Car had a hard impact, not on the front end but flipped multiple times, air bags and side air bags did not deploy
2012 Nissan Altima
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2012 Nissan Altima do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 231.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Altima years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
307 reports with mileage · 118 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 149 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
425 reportsOn a road trip car stopped accelerating above 60. Caused us a long time sitting on the side of the road when car cooled we started up and went again. Took it into the shop and replaced the fuel pump. Then one week later on a trip to Idaho car is doing the same thing over the Milan pass. Acceleration does not work at high speeds …
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On a road trip car stopped accelerating above 60. Caused us a long time sitting on the side of the road when car cooled we started up and went again. Took it into the shop and replaced the fuel pump. Then one week later on a trip to Idaho car is doing the same thing over the Milan pass. Acceleration does not work at high speeds even with a new fuel pump. Seems to make an airy fan sound like an air valve is wide open. Think it is a dangerous sensor issue. Ug. Help.
THE DASHBOARD IS MELTING. IT IS NOW TO THE POINT WHERE IT PEELS UP IF ANY ITEM IS PLACED ON IT AND THEN REMOVED. THERE IS A WET OILY SUBSTANCE FORMING IN PLACES ALL OVER THE DASH. IT IS INCREDIBLY STICKY ALL OVER. I PLACED MY CELL PHONE ON THE DASH WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO GET IT OFF OF MY DASH. THAT RESULTED…
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THE DASHBOARD IS MELTING. IT IS NOW TO THE POINT WHERE IT PEELS UP IF ANY ITEM IS PLACED ON IT AND THEN REMOVED. THERE IS A WET OILY SUBSTANCE FORMING IN PLACES ALL OVER THE DASH. IT IS INCREDIBLY STICKY ALL OVER. I PLACED MY CELL PHONE ON THE DASH WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO GET IT OFF OF MY DASH. THAT RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE GOING IN TO THE LANE ADJACENT WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS JERKED DURING REMOVAL OF THE PHONE. IT POTENTIALLY COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS CRASH. THE PHONE PULLED PART OF THE VINYL DASH OFF AS WELL. I HAVE CHECKED RECALLS FOR NISSAN AND THE DASH IS NOT AMONG THEM. I NOTED A VERY SLIGHT STICKINESS ON THE DASH WHEN I PURCHASED THE ALTIMA USED IN 2017 AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY. IT HAS PROGRESSIVELY BECOME WORSE UNTIL I AM NOW IN THE SITUATION I HAVE REPORTED. AS A SIDE NOTE, I HAD PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 2006 TOYOTA SOLERA IT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE DASH. TOYOTA DID ISSUE A RECALL ON THE DASH. I HAD IT REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP WITHOUT INCIDENT.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the traction control warning light would intermittently illuminate. As a result, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that he would turn off the vehicle for approximately 20 seconds b…
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The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the traction control warning light would intermittently illuminate. As a result, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that he would turn off the vehicle for approximately 20 seconds before restarting the vehicle to resume normal driving. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where minor repairs were performed; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
I have a 2012 Nissan Altima. Four years ago I drove from Sacramento, CA, to Reno, NV, with two friends in my car. As I was driving over the summit on Highway 80 my car started to lose power. This was extremely scary as the highway is only two lanes and since it was a Saturday there was a lot of traffic. I was driving in the slow…
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I have a 2012 Nissan Altima. Four years ago I drove from Sacramento, CA, to Reno, NV, with two friends in my car. As I was driving over the summit on Highway 80 my car started to lose power. This was extremely scary as the highway is only two lanes and since it was a Saturday there was a lot of traffic. I was driving in the slow lane and as my car continued to lose power and slow there was noplace to get off the road. I pulled onto the narrow sholder between the slow lane and the concrete barrier and my car came to a complete stop. Since there were cars whizzing by I was not able to open either the drivers side door or the passenger side door, which was inches away from the concrete divider. At this point I was shaking uncontrollably and in a panic I called Nissan of Sacramento to tell them what happened. The technician suggested that my transmission may have over-heated. He suggested that I wait for the transmission to cool and see if I was able to then make it to the nearest freeway offramp, which I did. After exiting the freeway we waited for an hour or so and were then able to proceed to Reno, NV. Once there, I took my car to a mechanic who checked the other systems and could find nothing wrong. Once back home in Sacramento I took my car to Nissan of Sacramento and was then informed that my transmission had burned and would need to be replaced. They contacted Nissan and were informed that there were no recalls and that I would need to pay for a new transmission out of pocket and the cost would exceed $4,700. After contacting Nissan myself, they informed me that they would not cover the cost of a new transmission. Since I am a retired, single senior citizen living on a fixed income, I have not been able to replace the transmission and subsequently have not driven more than 20 miles from my home. I have read that CVT Transmission problems are very common with Nissan Altimas. Why would they deny my claim when this is such a serious safety issue?
