10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
44,486 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 Sentra drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2012 Nissan Sentra:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2012 Nissan Sentra Owner Comments (Page 3 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #28

Aug 262017

Sentra

  • 52,000 miles

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

Purchased 2012 vehicle from dealership in Jan 2014 and have found that the vehicle is having a common problem in this model. Vehicle is decelerating while in motion. The traction control and ABS lights came on so we took it to mechanic who said we needed to repair brakes, so we fixed the brakes as needed. Lights did not go off so we returned it to dealer who then informed me that when hooked up for the diagnostic test, a code returned saying there was a problem with the transmission. I described that the vehicle was slow on takeoff. Travels about 3-4 mph during takeoff, causing backup in traffic, and potential serious rear end accident. Technician stated that Nissan acknowledged the problem and had extended the vehicle warranty to 60,000 miles. My vehicle has 50,000 miles so I was glad to hear, so I took it back to dealership for repairs. I was informed that I was out of warranty because warranty begins on date vehicle was manufactured, in this case Jan 2012, so out of warranty by 9 months. I argued that I had not owned it from the date it was manufactured, and how much was the repair. Cost is $4500 I do not feel that as a consumer we should incur this costly repair if Nissan has been made aware of this issue on this model vehicle. They should honor the defect detected and repair vehicle before there is a injury to persons because vehicle decelerates unknowingly at any given time, making the driver a sitting duck at intersections and takeoffs.

- El Paso, TX, USA

problem #27

Aug 052017

Sentra

  • 75,000 miles
While parked, vehicle starts but will not shift into drive, neutral or reverse. $798 to replace "shifter kit." Vehicle is less than 5 years old and with 75,000 miles

- Mechanicsville, VA, USA

problem #26

May 162016

Sentra 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that the gears failed to shift from park into the other gears intermittently. The vehicle was scheduled for an appointment with a dealer (clinton auto group in clinton, ia). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and issued two technical service bulletins, but there was no manufacturer recall. The failure mileage was not available. Updated 09/20/17

- Camanche, IA, USA

problem #25

Apr 142017

Sentra

  • 84,000 miles

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

After driving for 3+hours, the car begins to deaccelerate and you cannot go any faster while on the highway; very unsafe. Quoted over $3.5K to fix transmission. Car should last longer than 80K miles! scared to drive it now. At one point, Nissan covered the transmission for 10 years or 100,000 miles--should definitely go back to this as the cvt is not safe! contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs to no avail...

- Carrollton, TX, USA

problem #24

Mar 252017

Sentra

  • 3 miles
Vehicle stopped pulling in traffic almost got rear ended very unsafe Nissan says internal failure cost to repair 3800 dollars vehicle is not repaired scared to drive it.

- Jeffersonville, IN, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #23

Feb 052017

Sentra

  • 71,000 miles
Purchased a brand new 2012 Nissan Sentra 5 years later my transmission goes. The Nissan dealer said it would be $3,600 to fix!! the car has 71,000 miles and the warranty ended at 5/ 60,000. After researching, transmission issues have been documented in older models but was supposed to be fixed. Coincidentally mine has the same issue.

- Roanoke, VA, USA

problem #22

Aug 212016

Sentra

  • 95,000 miles

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

Vehicle refused to accelerate during prolonged uphill drive in 95F+ weather. Vehicle speed was reduced to below 50 mph and no amount of accelerator depressing increased speed or acceleration. Vehicle had to be pulled over for 10 minutes before it would accelerate normally again. No notice of engine overheat or malfunction was registered on the the dash. No indicators visible.

- Chatsworth, CA, USA

problem #21

Apr 242015

Sentra

  • 73,000 miles
The gear on my car would not shift into "park" when I parked in a parking spot after driving around the city for 20 minutes. I shifted the gear into neutral then tried again but it still wouldn't work. After struggling for 7 minutes, I reversed out of the spot then drove the car around the parking lot and attempted to park the car again but the gear still wouldn't shift into park. After struggling and growing concerned and frustrated 5 minutes later, I repeated the process but the car still wouldn't shift into park. Ten minutes later the gear finally shifted into park when I parked the car again. The key cannot be removed from the ignition of a 2012 Nissan Sentra unless the car is in "park" and turned off.

- Arlington, TX, USA

problem #20

Jul 082016

Sentra

  • 84,000 miles
About half-way through a highway road trip from dallas to houston, my vehicle began automatically decelerating from 85mph to 70mph although my foot pressed hard on the accelerator. I activated cruise control at 70mph, but the vehicle continued to decelerate although cruise control was activated and displayed beneath the speedometer. When the car's speed dropped from 70mph to 60mph on the highway, I took the nearest exit in centerville, Texas and stopped at the gas station to turn my car off then on again. The car continued to decelerate, reaching only 45mph as I entered the busy highway yet again. After 15 minutes, the car began accelerating to 60mph. After struggling with the car's speed for about 30 minutes, everything returned to normal and the car began accelerating to 85mph once again.

