vehicle Speed Control

Electrical System

Structure:Body

Service Brakes

Power Train: 145; Engine: 68; Air Bags: 57; Unknown Or Other: 56; Vehicle Speed Control: 48; Electrical System: 43; Structure:Body: 22; Service Brakes: 17

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 62; 25,000 to 49,999: 44; 50,000 to 74,999: 46; 75,000 to 99,999: 63; 100,000 to 149,999: 74; 150,000 and above: 18

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (74). 118 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2011: 5; 2012: 21; 2013: 15; 2014: 29; 2015: 41; 2016: 38; 2017: 44; 2018: 69; 2019: 58; 2020: 44; 2021: 21; 2022: 14; 2023: 11; 2024: 6; 2025: 5; 2026: 4

Pattern summary

Power Train leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 145 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 34 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 19 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10504150 · 2013-03-22 (March 22, 2013)

PURCHASED MY 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE 8/2/2012. IN JUST OVER 30 DAYS THE PAINT WAS COMING OFF THE REAR BUMPER ON BOTH SIDES NEAR THE REAR TIRE WHERE THE BUMPER MEETS THE BODY OF THE CAR. TOOK THE CAR IN TO HAVE THE BUMPER REPAINTED. WITHIN 60 DAYS THE PAINT WAS COMING OFF IN THE SAME PLACE AGAIN. TOOK THE CAR BACK LAST MONTH AND WAS REPAINTED WITH 3 FLAWS...NEEDLESS TO SAY IT HAS TO GO BACK YET AGAIN!! ALSO, WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF PURCHASE I NOTICED THAT THE RADIO WOULD NOT PICK UP LOCAL RADIO STATIONS WITHOUT A LOT OF STATIC AND INTERFERENCE…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,050 miles reported. Look up ODI 10504150 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10606299 · 2014-07-02 (July 2, 2014)

2012 NISSAN ALTIMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CVT TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE STARTED NOTICING LITTLE GLITCHES, IN OTHERWISE SMOOTH RIDES. THEN HE STARTED EXPERIENCING A 2-3 SECOND DELAY BETWEEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY MOVING. ON WEDNESDAY APRIL 9, 2014, HE WAS BARELY ABLE TO DRIVE TO WORK, AND HAD TO COAST WITH HIS HAZARD LIGHTS ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED IT WOULD COST $ 3911 TO FIX THE CVT TRANSMISSION.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10606299 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10429409 · 2011-10-11 (October 11, 2011)

ALL NISSANS HAVE LOUD CLUNKING SOUND AT STARTUP AT AROUND 30 MILES PER HOUR. NISSAN SAYS IT IS THE ABS BRAKE TEST. VERY ANNOYING AND VERY LOUD. *KB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10429409 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10443237 · 2012-01-09 (January 9, 2012)

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE AND WAS TRAVELING AT SPEED OF THE ROAD AND I WANTED TO MAKE A FULL STOP BUT I HIT A CAR IN FRONT OF ME! I PUSHED AND PUSHED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE NEVER BRAKE!! ALSO MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY!! THERE IS PHYSICAL AND BODILY DAMAGE TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME! ALSO MY CAR WAS DAMAGED! NISSAN SHOULD STEP UP TO FIX THIS PROBLEM! *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10443237 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10456172 · 2012-04-23 (April 23, 2012)

2012 NISSAN ALTIMA WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. IGNITION SWITCH WAS UNRESPONSIVE. THE FUEL PUMP FUSE HAD TO BE REMOVED SO THE CAR WOULD SHUT OFF. THEN THE NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE WAS REMOVED TO RESET. BATTERY CABLE WAS RECONNECTED AND FUEL PUMP FUSE REINSTALLED. CAR WOULD NOW START AND SHUT OFF NORMALLY. THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED ONCE BUT IT CONCERNS US BECAUSE THIS CAR IS ONLY FOUR MONTHS OLD AND HAS LESS THAN 5,000 MILES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 4,589 miles reported. Look up ODI 10456172 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10511359 · 2013-05-10 (May 10, 2013)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED SEVERAL ELECTRICAL FAILURES. THE BATTERY FLUID WOULD DISCHARGE AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED ONCE. THE DOORS EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL GRINDING NOISE AND THE DOORS ACTUATOR WAS REPLACED. THE REMOTE ALSO FAILED TO START THE ENGINE AND THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE TO START WAS CAUSED BY THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 14,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10511359 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10465368 · 2012-07-12 (July 12, 2012)

