2012 Nissan Altima problems, complaints & recalls

2012 Nissan Altima recalls (4)

• Recall 12V494000Oct 10, 201213,919 vehicles
  STEERING · SUSPENSION

  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.

  Risk: The affected bolts could become loose and fall out which may lead to a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

  Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the bolts to the proper torque specifications. The safety recall is expected to begin during November 2012. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.

• Recall 12V055000Feb 14, 2012976 vehicles
  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.

  Risk: The side curtain air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.

  Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace one or both side curtain air bag modules, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on march 12, 2012. Owners may contact nissan customer service at 615-725-1000.

• Recall 11V408000Aug 9, 201154 vehicles
  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.

  Risk: The affected acu will not operate as designed and this issue may cause the air bags not to inflate in a crash when they are designed to inflate. This could increase the risk of injury.

  Remedy: Nissan will replace the air bag control unit free of charge. The safety recall began on august 22, 2011. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

• Recall 11V371000Jul 19, 201120,000 vehicles
  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. This condition could cause the bolt to become loose while the vehicle is being driven, creating a rattling noise and vibration.

  Risk: If the bolt comes out completely, the driver may experience difficulty controlling the direction of the vehicle which could result in a crash.

  Remedy: Nissan will replace the transverse link bolts and nuts and tighten them to the proper torque specification free of charge. The safety recall began on august 8, 2011. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

NHTSA defect investigations

• EQ12002Opened Feb 14, 2012Closed May 8, 2012

  Autoliv Air Bag Propellant Mixture

  The summary for this investigation, labeled EQ12-002 Autoliv Closing Resume, can be found attached separately to this resume.This EQ is closed.

Recent 2012 Nissan Altima complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Sep 22, 2026CTSteeringSuspension

   am submitting a formal safety defect report regarding the steering system on my 2012 Nissan Altima Coupe. The vehicle exhibits a loose and unstable steering feel, accompanied by a distinct clunking impact whenever the wheel is turned, including during low‑speed maneuvering. This condition indicates a potential failure within the steering linkage, intermediate shaft, or associated structural components. Although my VIN does not currently appear in Nissan’s recall database,…

   NHTSA complaint #11766022 · source
2. Filed Aug 16, 2026NYBody & Structure

   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 rear shocks.

   NHTSA complaint #11757305 · source
3. Filed Jul 24, 2026FLCrashTowedAirbags

   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 not go off, failing to protect me. My car was completely…

   NHTSA complaint #11752694 · source
4. Filed May 1, 2026OHWheels & Tires

   215/60/r16 Driving down, interstate st 70 steering wheel started to shake, then load noise as if running over something, then could see the entire middle tread of the tire flying into the lane behind me to the right. So luckily no one was in that lane or it would’ve crashed into the front of their car. Car was recently purchased from a dealer and the dealer had just gotten it from an auction so little to no information about the tires except for the date on the side, which…

   NHTSA complaint #11735170 · source
5. Filed Apr 9, 2026NCCrashTowedOther / Unknown

   I am reporting a potential unintended automatic emergency braking event involving a 2025 Tesla Cybertruck. On 23Mar2026, at approximately 40 mph, I was traveling behind a Tesla Cybertruck on a public roadway. There were no visible obstacles, hazards, or debris in the roadway that I observed. The Cybertruck suddenly and aggressively braked without warning. The abrupt deceleration appeared inconsistent with road conditions and is consistent with what is commonly described as…

   NHTSA complaint #11730266 · source
6. Filed Jul 22, 2025FLTransmission & Drivetrain

   I drove out of town about 40 miles and everything was fine, next day went to leave to come home and immediately noticed high RPMs going about 20MPH. I pulled over, turned the car off and turned it back on, started driving and same thing. I had no choice but to drive it on the interstate. I could get up to 60 very carefully but I was still sitting around 4000rpms. It wouldn’t shift gears at all (I know it’s a CVT and doesn’t have gears). I then noticed a high squealing noise,…

   NHTSA complaint #11675421 · source
7. Filed Jun 30, 2025TNCrashTowedSteeringSuspensionTransmission & Drivetrain

   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. All errors were not found by manufacturer and has caused…

   NHTSA complaint #11670314 · source
8. Filed Jun 2, 2025TXTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into gear. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired for the most recent failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to several independent…

   NHTSA complaint #11664378 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology