Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Nissan Quest owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
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. …
Have fixed myself Ac compressor kit about 97,051miles on [redacted], 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 [redacted] 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 [redacted] 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.
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.
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.
Van has had issues slipping on hills after stop with gears grinding and jerking. Brought in to dealership and they could not replicate. I mentioned I thought it might be transmission and how we can do preventive maintenance. They recommended flushing transmission fluid for $125 which I did. Less than month later, slipping still occurred on hills after stops. On way home this past Saturday, I was going about 30-40 MPH when there was a stop light on a slight incline. I slowed down to about 5-10mph when the light turned green. I then pressed the accelerator pedal and the gear grinded and I had no power. As I pressed the gas no power was coming to van and I had to pull over. I had to turn off the vehicle and wait a minute or so and after starting the car, the vehicle seemed normal again. I noticed the check engine light also was now on. …
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. …
Van started to have problems with the acceleration, I stepped on the gas and it didn't responded until several seconds later (5-10), it started slowly and then it accelerates slowly. Every time the vehicle stops, the transmission doesn't work. The check engine light came on, I took the car to an autozone store, and they found the error code p1778, which is CVT transmission error. I took the van then to the dealership and they told me that they found the same error code, and they told me that the transmission needs to be replaced at approx $3800 dls. The van has 76,000 miles. And so far, I've seen numerous sites that have claims and list problems with Nissan transmissions, and Nissan is not taking care of customers. This is a very serious problem that can cause an accident if you are trying to cross a street and the car doesn't respond. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Nissan Quest. While driving various speeds, the fuel tank gauge indicated that the tank was empty. The contact stated that two hours after filling up the fuel tank, the tank would be empty. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact took the vehicle to brown's fairfax Nissan (11010 fairfax blvd, fairfax, va 22030, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures and stated that there were no recalls or warranties per the VIN. The failure mileage was 161,000.
I bought this vehicle not knowing this vehicle had prior owner trans problem with dealer. At about a month to two month after I bought this vehicle at 68300 in the busy california traffic the vehicle stalled on me foot on the gas but trans is not moving. This is the diagnosis: doc codes p0725 engine speed * p0746 pic solienoid a * p0776 pic solenoid b * p0868 fluid pressure low * p1701 TCM. * p1722 vehicle speed signal and * p1778 step motor in transmission CVT trans burnt replacement was recommended at a cost $ 3110,81 and labor cost $ 1619,00 . Trans was done by August 14 2014 in November 2015 the same thing again too many people are having the same problem with this trans in cars an vans the dealer is doing nothing about it. Imagine 3 times same vehicle and it' under 70,000 miles
Transmission complaints in other Quest years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2012 Nissan Quest?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2012 Nissan Quest, 30% of the model year's 93 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Nissan Quest transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2012 Nissan Quest, though it has 1 recall 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 Quest transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles, and 10% 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.