Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Nissan Maxima owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Nissan Maxima. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. The contact stated that the mileage on the title was not available. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 150,000. The vehicle was taken for Texas State Inspection and the VIN was entered on the Inspection Station website and the mileage of 246,450 was displayed.
On June 9, 2022 @8:50am I was driving my Nissan Maxima to work and as I was at the stop light waiting to go through the intersection, the car shut off completely cutting off all power. I have push button and no electric was working. My jumper cables were in the trunk but I could not access them because the trunk would not operate without power. Without power my hazards did not even work so I could not let traffic flow know that I was in distress. My car almost was hit 3 separate times because of a faulty part or system built by Nissan needs to get their stuff together and quit putting people in danger. I'm scared to drive it now because it could shut off as I am in the act of driving and that could be catastrophic not only for me but for other innocent people. I will be contacting Nissan and they will be fixing this properly! …
Pressing door lock/unlock button on the door handles fails to lock/unlock all doors consistently. Rear door locks respond intermittently or not at all. Driver door often takes four button pushes to get it to unlock. Although it hasn't happened to me, I've heard other drivers mention difficulty getting into the gas cap (it locks when driver's door is locked). This issue has occurred in the last 6 months.
2012 Maxima s with door lock/unlock problem. Noticed it about a month ago. Key fob wouldn't lock/unlock the doors. Then about a week later the door lock/unlock button started working sporadically. A few days ago when dropping my daughter off for school she had trouble opening the back door to get out. Not only is this frustrating but now it's a safety hazard as well. As of right now my doors would not lock this morning. This is very frustrating and unsafe especially since there has been car breakins in my neighborhood. I have not taken the car in yet to officially see what the problem is.
On dec 12, 107 my 2012 Maxima had a side airbag sensor replaced (dealer replaced air bag control unit fp-number 98820-9n09c). The airbag light on the passenger side would not go off after the car started. The warning light stayed on regardless if the car was still or moving or whether there was a passenger in the car or not. In September of 2018 the exact same warning light returned which makes me think that there is a larger airbag problem at hand.
My driver side door the door lock intermittently works. It some times locks and doesn't unlock or doesn't lock at all. Recently it is working less often. Now the back door on the driver side stopped working too. The other day my 6 year got locked in the car and had to unbuckle his car seat to unlock the door. Luckily he wasn't an infant. I read on line that many people are having trouble with their door locks in Nissan/infinity cars.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that the instrument panel malfunctioned and the tire pressure monitoring system gauge did not operate. The vehicle was taken to bill gatton Nissan (235 century blvd, bristol, tn) where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
I had an a.c. Compressor issue 3 years ago and had it replaced by trophy Nissan mesquite,texas in 2017. Now 3 years later May of 2020 my compressor has locked up again. It was working fine until a week ago when I was on my way to work it was great but after my shift was done and I came out to go home my a.c.compressor wasn't working.so I was wondering if there were any Nissan recalls with a.c. Compressor issues on my Maxima.
I have replaced the mass air flow sensor five times since oct 2105, the 1st time was able to get several months before any warning light would appear on the dash board, now I don't a week before the warning light appears and car stalls out, I have cleaned the components around the sensor as well as bought the dealer sensor for over $200 still no difference, no one I have it to can locate the issue
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated that while attempting to enter the vehicle or when inside the vehicle, the ' no key' warning indicator illuminated. As a result, the contact was unable to start the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Electrical complaints in other Maxima years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2012 Nissan Maxima?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the electrical system of the 2012 Nissan Maxima, 19% of the model year's 107 complaints. The component named most often is instrument panel › speedometer/odometer (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Nissan Maxima electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2012 Nissan Maxima. 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 Maxima electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
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.