CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2012 Altima has a defect trend of CVT transmission failure showing up around the 100,000 mile mark.

It's an expensive repair at nearly $2,000 average repair cost. For more information see Nissan Altima CVT defect info on NissanProblems.com.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
68,475 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Nissan Altima drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2012 Nissan Altima Owner Comments (Page 7 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #22

Jun 012016

Altima 4-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought my car pretty much brand new (it didn't even have 20 miles on it). My first transmission was leaking around 30,000 miles. Even though I asked my service advisor to check it, he assured me the tech's checked it and the only thing leaking was from the ac. I left, put the car on a lift, took pictures, and bought them to the dealer. They then replaced it under warranty. Around 90,000 miles, I started having issues getting the car to go after a complete stop. Its very random but is occurring more frequently. I was making a left turn yielding to traffic, I had plenty of time. However my car was crawling for 30 seconds or so. I am glad I didn't get stuck in the intersection. When a light turns green, people will beep their horn at me, or try to cut the people off in the other lanes to pass me. I frantically searched the web to find that tons of people are having this issue with Nissan Altima of different years near mine. I was shocked to see that their were so many complaints between chat forms, complaint websites, and even so many youtube videos. You can push the gas pedal to the floor, but it crawls for a random amount of time (maybe up to a minute). Here is someone who captured it on video on a car without even 30,000: Https://M.youtube.com/watch"V=uliodpoi1_M I called the dealer and they said my car was no longer under warranty and the replacement transmission warranty is only good for 12,000 miles or 12 months. Other companies have longer warranty periods for their transmissions. Ford has 2 years. Does Nissan know how awful their transmissions are so they won't cover them for a longer period" I no longer feel safe in my car, and I feel like I could break down at any time, but I can't afford another car payment right now. Please don't let Nissan get away with this any longer. Thank you for your help.

- Remington, VA, USA

problem #21

Apr 142016

Altima

  • 60,000 miles
Was driving at normal highway speed car suddenly lost power would not accelerate or turn more than2000 RPM when climbing hills car slows to a crawl you have to turn the car off and wait awhile and then restart it you may GO2 miles OR200 before it starts again

- Ripley, WV, USA

problem #20

Apr 162016

Altima

  • 64,000 miles
After driving at 70 mph for several hours, the vehicle will no longer accelerate and slows down. The vehicle needs to sit for a period of time before it is able to accelerate again. This issue had occurred before 8K miles earlier and had the cvt cooler replaced under warranty.

- Oakland, CA, USA

problem #19

Nov 252015

Altima

  • 92,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving my 2012 Nissan Altima on a busy 4 lane road. I was in the turning lane when my car refused to accelerate. I had power and the engine revved when I pushed on the pedal, but the car would not move. I put the car in park, shut it off and restarted it. The car then jerked its way through the intersection. A few hundred more yards and it stopped again in the middle of the road. I restarted multiple times but it would not move. I had it towed to my mechanic and I was told it was a failed cvt transmission. I called Nissan America to see if they would help, and they said tow it to a Nissan dealership and they would review it and see if they would help. I contacted Nissan and they said my cvt transmission failed and that it was out of warranty. It will cost over $4000 to replace it. This is a dangerous event. I did not know when I bought the car about the problems Nissan has had with these transmissions. After a week of waiting, Nissan America came back and said they would not help. They would not offer a reason why. I asked about the fact that the cvt transmissions had so many problems that Nissan retroactively doubled the warranty on models before 2010, would they do that for my 2012. I was told no. I asked to speak with a manager and I was refused, saying the review process is complete. I am lucky that I was not involved in an accident considering what happened. I am angry that this dangerous situation occurred. And I am frustrated that after suggesting they might help, Nissan wasted another week of my time, when I could have gotten it fixed by my mechanic, instead of bringing it to a dealership.

- Perkasie, PA, USA

problem #18

Jun 162013

Altima

  • 40,000 miles
Cvt transmission and (un)"safe mode" this has occurred on multiple trips on the highway at speeds 60-80 mph that are usually in excess of 70 miles. The vehicles transmission will go into "safe mode". the vehicles transmission will no longer rev above 2900 RPM which inhibits the vehicles ability to maintain safe highway speeds especially if any sort of incline is introduced (it is hard to maintain a speed of 45mph and there is minimal ability to accelerate). The only remedy I have discovered is to let the vehicle cool down. After the first occurrence at ~ 40,000 miles the vehicle was taken to the dealership who stated they could find nothing wrong with the vehicle (codes or obvious defects). After the second occurrence the dealership stated that they could not find an issue, however Nissan extended the warranty out to 100,000 miles. The transmission will still go into safe mode from time to time and has additionally began making a quite obnoxiously loud whining noise (at ~ 60,000 miles, similar to when a power steering pump is a about to fail).