THE DRIVER'S SEAT IS CROOKED - BOTH ACROSS THE BACK AND ACROSS THE SEAT. THIS MEANS ONE'S SHOULDERS AND TORSO ARE TWISTED AND FACING THE CENTER CONSOLE, NOT THE STEERING WHEEL. HIPS ARE UNEVEN WITH THE RIGHT SIDE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THE LEFT. THIS IS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND PAINFUL POSITION TO BE IN. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT ALL 2012 ALTIMAS ARE LIKE THIS AND THEREFORE IT IS NOT A WARRANTY ITEM! I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE THE BACK OF THE SEAT IS IN FACT CROOKED IN THE MORE THAN TWO DOZEN EXAMPLES I HAVE BEEN ABLE…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10465368 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10482125 · 2012-10-24 (October 24, 2012)

THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO GO RIGHT, HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE KEPT GOING STRAIGHT. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 17,395 miles reported. Look up ODI 10482125 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10579105 · 2014-04-11 (April 11, 2014)

ALTIMA WAS SERVICED AT A DEALERSHIP LESS THAN A WEEK AGO FOR OIL AND FILTER CHANGE. I WAS DRIVING THE 2012 ALTIMA FROM WORK ON 4/10/14. IT LOOKED THE CAR WAS STALLING ON THE HIGHWAY MULTIPLE TIMES. I SLOWED DOWN AND MANAGED TO GET HOME, ALL ALONG IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STOP ANY TIME, LUCKILY IT DID NOT HAPPEN. BUT THIS MORNING (4/11/14) IT STOPPED ON THE DRIVEWAY STALLED AFTER MOVING 15 FEET. TOWED THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET IT REPAIRED. *JS

Owner-reported narrative. 41,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10579105 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10644878 · 2014-10-15 (October 15, 2014)

I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 17 GOING UPHILL WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR WENT INTO WHAT IS KNOWN AS "LIMP MODE"(LOSS OF POWER). MY SPEED DROPPED TO 25 MPH. I HAD NUMEROUS TRUCKS ALMOST REAR END ME, UNTIL I COULD LIMP ONTO THE SHOULDER. I TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO A NISSAN DEALER IN FLAGSTAFF AZ. WHEN I GOT THERE HE POINTED TO FOUR OTHER VEHICLES AND SAID TO ME "WHAT JUST HAPPENED TO YOU, HAPPENED TO THOSE OTHER 4 NISSANS RIGHT THERE". I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER " YOU NEED A TRANSMISSION COOLER INSTALLED BECAUSE OF THE HOT CLIMATE WE LIVE IN THIS HAPPENS…

Owner-reported narrative. 34,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10644878 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10440495 · 2011-12-19 (December 19, 2011)

TRAVELING DOWN A FOUR LANE ROAD GOING 55 MPH. IT WAS AROUND 10 A.M., SUNNY AND DRY. THERE WAS NO DEBRIS ON THE ROAD. I HEARD A LOUD "POP" WHICH CAME FROM BEHIND THE PASSENGER SEAT AND IN FRONT OF BACK TIRE. WE LOOKED FOR DEBRIS ON THE ROAD, SAW NONE. CAR WAS RUNNING FINE. CONTINUED 10 - 15 MORE MILES TO HOME OF FATHER-IN-LAW. STEPPED OUT OF CAR AND SMELLED STRONG GAS FUMES. PROCEEDED AROUND BACK OF CAR TO PASSENGER SIDE. OBSERVED A PUDDLE OF GASOLINE IN FRONT OF REAR PASSENGER TIRE. SLOW, STEADY DRIP WAS COMING FROM BOTTOM OF CAR ABOV…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10440495 at NHTSA ↗