Our vehicle has been in no collisions or anything and has been well taken care of. Out of nowhere about 3 years our airbag light came on indicating that it will not deploy. We tried to get Nissan to fix it due to hearing of recalls in the past but they said our vehicle was not included. They then said they had to try one thin…
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Our vehicle has been in no collisions or anything and has been well taken care of. Out of nowhere about 3 years our airbag light came on indicating that it will not deploy. We tried to get Nissan to fix it due to hearing of recalls in the past but they said our vehicle was not included. They then said they had to try one thing at a time and the first thing was replacing the seat for $1400 and if that didn't work they will continue down a list of 10 possible things. So basically the vehicle is a deathtrap and we are not sure how it even became that. Seems like it has to be an electrical issue or the issue mentioned in the recall.
CAR DASH HAS BECOME A HAZARD TO DRIVING SAFELY. THE DASH ORIGINALLY, WHEN PURCHASED NEW FROM THE DEALER, HAD A PEBBLED MATT FINISH SIMILAR TO A FOOTBALL OR BASKETBALL. IN THE PAST YEAR THAT FINISH IS DISSOLVED INTO A SLICK STICKY HIGHLY REFLECTIVE STATE. THIS REFLECTIVE STATE CAUSES THE DRIVER TO BE VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND UNABLE…
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CAR DASH HAS BECOME A HAZARD TO DRIVING SAFELY. THE DASH ORIGINALLY, WHEN PURCHASED NEW FROM THE DEALER, HAD A PEBBLED MATT FINISH SIMILAR TO A FOOTBALL OR BASKETBALL. IN THE PAST YEAR THAT FINISH IS DISSOLVED INTO A SLICK STICKY HIGHLY REFLECTIVE STATE. THIS REFLECTIVE STATE CAUSES THE DRIVER TO BE VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND UNABLE TO SEE OUT OF THE FRONT WINDOW; THIS IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. FURTHER RESEARCH OF THIS EVENT WITH MY VEHICLE HAS FOUND IT NOT TO BE UNIQUE TO MY VEHICLE. THIS IS A VERY COMMON AND VERY DANGEROUS. THIS IS A DEFECT OF DESIGN ONLY AND AS SUCH NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY NISSAN CORPORATE.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, he noticed that the dashboard was shiny and was melting in a small area. The failure expanded to cover the entire dashboard causing visibility issues while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer; however, the mechanic declined to di…
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The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, he noticed that the dashboard was shiny and was melting in a small area. The failure expanded to cover the entire dashboard causing visibility issues while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer; however, the mechanic declined to diagnose the failure without a diagnostic fee being paid. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
Car got stuck in a high gear on the interstate. Speed reduced dramatically and went below minimum speed limit (40mph). No warning lights illuminated. My vehicle has had this issue twice within the last 6 years. Took my car to the dealership where I bought it but they said that they didn't have anybody that could check a CVT.
Had transmission fluid changed now starts bit doesn't go in gear took it to shop and was told I need a new transmission don't understand why new fluid would cause this and have heard nissan has had numerous problems with cat transmission
Official recalls
412V494000 · Steering; Suspension
Oct 10, 2012
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Suspension
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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
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 transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts that were not torqued to proper specification.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
12V055000 · Air Bags:side/window
Feb 14, 2012
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy: 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.
11V408000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
Aug 9, 2011
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
11V371000 · Suspension
Jul 19, 2011
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE BOLT COMES OUT COMPLETELY, THE DRIVER MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EQ12002 · Autoliv Air Bag Propellant Mixture
Opened Feb 14, 2012 · Closed May 8, 2012
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:side/window
The summary for this investigation, labeled EQ12-002 Autoliv Closing Resume, can be found attached separately to this resume.This EQ is closed.
Illustration