- Ballston Lake, NY, USA

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problem #17

Jul 272014

Altima

  • 70,000 miles
While traveling from sandiego to las vegas, cvt fail safe kicked in while I was in the center lane. Lost power and had to make a dangerous lane change, this was the third time this has happened since buying the car in 2012

- Fairview, UT, USA

problem #16

Oct 012015

Altima

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Paint is coming off the car from where the factory has repainted over a clear coated surface. Paint is also coming out of the jams of the car causing rust. Parts on the car are also starting to break down. The seats do not properly catch the gear holding them into place. Transmission makes a terrible winding noice

- Thomasville, GA, USA

problem #15

Aug 092015

Altima

  • 67,000 miles
While traveling on the interstate at 70 miles per hour on two separate occasions, my 2012 Nissan Altima lost acceleration and would not go back into gear which almost caused a horrible accident with an 18 wheeler the second time this incident occurred. My car was only at 67,000 miles and the dealership is stating that it needs a new cvt transmission. This is a safety hazard and could have caused our baby to be involved in a horrible accident. Something definitely needs to be done regarding this situation before someone gets injured badly!

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #14

Jun 042013

Altima

  • 112,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate and lost power as the check engine light illuminated. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the PO744, cvt a and B temp were found out of specification and the transmission fluid needed replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000.

- Warrior, AL, USA

problem #13

Sep 132014

Altima

  • 60,000 miles
Alright so today I noticed a whining noise coming from the transmission. On my way home from work, just after leaving my car kept slipping out of gear. I get on the highway and the engine light comes on. Then im stuck in 5th gear for the rest of the way home. I got the flash codes and did a bit of research, here is what I found. 2012 Nissan Altima sedan - torque converter clutch circuit intermittent pausible causes: - faulty torque converter clutch solenoid valve - torque converter clutch solenoid valve harness is open or shorted - torque converter clutch solenoid valve circuit poor electrical connection - low transmission fluid level - dirty transmission fluid I have to pull over for about 5 minutes then start my care for the sensor to reset so that I can drive my desired speed limit. Once it gets hot the transmission will not allow me to drive more than 60-65mph. The dealer says I need to new transmission. I have 95,000 miles on my 2012 Nissan Altima 2.5 S and is already having problems. It's difficult for me to travel as much because of these issues. After an hour of driving, my transmission whines and my speed limit drops when driving this is extremely dangerous and deadly. I fear that because of the decrease in speed could be potentially dangerous.

- Austell, GA, USA

problem #12

Jul 072015

Altima

  • 68,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Today was the second time I've experienced this dangerous issue while driving on the freeway for about an hour and a half long. My car began to lose speed and would not accelerate above 60 mph. While I had the gas pedal down completely all the way to the floor, as the car could not gain speed. I could have been in a serious accident with all the traffic on the freeway, I had to merge over to the far right for safety. I drove my car immediately after to Nissan so they could verify this issue. They failed to help me in any way recommending I invest in a cvt cooler, due to not being covered under warranty anymore. A couple months back when the car was still under warranty I took it to Nissan with the same issue, at that time they stated they could not detect an issue. But now my warranty is up they're suggesting what the car needs. I'm very upset with how dangerous this can be and how careless Nissan is. It's like they are just waiting for someone to seriously be hurt in an accident to then do something about it.

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #11

Jun 102015

Altima

  • 112,000 miles
Purchased car new Sep 2012. All manufacturer recommended services completed by Nissan dealership service centers. Cvt transmission failed Jun 10, 2015. Failure confirmed by two different Nissan service centers.

- Tyrone, GA, USA

problem #10

May 162013

Altima

  • 35,000 miles
On 5/16/2013 after a long period of highway driving my 2012 Nissan Altima, the vehicle lost power and I was forced to pull over to the right lane in order not to get hit from traffic behind me. After awhile I was able to limp into my local Nissan dealer. Nissan service said it was a electronic control module (ECM). Nissan replace and reprogrammed the ECM under warranty. On 7/11/2013 the same issue returned leaving me in a dangerous situation with no power on the highway driving at highway speeds! again I limped back to my local Nissan dealer and this time they diagnosed that I needed a new transmission and they gracefully covered it even though I now had 41K miles. Now less than 2 years later 5/13/2015 my car lost power just as it had before on the highway at highway speeds, narrowly getting creamed before pulling over! back to the Nissan dealer and at first they reported nothing wrong with my car. I told them it happens when the car is hot, they replied that they couldn't drive it that long! finally after several calls the dealer found a tsb (ntb-13-079) identifying the sensor on the transmission forced it to go into limp mode when the transmission gets hot. Nissan's fix is to sell me a $640. Transmission cooler. There is a serious defect with these transmissions putting drivers at risk of serious injury and Nissan knows about it!

