2012 Nissan Altima: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
426 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The 2013–2015 Altima is the centre of Nissan's continuously variable transmission problem. The fifth-generation car launched with a Jatco CVT that overheated, shuddered, went into limp mode and, at worst, failed outright; the 2013 model year carries more than 2,300 complaints and scores 23. Read the full note on the model page. 2012 specifically: a year the record favours — 426 complaints, score 73/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Nissan's CVT problem: the Altima, Sentra, Rogue and Pathfinder years to avoid, including 2012 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 426 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 30.43
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Took the car to a repair shop to get an alignment. Was told that the frame rear cross member was so rusty that it needed to be replaced, and that if it broke while driving I would lose control of the car. The component has not been removed from the car. No one else has looked at the car. Only prior warning/message/symptom was uneven rear tire wear first noticed about 6 months prior, but that may have been due to bad …
I was working, and as I was on my way to a location a lady in front of me came to a complete stop since a couple of ducks were crossing causing me to come to a complete stop as well. As I stopped I looked into my rearview mirror I noticed the lady behind me was not stopping and then smashed into the back of me launching me into the car in front of me. My passenger air bag went off, however my driver seat airbag did n…
The vehicle is unsafe to driver and others on the road. The power steering hose has had a leak since it was manufactured and was not fixed by the manufacturer at all! Tie rods gave away within 5 years of a mileage less than 24,200 miles. Cv joints along with tie rods have been easily compromised and damaged causing loss of control and steering .suspensions are no longer in tact nor reliable and will pose a danger. A…
Recalls: 4 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 11V408000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module-Inactive | NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 15, 2011, THROUGH JUNE 21, 2011 AND MODEL YEAR 2012 NISSAN NV VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 23, 2011, THROUGH JUNE 28, 2011 BECAUSE THE AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT (ACU) WAS ASSEMBLED INCORRECTLY. |
| 12V494000 | Steering | Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Altima vehicles manufactured from May 10, 2012, through July 26, 2012. These vehicles may have been equipped with transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts that were not torqued to proper specification. |
| 12V055000 | Air Bags:Side/Window | NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 ALTIMA AND VERSA VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS THAT CONTAIN AN INCORRECT PROPELLANT MIXTURE FOR THE INITIATOR COMPONENT USED, RESULTING IN INSUFFICIENT OUTPUT OF COMPRESSED GAS. |
| 11V371000 | Suspension | NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 25, 2011, THROUGH JUNE 10, 2011 AT THE CANTON, MISSISSIPPI PLANT. THE TRANSVERSE LINK BOLT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TORQUED TO THE PROPER SPECIFICATION. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 26 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,500
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train149 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine68 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Air Bags57 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Unknown Or Other56 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Vehicle Speed Control49 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Electrical System44 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
Other Nissan Altima years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Nissan Altima?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (149 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2012 Nissan Altima a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 73/100, computed from 426 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2012 Nissan Altima's most common problem?
149 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2012 Nissan Altima sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2012 Nissan Altima cost to run per year?
About $5,498 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $27,490 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2012 Nissan Altima have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2012 Nissan Altima, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 09/08/2011. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2012 Nissan Altima really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 426 complaints, 4 recalls on record
- 426 NHTSA complaints on record (30.4/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (29.8/yr)
- 4 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems