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2012 Nissan Sentra

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2012 Nissan Sentra do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 116.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

129 reports with mileage · 51 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 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

10 crash reports4 fire reports7 injury reports

Suspension complaints

6 reports
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64,000 miles · Sep 16, 2019
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Suspension

TAKATA INFLATOR. I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR THE ESC LIGHT IS ON AND I DONT KNOW WHATS HAPPENS, THE STABILITY IS NOT GOOD WHEN IT'S RAINING AND I CONNECT A COMPUTER AND THE COMPUTER DONT WANT TO READ WHAT IS THE PROBLEM

NHTSA ODI #11255953

57,000 miles · May 15, 2018
SuspensionWheels

THUMPING NOISE FROM LEFT REAR SUSPENSION AT 30MPH ON CITY STREETS

NHTSA ODI #11093966

103,000 miles · May 7, 2018
Power TrainSuspension

"CVT TRANSMISSION ISSUES" 2012 NISSAN SENTRA SR 2.0L WITH 103,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND MAINTAINED ADEQUATELY SINCE GETTING THE VEHICLE IN 2013. FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING MY VEHICLE LOSS OF ACCELERATION ON ONLY BEING ABLE TO GO 10 MPH MAX WHEN MY VEHICLE GOES INTO LIMP MODE. THIS HAPPENS TO ME ON TH…

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"CVT TRANSMISSION ISSUES" 2012 NISSAN SENTRA SR 2.0L WITH 103,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND MAINTAINED ADEQUATELY SINCE GETTING THE VEHICLE IN 2013. FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING MY VEHICLE LOSS OF ACCELERATION ON ONLY BEING ABLE TO GO 10 MPH MAX WHEN MY VEHICLE GOES INTO LIMP MODE. THIS HAPPENS TO ME ON THE INTERSTATE 64 WESTBOUND FROM RICHMOND, VA TO HARRISBURG, VA GOING UPHILL WHERE I WAS GOING 70 - 75 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE LOSS ACCELERATION AND MY SPEED DROPPED DRAMATICALLY ALMOST CAUSING A WRECK. THIS IS DUE TO BEING IN THE LEFT LANE AND HAVING NOWHERE, I COULD PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE READILY AVAILABLE. TO ME, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN AS THIS IS HAPPENING NOW AFTER BEING DRIVEN FOR 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MIDAS WHERE I HAD THEM RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE CAR TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY CODES ON THE CAR SINCE THERE IS "NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON." THE TECHNICIAN CAME BACK WITH THE FOLLOWING: 'TECH FOUND THAT THE CVT TRANSMISSION IS HAVING INTERNAL PROBLEMS-VEHICLE US NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. TECH FOUND CODE P1722 EST VEHICLE SPEED SIGNAL, P0744 AT TR SW FUNCTION, P1778 STEP MOTOR. ALSO, VEHICLE NEEDS FRONT STRUTS AND REAR SHOCKS - NO CONTROL OF STEERING WHEEL.' IT APPEARS NISSAN HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION FROM THEIR 2007 - 2010 SENTRA AND ISSUED AN EXTENDED TEN YEAR - 120,000 MILES WARRANTY. NISSAN NEEDS TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY TO EVERY YEAR THAT NISSAN HAS USED THE CVT TRANSMISSION AS THEY ARE UNRELIABLE AND EVENTUALLY WILL CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAYS WITH THEIR TRANSMISSION GOING INTO LIMP MODE.WOULD LIKE MY VEHICLE ADDED TO THE CVT EXTENDED WARRANTY - 10 YEARS + 120,000 MILES SINCE MY VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES AS THE 2007 - 2010 VEHICLES. OCCURRED ON INTERSTATE, HIGHWAY, AND CITY.

NHTSA ODI #11092190

Mileage unknown · Dec 11, 2013
SteeringSuspension

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2012 NISSAN SENTRA. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE VEHICLE DRIFTING TO THE LEFT. AS PART OF A WILL OWE FROM THE DEALERSHIP I ASKED FOR THIS TO BE REPAIRED. FIRST ALIGNMENT. AFTER THE ALIGNMENT WAS DONE I WAS INFORMED THE "SPECS" WERE FINE AND THE TECHNICIAN MENTIONED THIS COULD ALSO BE ROAD CROWN OR TORQUE PUL…