- Venice, FL, USA

problem #9

Jul 062012

Altima 4-cyl

  • 11,858 miles
Transmission leak in bell housing. Transmission leak 1/10/13. Transmission leak 9/11/13. Transmission leak, internal failure 9/30/13.

- Clovis, CA, USA

problem #8

May 142014

Altima 4-cyl

  • 59,341 miles
Work/repair orders, available on request. It appears to be a common issue with Nissan Altima's featuring the ctv transmission. 1) purchased the car from hertz, 12/13. 2) acceleration problem noted when first extended trip was taken to bakersfield in 5/14. 3) problem: When the engine was warm the transmission sensor fails and car can not accelerate. Car failed going over the "grapevine" in gorman, ca. 4) under Nissan 60M warranty, took the car to get checked. Car had 59M miles on it. Explained the problem. They claimed it was a throttle sensor. Fixed it under warranty. 5) next trip to las vegas, going up the I-15 through victorville, Aug/2014. The exact same problem occurred. Acceleration failed when engine was warm and climbing a gradual incline. 6) took the car back to bp Nissan. Now they claim to know for sure the problem was not with the throttle sensor but with the ctv transmission. Unfortunately they now claim my car is no longer under warranty and requires a $4,000 new transmission. 7) after researching the problem it appears this is a common problem for the new Altima ctv transmission. They new what the problem was when I first brought the car in with 59M miles on it. They "kicked the can down the road" hoping I wouldn't come back until after the 60M mile warranty expired. Dangerous situation having to pull to the side of the freeway. Especially with kids in the car. They refuse to give me a "decline of service" letter. Please advise. Regards, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Fullerton, CA, USA

problem #7

Jul 242014

Altima 4-cyl

  • 34,500 miles
I was driving on interstate 17 going uphill when all of a sudden my car went into what is known as "limp mode"(loss of power). My speed dropped to 25 mph. I had numerous trucks almost rear end me, until I could limp onto the shoulder. I took it straight to a Nissan dealer in flagstaff AZ. When I got there he pointed to four other vehicles and said to me "what just happened to you, happened to those other 4 Nissan right there". I was told by the dealer " you need a transmission cooler installed because of the hot climate we live in this happens all the time, the transmission gets overheated, it's a defect Nissan has known about for awhile now". I believe this is a safety issue and it's only a matter of time until someone gets killed when their car looses power on an interstate. I have contacted Nissan on numerous occasions only to be told "since no code popped up nothing can be done". the power train is still under warranty. I have tried going through the proper channels with Nissan, but it's been in vain. This is a known problem yet they will not recall these vehicles. Again sooner or later this will cause an accident and I'm afraid it could be fatal.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #6

Jun 182014

Altima 4-cyl

  • 7,700 miles
Car seems to slip into neutral while driving. To resolve this I need to brake, shift into neutral and then back into drive.

- Stuart, FL, USA

problem #5

Jul 062014

Altima 4-cyl

  • 48,500 miles
We were driving on the interstate at about 70 mph and were unable to accelerate. Accelerator peddle all the way to the floor and the most we could go was 45 mph. Had the car towed to a Nissan dealership and found out it was the shift select assembly that had broken/malfunctioned and the car had gone in to failure mode. There was not warning light at all and this could have been very dangerous on the interstate. First I feel that this part of the car should never have broken in a 2-year old car and I have to wonder if there is a defect in the part for this model year of the Altima. Second, if and when this piece does break or malfunction, there should be some sort of warning light on the dash to make the driver aware and pull over. Nissan is aware of my concerns as I have shared them with their Consumer Affairs department.

- Maiden, NC, USA

problem #4

Jan 012014

Altima

  • 39,150 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. While driving approximately 40 mph, one of the tires flattened. The low tire pressure sensor was not illuminated. When the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who stated that the transmission and transmission axle assembly needed to be replaced. In addition, the transmission fluid pan was cracked. The mechanic was unable to diagnose the tire pressure sensor malfunction. The vehicle was repaired, but the failures recurred. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 39,150.

- Sahuarita, NE, USA

problem #3

Jun 272014

Altima 4-cyl

  • 57,998 miles
While in operation climbing up and inclines this vehicle engine lose power to approx: 40 - 50 miles and hour, along with a whining in the transmission, also the front suspension appears to be shaking. Windows refuse to go up and down.

- Murrieta, CA, USA

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