Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Nissan Altima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Hi I'm having trouble with my transmission in my car due to a safety feature that Nissan has installed on there cvt transmissions. After driving for 1 1/2 to 2 hour trips my car does not accelerate or will have a slow time gaining speed. Nissan has a high fluid temperature protection mode that basically when the transmission temp gets too high the computer cuts you off completely and intentionally stops you from going any faster. This is a serious issues if your in traffic or driving somewhere on the highway and not able to move to the side of the roadway or to a median. If my car was to completely stop in the middle of the road due to this safety feature, it could cause collisions and life threatening injuries.
3 times car has decelerated when driving on interstate for 1 to 2 hours. Last time speed dropped to 20 mph when most cars were doing 70 to 80 mph. This creates a very dangerous situation that could result in loss of life if not corrected. Nissan refuses to address the matter and problem is well documented on the internet and lawsuits. Nissan should have issued a recall covering the defective CVT. My college age grandson is driving the car as he has no other option but he is putting his life and friends at risk each time he goes on an extended trip. Nissan should at minimum replace the transmission as a safety issue but have denied our claim. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
We had a near fatal accident on the highway because the car suddenly lost speed drastically and later on a few incidents won't move up on the slope. My daughter had a hard time reaching home but somehow managed. A quick online research showed many people sharing similar issues due to faulty transmission and sensors. It seems that Nissan is simply hiding behind its 60,000 mile Warranty and not addressing and fixing this issue for the consumers and thereby putting lives at risk.
Cvt transmission jerking, can't accelerate. The vehicle has been inspected by multiple mechanics my vehicle stopped accelerating in the highway while everyone was going 80 mph mine dropped to 60 causing almost a collision also my car had turned off because of the jerking was so bad there is no check engine light on at all
What component or system failed or malfunction and is it available for inspection upon request. The CVT failsafe high fluid temperature protection mode enacted while I was driving on the highway at speeds of 65 to 70 mph going with the flow of traffic it is not available for inspection upon request because this issue only occurs while you're driving down the highway. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety and the safety of my passengers and the safety of my fellow commuters was put in jeopardy due to negligence of the manufacturer of the 2012 Nissan Altima when this occurs all acceleration ceases your foot can be all the way to the floor on the gas pedal and your car will not accelerate and in the fast lane on the highway when this happened I became a Sitting Duck in the flow of traffic cars are flying by me and my passengers and I can't get enough speed to …
While pulling into a parking place at a restaurant all of a sudden my wife heard a loud noise and surge from the engine propelling the car forward and over an embankment fortunately for a few trees and god's help my wife is thankfully still alive the embankment had approximately 100' drop this has never happened before the sound coming from the engine she still hears, not sure once the car is fixed if we buy another Nissan Altima or even continue to drive this one, something caused this car to surge and it definitely was not her foot,
Alright so today I noticed a whining noise coming from the transmission. On my way home from work, just after leaving my car kept slipping out of gear. I get on the highway and the engine light comes on. Then im stuck in 5th gear for the rest of the way home. I got the flash codes and did a bit of research, here is what I found. 2012 Nissan Altima sedan - torque converter clutch circuit intermittent pausible causes: - faulty torque converter clutch solenoid valve - torque converter clutch solenoid valve harness is open or shorted - torque converter clutch solenoid valve circuit poor electrical connection - low transmission fluid level - dirty transmission fluid I have to pull over for about 5 minutes then start my care for the sensor to reset so that I can drive my desired speed limit. Once it gets hot the transmission will not allow me to drive more than 60-65mph. …
Twice, I was driving at a speed of 75 MPH on i25 headed north. As I arrived into colorado springs, my vehicle decelerated to 30 MPH in a 65 MPH zone. I immediately pulled over. I waitied for about 15 min. Started my vehicle up & still it would only go 30 MPH. I turned around & headed back for pueblo. Unsure & afraid that my vehicle would not make it home. Once my car was sitting for an hour, the transmission allowed the speed to rise above 30 MPH. The same incident occurred on 6/27/2015. I am afraid to drive my vehicile out of town, in fear of getting stranded, the car overheating & the mechanical transmission malfunctioning. The Nissan dealer in order to resolve the problem, needs to install a "transmission cooling system". I purchased the extended warranty thru 1st extended, over $2600.00. They refuse to honor the warranty, claiming the cooler was ot in the car to begin with. …
Vehicle was in motion on the highway and after two and half hours of driving could not accelerate past 45-50 miles an hour and stuck on this speed even with the gas pedal being pressed down to accelerate. I had serious safety issues with this on the highway in regards to ascending hills and had near serious encounters with trucks and other vehicles on all incidents I have had to drive more than that duration. I am on a website called cargurus and have a lot of Nissan 2012 Altima owners with the same year, make and model having exactly the same terrifying experience. I have called Nissan about this and that they should do a qa of their call logs and check other complaints from other customers and all they could say is "there is currently no recall on your VIN". …
Traveling west on hwy 44 started having trouble going up hills. Put pedal to the floor, and nothing extra. It was starving for fuel. Turned around to go back home, eventually stopping in sullivan mo. While going back I had to gain speed going downhill in order to make it uphill. On two occasions I had a semi rider my rear bumper even though I was in the slow lane. One time while gaining sped down hill, I had to pass the semi in front of me, or lose the speed that I had gained, so I tried to pass on left, as usual, but then the acceleration stalled once again. I then had another semi riding in rear view mirror, and was fearful of what could happen. I was eventually passed by semi on right , I got over, and then the semi on the left passed. Needless to say it was not a good situation. I have seen on-line that there is a class action suit against Nissan, but no recall for the CVT's. …
Acceleration complaints in other Altima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2012 Nissan Altima?
NHTSA has 49 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2012 Nissan Altima, 12% of the model year's 426 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Nissan Altima acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2012 Nissan Altima, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2012 Nissan Altima acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles, and 26% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.