Most common 2012 Nissan Sentra problems
Share of the 180 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Nissan Sentra complaints by model year
Best Sentra years: 2023, 2024. Years to avoid: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020, 2016. Compare all years →
What 2012 Nissan Sentra owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 68 →
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact drove at a slow speed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.
Our nissan Sentra with 106K miles the car lost nearly all power as my son was turning onto the freeway. He could only drive 16 miles an hour and it was hopping and jumping through a 8 lane freeway/highway intersection while he tried to get into a parking lot off the road. He turned it off, waited 5 minutes, and turned it back on, but it was still slowly hopping and jumping. After another 10 minutes my husband drove it for about 10 minutes and it operated normally. This same behavior happened in 2019 with 82k miles at a large intersection. It suddenly lost power and slowly hopped through the intersection. At 60k the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel quit working. When we asked the Nissan Dealership about it, we were told that was typical and it would slowly lose all the functionality of the steering wheel controls. All the functionality was gone by 70k miles. …
Engine & cooling all 40 →
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 notified, and the fire department was notified and extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,504.
Speed control & acceleration all 22 →
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,504.
While driving on the freeway pulling approximately 70 miles per hour, my car will begin to shake violently, continuously decelerate and my RPMs drop significantly. I am unable to go over 55 miles per hour when this happens. This has happened to me a total of four times now within the last 2 months. I had my car take this one auto repair shop in which my spark plugs were changed out a brand new air intake hose was put in my coils were changed out and everything. Today while driving on the freeway, going 72 mph my car decelerated and would not go above 55. This is a major safety issue considering I drive on the freeway a lot. I just paid $970 to have my car fixed and can't continue to pay to have the car fixed along with still paying a car note and insurance on this car. Well researching transmission issues I came across this page when filing a complaint. …
2012 Nissan Sentra engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | CVT | FWD | 26 / 34 / 29 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 24 / 30 / 26 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | CVT | FWD | 23 / 30 / 26 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 28 / 24 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Nissan Sentra a good car?
Based on 180 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Sentra rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sentra at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Nissan Sentra?
The transmission & drivetrain — 68 complaints, 38% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (40) and speed control & acceleration (22).
How many recalls does the 2012 Nissan Sentra have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2012 Nissan Sentra. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Nissan Sentra?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2023 and 2024. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2016. See the full Nissan Sentra years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Nissan Sentra problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 64,000 miles; 38% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.