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2012 Nissan Quest

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2012 Nissan Quest do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 66.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

70 reports with mileage · 23 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 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports2 fire reports3 injury reports

Power Train complaints

28 reports
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Mileage unknown · Dec 8, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

My van is not accelerating properly, it seems to idle out and does not go over 20 mph it idles on acceleration decline. i could not get out of way fast enough if traffic was busy.

NHTSA ODI #11629506

Mileage unknown · Jun 10, 2024
Power Train

The CVT transmission on this vehicle has failed. The vehicle is jerking and and stalls while driving. If I'm at a light stopped and the light changes to go, the vehicle won't move unless I put my foot all the way down on the accelerator then it Jenks and starts to move. I took it to Sheridan Nissan in Delaware, and they told me …

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The CVT transmission on this vehicle has failed. The vehicle is jerking and and stalls while driving. If I'm at a light stopped and the light changes to go, the vehicle won't move unless I put my foot all the way down on the accelerator then it Jenks and starts to move. I took it to Sheridan Nissan in Delaware, and they told me this has been the issue with the CVT transmission and I need to just get rid of the van. To get a new one put in is over $7000 with just a 12 Mos12,000 miles warranty and they say it may go out again. I was told by another dealership that Nissan new about this problem, but won't fix it. I've noticed that they have replaced CVT transmissions in other Nissan vehicles and other years, but seem to skip the 2012 Nissan Quest. The engine light came on after it started jerking and I had it towed to Nissan and then they told me that the transmission is slipping. They told me I could drive it home, but to "get rid of it because it doesn't have much life left." Please make Nissan recall these transmissions like they did others. If they are all CVT transmissions, why are some being fixed and others being ignored? Please help.

NHTSA ODI #11593554

Mileage unknown · May 22, 2024
Electrical SystemPower TrainService Brakes

Have fixed myself Ac compressor kit about 97,051miles on [XXX], maf sensor, two vvt solenoids having driven it 20,000 miles in five years trying to rid light. Nov 2019 purchased at 94,719 miles. Roberts nissan of manchester, tn checked and serviced on [XXX] at 95,186 milles in excellent condition. Light will not stay off for po…

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Have fixed myself Ac compressor kit about 97,051miles on [XXX], maf sensor, two vvt solenoids having driven it 20,000 miles in five years trying to rid light. Nov 2019 purchased at 94,719 miles. Roberts nissan of manchester, tn checked and serviced on [XXX] at 95,186 milles in excellent condition. Light will not stay off for power train system, cam timing bank, timing chains, vct camshaft timing vct, power supply circuit. Nissan did replace recall ABS actuator. Had checked Cookeville Nissan [XXX] light on and they turned off saying it checked ok after a cold start for $230. It is loud now at 114,998 miles! This auto must have defective parts since Gateway has serviced it regularly. I am concerned about driving. Talked to consumer affairs of Nissan and was told it was over 65,000 miles and not valid. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11590145

Mileage unknown · Jun 12, 2023
Power Train

CVT Transmission failed and had to replace with new CVT Transmission while returning from a trip on June 7 2023. It failed in middle of the trip. Aamco Boardman, OH helped replace it with brand new transmission and it cost $7525. Last year also Compressor failed and had to replace it with brand new compressor at the local garage…

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CVT Transmission failed and had to replace with new CVT Transmission while returning from a trip on June 7 2023. It failed in middle of the trip. Aamco Boardman, OH helped replace it with brand new transmission and it cost $7525. Last year also Compressor failed and had to replace it with brand new compressor at the local garage here in Shippensburg. Mileage is only 110000 miles. Very disappointed and dissatisfied with 2012 Nissan Quest.

NHTSA ODI #11526634

Mileage unknown · Oct 10, 2022
Power Train

I was on a busy freeway only 10 miles from my city and my van with no warning started to slow down and I tried pushing gas to make it go faster to the speed limit because there were semi trucks lined behind and beside me and it wouldn’t accelerate at all. It just continued to slow down at a fast rate and I was trying to get to t…

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I was on a busy freeway only 10 miles from my city and my van with no warning started to slow down and I tried pushing gas to make it go faster to the speed limit because there were semi trucks lined behind and beside me and it wouldn’t accelerate at all. It just continued to slow down at a fast rate and I was trying to get to the side of the freeway as fast as possible and the steering wheel got hard to turn to the side. It was a struggle and I had my husband, and all 5 of my daughters with me. We were all scared out of our minds. Vehicles were passing so close to us and so fast. The vehicle came to a complete stop on the side of the freeway and the engine was still running and I tried to push gas but it just revved up and didn’t move at all. My family and I were stranded for hours waiting for help to come. We could have been hit by so many vehicles. I turned off the van and restarted a few minutes later to try to get it to go but it wouldn’t budge. Just made whining sounds.

