2012 Nissan Sentra Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 71,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

The Transmission is making a whining nose and smells terribly bad! When driving on the interstate and parkways; after the car reaches 60 -70 miles, the car starts shaking and slows down; almost coming to a complete stop and we have to either get over in the slow lane and/ or sometimes, we have to pull over, off the interstate, because it…Owner complaint, filed 2023

--- What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Transmission malfunction, yes available for inspection by NHTSA. 28k miles on odometer. --- How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? While driving and starting from a stop, the car loses power momentarily and then jerks…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 84,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact’s husband owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to smoke at an unknown location of the vehicle and caught fire. No warning lights were illuminated. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. The local authorities were…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 100,000 miles

******* delete voq ******* this complaint is being marked for deletion because it is an inadvertent duplicate of odi# 11502677*djr ******* delete voq *******Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 100,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 84,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

On my way home visiting my son, I was on the freeway driving 75 MPH, when I began to experience acceleration loss in my 2012 nissan sentra sl. My CVT transmission was overworking and you can clearly hear the transmission trying to change gears, my car dropped from 75 MPH to under 50 MPH on a busy freeway, the rpm's were running high…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 55 miles

Takata recall. The issue I'm having with my nissan sentra 2012 is an ongoing issue for awhile now. Traveling up to nv from ca, when I reached a certain hill of a slight altitude decrease my speed automatically from going 80mph to 50mph on the hwy. Even pushing the pedal to the metal, doesn't do any impact at all. Had to pull over and…Owner complaint, filed 2016

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 72,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owned a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while her boyfriend was driving at 40 MPH and passing a side street, another driver traveling in a Subaru failed to yield. As a result, the Subaru collided with the passenger side of the contact's vehicle sending the vehicle careening off the roadway and into a wooded area…Owner complaint, filed 2024

The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to turn on the headlights, the air bags deployed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to Special Coverage Adjustment: 23520 Passenger Presence…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 174,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 9,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (14).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while leaving the ignition on and exiting the vehicle, the doors would lock independently after closing the door. The contact stated she had to leave a window down to be able to manually open the door from the inside. The contact stated she had experienced the failure on multiple…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 70,000 miles

The plastic piece on drivers front fender keeps popping out so you have to keep popping it back so it's secure on frame as afraid it will fall off if don't. I noticed it after I had parked. Previously had to have a clip put on to secure the part. So this is second time it's happened if someone hits on that side would cause damage for sureOwner complaint, filed 2019, at 92,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 45,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled and, on several occasions, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the ignition switch, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was later taken to the…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 79,000 miles

The computer system shut down and has locked up my car. I bought it in 2015 and it shutdown on me in early 2018. It was driving fine and all the sudden the computer system quit and the car will not move.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 54,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 18,000 miles. Parts named most: Sun / moon roof assembly (8).

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The rearview mirror fell off the windshield and was hanging by the wires, which was found when entering the vehicle to drive; when touched, the wires and everything fell the rest off the way off the windshield. Glass from the windshield broke off with the rearview mirror. This was hazardous to be missing while driving and has prevented…Owner complaint, filed 2024

After going to the bank we stopped for breakfast.....it was about 40 degrees and light snow was falling.....while eating our sun roof exploded......it had a cone shape upwards and glass was all around on the roof and hood of the veh. ....veh was parked lucky for us...... But it sounded like a gun shot and glass went flying.....Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 37,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 8,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

Takata recall. I was trying to check why my car has the engine check light on and the main computer cannot connect to my car to give me a diagnosis, it just says that there is an error in the connectionOwner complaint, filed 2019

The brakes on my 2012 sentra stopped working, I was not able to move the pedal at all. I was traveling at freeway speeds and had to cut across traffic to get into the safety lane. I had to fully restart the car in order for the brakes to reengage. Had there not been a clear path to the shoulder lane I would have not been able to stop…Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 72,500 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 52,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Car is hesitant, losing power at highway speeds. Afraid of getting rear ended on highway!! Sometimes it happens at a stop.Owner complaint, filed 2017

I purchased my sentra new in march 2012. At that time, my gas mileage was normal, and as advertised. Within the year, I went from 30mpg average to 27. Every year since then, it has gradually gotten worse, and I am now down to 23mpg, regardless of the type or grade of gas I use. It's actually worse with premium gas. I have done all…Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 15,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 54,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 nissan sentra. While stationary and while driving various speeds, the steering wheel made a squeaky grinding noise and shook when being turned left or right. The dealer and [VIN] were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 86,000 miles

Power steering assist (electric in this vehicle) suddenly failed while driving on city street at 25 MPH. The "ps" warning light came on car had been driven about 5 minutes before this incident, and I had just made a right turn. Steering became difficult, but I was able to return home. The next day, I started the car and drove around the…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 28,016 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 57,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

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 problemOwner complaint, filed 2019, at 64,000 miles

"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…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 103,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

There are several Cooper tires recalled and I was told this line is not one. This tire failed with a sidewalk bulge and now the rear passenger one is starting to bulge as well.Owner complaint, filed 2021

The contact owns a 2012 nissan sentra with the original bridgestone turanza el400-02 tires, size: p205/55r16. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for maintenance at the dealer, he was advised that all four tires was defective in the tire walls. The tires were replaced. The [VIN] was notified of the defect. The approximate…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 22,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

I have a 2012 nissan sentra and the curtain air bags and seat air bags deployed when the driver's door of the vehicle was slammed. The car was not in motion but the key was in the ignition. Took it to a dealer and was told that they do not think this would be covered by warranty to contact my insurance company. The vehicle was involved…Owner complaint, filed 2013, at 18,319 miles

Seat belt chime on vehicle does not work as advertised in owner's manual. Chime is supposed to function/sound to let driver know seat belt is unfastened but does not work. Nissan say the chime is unimportant and it is no longer a feature even though it is advertised in the owner's manual to work. I consider it an important safety feature…Owner complaint, filed 2012, at 10 miles