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I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2012 NISSAN SENTRA. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE VEHICLE DRIFTING TO THE LEFT. AS PART OF A WILL OWE FROM THE DEALERSHIP I ASKED FOR THIS TO BE REPAIRED. FIRST ALIGNMENT. AFTER THE ALIGNMENT WAS DONE I WAS INFORMED THE "SPECS" WERE FINE AND THE TECHNICIAN MENTIONED THIS COULD ALSO BE ROAD CROWN OR TORQUE PULL WHICH IS NORMAL FOR FRONT WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES. ?? I ASKED FOR A SECOND LOOK, THIS TIME THE SERVICE MANAGER WENT WITH ME FOR THE TEST DRIVE AND NOTICED THE DRIFTING AND KEPT THE VEHICLE. THEY DID ANOTHER ALIGNMENT (2ND) SPECS OK AND REPLACE THE OEM TIRES WITH A KNOCK- OFF SET.THE VEHICLE IS STILL DRIFTING. I INFORMED NISSAN AT THIS POINT TO SEE IF THEY CAN STEP IN. THEY RECOMMENDED TAKING IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP, THIRD ALIGNMENT. SPECS OK . I CONTINUED MY COMPLAINT WITH THE NISSAN REP. AND THEY HAD A ENGINEER COME OUT TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. FOURTH ALIGNMENT. HIS OPINION IS: THIS IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF SENTRA MODELS AND STATED NO ADJUSTMENTS, NO ABNORMALITIES AND IT DRIVES THIS WAY BECAUSE THIS IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF STEERING COLUMN. WOW I WOULD THINK NISSAN WOULD BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT A DANGEROUS DRIVING "CHARACTERISTIC" ON ONE OF THEIR VEHICLES. THIS PROCESS HAS TAKEN TWO AND HALF MONTHS, FOUR ALIGNMENTS, THREE SEPARATE OPINIONS OF THE DRIFTING ISSUE AND OTHER THAN A REPLACEMENT OF A SET OF KNOCK-OFF TIRES THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST.. THIS IS A DANGEROUS ISSUE THAT NISSAN IS NOT WILLING TO FIX. I HAVE SEEN ON CARCOMPAINTS.COM THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE THERE ARE QUITE A FEW COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME DRIFTING ON THE SAME VEHICLE SO THAT PROVES THE ENGINEER RIGHT BUT NISSAN IS STILL NOT WILLING CORRECT THE PROBLEM. SAD AND DANGEROUS ATTITUDE TO HAVE. I AM CONFIDENT THIS WILL END UP ON A RECALL. FOR NOW I'M STUCK WITH A DANGEROUS VEHICLE THAT I WOULDN'T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO DRIVE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10555698

1,700 miles · May 21, 2012
Service BrakesStructureSuspension

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THE LOCK ON THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE WAS INOPERABLE DUE TO A GAP NEAR THE LOCK. THE REAR SUSPENSION MADE A CLICKING NOISE WHEN THE BRAKE OR THE ACCELERATOR PEDALS WERE DEPRESSED. THERE WAS ALSO A GRINDING NOISE AS THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED PREVENTING THE CONTACT F…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THE LOCK ON THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE WAS INOPERABLE DUE TO A GAP NEAR THE LOCK. THE REAR SUSPENSION MADE A CLICKING NOISE WHEN THE BRAKE OR THE ACCELERATOR PEDALS WERE DEPRESSED. THERE WAS ALSO A GRINDING NOISE AS THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED PREVENTING THE CONTACT FROM STOPPING THE VEHICLE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AT LEAST THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,300 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,700.

NHTSA ODI #10459067

600 miles · Jan 18, 2012
Power TrainService Brakes, HydraulicSuspension

I JUST PURCHASED A BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT 2012 NISSAN SENTRA IMMEDIATLY CALLED THE DEALERSHIP UPON LEAVING TOLD THEM THE ALIGNMENT WAS OFF THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN AND THEY WOULD REALIGN THE CAR, IN THE MEANTIME WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES THE CAR WANTS TO KEEP GOING AND THROUGHS ITSELF INTO ANOTHER GEAR WHERE IT WOULD LUNG FORWARD, …

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I JUST PURCHASED A BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT 2012 NISSAN SENTRA IMMEDIATLY CALLED THE DEALERSHIP UPON LEAVING TOLD THEM THE ALIGNMENT WAS OFF THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN AND THEY WOULD REALIGN THE CAR, IN THE MEANTIME WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES THE CAR WANTS TO KEEP GOING AND THROUGHS ITSELF INTO ANOTHER GEAR WHERE IT WOULD LUNG FORWARD, WHICH MEANS I AM HAVING TO PRESS ON THE BRAKES HARDER IN ORDER NOT TO BE THROWN INTO TRAFFIC. I TOOK THE CAR IN AND AT FIRST THEY COULD NOT DUPLICAT THE PROBLEM THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT IS THE TRANSMISSION THAT NEEDS TO BE REPALCED WHY IS IT A BRAND NEW CAR NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION??? NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THEY WILL EXTEND THE WARRANTY FOR ME REALLY! WOW WHY SHOULD THE WARRANTY BE EXTENDED WHEN I HAVE A BRAND NEW CAR I KEEP ASKING FOR A NEW SENTRA JUST SWITCH IT OUT MAKE LIFE EASY ON US ALL.

NHTSA ODI #10444380

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.