NHTSA ODI #11488584

Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2021
Power Train

Daughter's Quest has a bad CVT transmission. Diagnosis made by independent service center. Check engine light came on. Codes P1700, P0746, & P0868. Unsafe to drive - doesn't accelerate, shakes, shutters, etc. Other Nissan Quest/Nissan owners with same issue (Pathfinder, Rogue, Juke, Murano, Versa,Sentra,Altima). Refer to CarComp…

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Daughter's Quest has a bad CVT transmission. Diagnosis made by independent service center. Check engine light came on. Codes P1700, P0746, & P0868. Unsafe to drive - doesn't accelerate, shakes, shutters, etc. Other Nissan Quest/Nissan owners with same issue (Pathfinder, Rogue, Juke, Murano, Versa,Sentra,Altima). Refer to CarComplaints.com. I mailed a letter to Nissan Corp Office in Franklin TN. They offered no assistance. Nissan settled a class action law suit for Sentra, Versa, Altima with same trans problem by agreeing to replace trans and extend warranty from 5yrs/60K miles to 10 yrs/120K miles. Want Nissan to replace bad CVT transmissions and extend warranty on Quest vans and other models with bad CVT transmissions.

NHTSA ODI #11437223

101,485 miles · Feb 13, 2021
Power Train

I AM HAVING A PROBLEM ON THE CVT TRANSMISSION OF MY 2012 NISSAN QUEST. IT'S BECOMING TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE BECAUSE IT'S KEEP ON JERKING WHEN I'M DRIVING IT IN THE STREET THAT IS WAY I DON'T DRIVE IT IN THE FREEWAY BECAUSE IT'S TOO DANGEROUS AND LATELY IT SPEED UP THAT I ALMOST GET AN ACCIDENT. FIRST IT WON'T RUN WHENEVER I STOP…

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I AM HAVING A PROBLEM ON THE CVT TRANSMISSION OF MY 2012 NISSAN QUEST. IT'S BECOMING TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE BECAUSE IT'S KEEP ON JERKING WHEN I'M DRIVING IT IN THE STREET THAT IS WAY I DON'T DRIVE IT IN THE FREEWAY BECAUSE IT'S TOO DANGEROUS AND LATELY IT SPEED UP THAT I ALMOST GET AN ACCIDENT. FIRST IT WON'T RUN WHENEVER I STOP AT STOP SIGN AND/OR STOP LIGHT, WHEN I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR IT WON'T RUN LIKE IT NORMALLY DO AND THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT WILL SPEED UP THAT I ALMOST GET IN AN ACCIDENT. I WANT THE NISSAN MANUFACTURER TO RECALL MY QUEST AND FIX MY TRANSMISSION.

NHTSA ODI #11396062

101,460 miles · Jan 7, 2021
Power Train

WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE TRANSMISSION FELT LIKE THE VAN WAS JERKING EVERY TIME THE GAS WAS PRESSED. THIS WAS EVEN HAPPENING THE DAY PRIOR WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. AT ONE POINT THE RPM WOULD GO START GOING HIGH WHEN THE GAS WAS BARELY BEING PRESSED. WE DECIDED TO GET OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT. WE WERE AT A STOPLIGHT …

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WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE TRANSMISSION FELT LIKE THE VAN WAS JERKING EVERY TIME THE GAS WAS PRESSED. THIS WAS EVEN HAPPENING THE DAY PRIOR WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. AT ONE POINT THE RPM WOULD GO START GOING HIGH WHEN THE GAS WAS BARELY BEING PRESSED. WE DECIDED TO GET OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT. WE WERE AT A STOPLIGHT AND THE VAN JUST SUDDENLY STOPPED GIVING ANY POWER WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS. THERE WERE NO LIGHT INDICATORS ON THE DASHBOARD TO ALERT OF ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VAN. THE RPM WOULD NOT REV UP EVEN WITH THE GAS PEDAL FLOORED. WE TURNED THE VAN OFF AND ON TO SEE IF THAT WAS THE ISSUE. THE SAME THING HAPPENED AND THERE WAS STILL NO POWER PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. THE VAN HAD TO ROLL UNTIL WE WERE ABLE TO PARK SAFELY AT A GAS STATION. WE LET THE VAN SIT FOR OVER 30 MINUTES JUST IN CASE TO SEE IF IT WAS AN OVERHEATING ISSUE. THERE WAS A JIFFY LUBE NEARBY AND WE ASKED A MECHANIC WHAT THE ISSUE WOULD BE. THEY SAID THAT NISSAN HAD A CVT TRANSMISSION WHICH HAS BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE PROBLEMS LIKE LOSS OF POWER, TRANSMISSION JERKING, ETC. EVENTUALLY WE HAD TO GET THE VAN TOWED BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION FAILED.