- Arlington, TX, USA

problem #19

Apr 032016

Sentra

  • 200 miles
At 50K miles after four hours driving at 70mph the car lost power, RPM not moving at all when accelerating. At 67K miles, the car lost power again after driving 3 hours, got code P0744 from scanner. Car would only 50-60 mph.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #18

Feb 102016

Sentra

  • miles

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

Bought the car certified used from a Nissan dealership w/ roughly 55K miles on it, cvt transmission fails, have it replaced. The new cvt transmission fails again with roughly 55K miles on. Nissan refuses to offer any assistance to help with replacing a cvt transmission that yet again has failed.

- Plano, TX, USA

problem #17

Mar 032016

Sentra

  • 65,000 miles
I stopped at a stop sign and then was not able to move. Tried then going backwards and nothing. I was able to drift forward. However no acceleration. No warning signs, car has been working correctly since purchased. The car is was purchased in Nov of 2011, this happened 3/3/16 less then 65,000 miles. I have the car maintained regularly by only the dealership where I purchased it from brand new. Only issue I have ever had with the car was being advised while maintence that the battery was reading dead in the car so they replaced it. I called the dealership and they said it sounds like a transmission problem and I'm over the 60,000 mile warranty.

- Halethorpe, MD, USA

problem #16

Oct 192015

Sentra

  • 87,000 miles
I was driving through town and was at a stop light when my car would not accelerate at all. No warning signs. No check engine light. It just wouldn't go. Took my car to the Nissan dealer and was advised the transmission has to be replaced. Nissan refuses to assist with any of the cost. It's an automatic cvt transmission.

- Tracy, CA, USA

problem #15

Jul 102015

Sentra

  • 68,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. While driving at 45 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000.

- Fayetville, NC, USA

problem #14

Mar 102015

Sentra

  • 63,383 miles
The contact owns a 2012 nisssan Sentra. While driving at approximately 60 mph, the transmission failed while accelerating. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,383.

- Santa Rosa , CA, USA

problem #13

Sep 242014

Sentra 4-cyl

  • 35,000 miles
In the first incident, I came out from seeing a movie and I could not get my car out of park. A friend came to try to help and got it into neutral but it would not shift any further. The problem turned out to be the key release cable. I had a problem again in early November at approx 36,500 miles. This time the key would not come out of the ignition. Same key release cable was the problem. Even now the car still makes a clunking noise under the driver's seat and the key seems to scrape as it comes out of the ignition. Sometimes I pull the key out (and there is the scraping noise) and the doors do not unlock.

- Warner Robins, GA, USA

problem #12

Jun 012012

Sentra 4-cyl

  • 125 miles
Since purchasing the car new in 2012 upon accelerating after first starting and going about half a mile car makes a clunking noise. Does this all the time after first starting and taking off and can be felt under the driver's side floorboard when it happens. The dealership took it for a test ride and said it is normal in Sentra models, but they never checked the bushings to diagnose the source of the problem. It could be in the suspension, transmission, or the drive train.

- Frostburg, MD, USA

problem #11

Mar 242014

Sentra 4-cyl

  • 31,796 miles
Was driving on freeway, accelerating toward 70 mph. Accelerator dropped away from under my foot, tachometer "pegged" 5000 RPM. Quick scan of instrument panel showed car was now in neutral, not drive. My hands were both on the steering wheel; I didn't touch the gearshift lever. The car shifted on its own. This started a series of problems with the transmission that continue to escalate; transmission will override braking (caused 2 accidents 2 weeks apart); on a 500-mile (1-way) business trip in July, car went into fail-safe mode 3 times - loss of power, accelerator non-functional. Car taken off the road by Nissan Corp, but no repairs done; after 49 days out of service, car was released to me, continues to exhibit transmission problems. Now the steering is extremely hard to operate, as if there's no power steering in the car. When transmission overrides brakes, it feels like the car is being pushed, then chokes down (nose of car dips), then is catapulted in the same direction (D or R); in this sequence, brakes fully applied will not stop the car. Nissan's only response is to self-protect against a lawsuit; no concern for the welfare of someone driving a car in this condition!

- San Leandro, CA, USA

problem #10

Aug 202014

Sentra 4-cyl

  • 66,000 miles
I was driving my Nissan Sentra and without warning the transmission failed in the middle of the street. It failed at 66,000 miles and the warranty expired at 60,000 miles I received no help from Nissan or the dealer they both could care less about the situation it was a awful experience I bought the car because I thought it was reliable I will never buy Nissan again it has been a bad experience so long Nissan.

- Santa Ana, CA, USA

problem #9

Jul 102014

Sentra

  • 80,000 miles
I bought a 2012 Nissan Sentra I kept up with all the work for the car so to be sure nothing would go wrong. About a year the car started making noise. I told the service dept. But they did nothing on 07-10-2012 the service dept told me I needed a new transmission the car is only two years old. The car began to run really bad. I had to get another car for fear that this might blow up.

- Palmdale, CA, USA

Read the next 8 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?