Problems · by component
2012 Nissan Altima vehicle speed control problems
49 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2012 Nissan Altima cite vehicle speed control, 12% of all 426 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
49
12% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the vehicle speed control
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The sensor was replaced but the light engine light still came back on now the speed sensor is causing the issue. The abs light comes on while accelerating it jumps and jerks”
“What component or system failed or malfunction and is it available for inspection upon request. The CVT failsafe high fluid temperature protection mode enacted while I was driving on the highway at speeds of 65 to 70 mph going with the flow of traffic it is not available for inspection upon request because this issue only occurs while you're driving down the highway. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety and the safety of my passengers and the safety of my fellow commuters was put in jeopardy due to negligence of the manufacturer of the 2012 Nissan Altima when this occurs all acceleration ceases your foot can be all the way to the floor on the gas pedal and your car will not accelerate and in the fast lane on the highway when this happened I became a Sitting Duck in the flow of traffic cars are flying by me and my passengers and I can't get enough speed to change lanes and get out of danger due to a failsafe that Nissan put in these cars on purpose they were fully aware of these issues this is a direct quote from the 2012 Nissan Altima owners manual page 5-17 warning when the high fluid temperature protection mode or fail safe…”
“Hi I’m having trouble with my transmission in my car due to a safety feature that Nissan has installed on there cvt transmissions. After driving for 1 1/2 to 2 hour trips my car does not accelerate or will have a slow time gaining speed. Nissan has a high fluid temperature protection mode that basically when the transmission temp gets too high the computer cuts you off completely and intentionally stops you from going any faster. This is a serious issues if your in traffic or driving somewhere on the highway and not able to move to the side of the roadway or to a median. If my car was to completely stop in the middle of the road due to this safety feature, it could cause collisions and life threatening injuries.”
“Cvt transmission jerking, can’t accelerate. The vehicle has been inspected by multiple mechanics my vehicle stopped accelerating in the highway while everyone was going 80 mph mine dropped to 60 causing almost a collision also my car had turned off because of the jerking was so bad there is no check engine light on at all”
“3 times car has decelerated when driving on interstate for 1 to 2 hours. Last time speed dropped to 20 mph when most cars were doing 70 to 80 mph. This creates a very dangerous situation that could result in loss of life if not corrected. Nissan refuses to address the matter and problem is well documented on the internet and lawsuits. Nissan should have issued a recall covering the defective CVT. My college age grandson is driving the car as he has no other option but he is putting his life and friends at risk each time he goes on an extended trip. Nissan should at minimum replace the transmission as a safety issue but have denied our claim. Your help would be greatly appreciated.”
“We had a near fatal accident on the highway because the car suddenly lost speed drastically and later on a few incidents won't move up on the slope. My daughter had a hard time reaching home but somehow managed. A quick online research showed many people sharing similar issues due to faulty transmission and sensors. It seems that Nissan is simply hiding behind its 60,000 mile Warranty and not addressing and fixing this issue for the consumers and thereby putting lives at risk.”
Showing 6 of 49 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.