NHTSA ODI #11386890

119,000 miles · Oct 14, 2020
Power Train

AT 119,000 MILES THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T GET OUT OF 1ST GEAR, MAKING ACCELERATION FROM A DEAD STOP NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. SEVERAL CALLS TO MY NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND TO NISSAN CORPORATION RESULTED IN "I'M SORRY BUT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR YOU BUT OFFER A COMPLETE REP…

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AT 119,000 MILES THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T GET OUT OF 1ST GEAR, MAKING ACCELERATION FROM A DEAD STOP NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. SEVERAL CALLS TO MY NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND TO NISSAN CORPORATION RESULTED IN "I'M SORRY BUT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR YOU BUT OFFER A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF YOUR TRANSMISSION AT AT COST OVER $5000". THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 19K MILES OUT OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED FROM NISSAN, BUT THEY ARE CLAIMING THEY DON'T LOOK AT THAT, THEY LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURE WARRANTY. NISSAN IS AWARE OF ISSUES WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION THEY HAVE PUT IN THEIR CARS BUT REFUSE TO FIX THE ISSUES OR WORK WITH CUSTOMERS.

NHTSA ODI #11364342

93,000 miles · Sep 23, 2019
Power Train

THE VEHICLE STALLS DUE TO TRANSMISSION. CVT FAILED WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS SOME 93,000 MILES. VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY AND DID NOT MOVE. WE HAD TO TOW IT HOME. THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES.

NHTSA ODI #11257522

Official recalls

1

12V076000 · Electrical System:software; Fuel System, Gasoline

Feb 29, 2012

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN QUEST VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 29, 2010, THROUGH FEBRUARY 21, 2012. DUE TO SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING, WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS OR IDLING ON A DECLINE WITH ¼ TANK FUEL OR LESS, THERE MAY BE AN INSUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE MAY STALL.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: VEHICLE STALLING COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 2, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-647-7261.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:software

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN QUEST VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 29, 2010, THROUGH FEBRUARY 21, 2012. DUE TO SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING, WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS OR IDLING ON A DECLINE WITH ¼ TANK FUEL OR LESS, THERE MAY BE AN INSUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE MAY STALL.

Consequence: VEHICLE STALLING COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 2, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-647-7261.

Fuel System, Gasoline

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN QUEST VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 29, 2010, THROUGH FEBRUARY 21, 2012. DUE TO SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING, WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS OR IDLING ON A DECLINE WITH ¼ TANK FUEL OR LESS, THERE MAY BE AN INSUFFICIENT SUPPLY OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE MAY STALL.

Consequence: VEHICLE STALLING COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 2, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE 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

1

AQ12003 · Gwinnett Place Nissan / Quest Recall

Opened Oct 25, 2012 · Closed Dec 12, 2014

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:software

NHTSA opened Audit Query (AQ) 12-003 to determine whether Gwinnett Place Nissan of Duluth, Georgia complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 (Safety Act) and its implementing regulations. The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a manufacturer notify its dealers of defects related to motor vehicle safety and noncompliances with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and, in turn, that a dealer not sell a new vehicle subject to a recall unless the recall remedy has been performed. 49 U.S.C. ? 30120(i). NHTSA issued an information request (IR) to Gwinnett Place Nissan on October 31, 2012. Gwinnett Place Nissan responded to this request on November 19, 2012. NHTSA then issued an IR to Nissan North America, Inc. on March 11, 2013. Nissan North America, Inc. responded to this request on April 5, 2013.NHTSA's investigation indicated that Gwinnett Place Nissan sold and delivered 28 recalled vehicles that did not have the recall remedy completed at the time the vehicles were delivered to the customers. Gwinnett Place Nissan did not contest this finding. NHTSA therefore concluded that Gwinnett Place Nissan was liable for civil penalties for violations of the Safety Act, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. ? 30165. Under a Settlement Agreement dated November 24, 2014, Gwinnett Place Nissan paid compromised civil penalties in the amount of $110,000.This AQ is closed.