Problems · NHTSA complaints

2012 Nissan Sentra problems

Owners filed 180 complaints about the 2012 Nissan Sentra with NHTSA between Aug 2011 and Aug 2025. The most-cited component is power train (68).

Complaints
180
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
10
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
10
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train68
  2. Engine39
  3. Vehicle speed control22
  4. Air bags20
  5. Structure17
  6. Electrical system13
  7. Visibility10
  8. Fuel/propulsion system9
  9. Steering9
  10. Suspension6
  11. Service brakes5
  12. Electronic stability control (esc)4
  13. Wheels3
  14. Latches/locks/linkages2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20112
20129
201315
201417
201519
201614
201717
201815
201934
20207
202110
20229
20233
20247
20252

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

68 reports1 crash
“Our nissan Sentra with 106K miles the car lost nearly all power as my son was turning onto the freeway. He could only drive 16 miles an hour and it was hopping and jumping through a 8 lane freeway/highway intersection while he tried to get into a parking lot off the road. He turned it off, waited 5 minutes, and turned it back on, but it was still slowly hopping and jumping. After another 10 minutes my husband drove it for about 10 minutes and it operated normally. This same behavior happened in 2019 with 82k miles at a large intersection. It suddenly lost power and slowly hopped through the intersection. At 60k the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel quit working. When we asked the Nissan Dealership about it, we were told that was typical and it would slowly lose all the functionality of the steering wheel controls. All the functionality was gone by 70k miles. We have learned that Nissan's transmissions are very problematic and these situations are typical as you get closer to 120k miles. We planned to have this car for several more years. If we sell it and buy a different car we are out several thousand dollars or if we keep it we will likely have to…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 31, 2024Power train, Electrical system, EngineODI 11591810

Engine

39 reports4 crashes3 fires
“The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,504.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 1, 2025Engine, Vehicle speed controlODI 11677777

Vehicle speed control

22 reports1 crash
“car stalled no power in gas pedal traveling across for lane traffic just lost power to the gas pedal. was able to pull over and tuned off car after a few minutes of sitting power was restore and was able to drive again I have been told this is a transmission issue I am not sure but defiantly a safety issue losing power like that”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 30, 2024Vehicle speed control, Unknown or otherODI 11622787

Air bags

20 reports8 crashes1 fire
“The contact owned a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while her boyfriend was driving at 40 MPH and passing a side street, another driver traveling in a Subaru failed to yield. As a result, the Subaru collided with the passenger side of the contact's vehicle sending the vehicle careening off the roadway and into a wooded area only coming to a complete stop after colliding with a tree. The air bags did not deploy resulting in the driver sustaining injuries that the contact attributed to the failure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the insurance provider. A police report was filed and injuries were reported. The driver was transported to an area hospital by EMT and treated for bruised ribs and pain in his neck, chest, back, abdomen, and knees. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 18, 2024Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11626015

Structure

17 reports4 crashes
“THE PLASTIC PIECE ON DRIVERS FRONT FENDER KEEPS POPPING OUT SO YOU HAVE TO KEEP POPPING IT BACK SO IT'S SECURE ON FRAME AS AFRAID IT WILL FALL OFF IF DON'T. I NOTICED IT AFTER I HAD PARKED. PREVIOUSLY HAD TO HAVE A CLIP PUT ON TO SECURE THE PART. SO THIS IS SECOND TIME IT'S HAPPENED IF SOMEONE HITS ON THAT SIDE WOULD CAUSE DAMAGE FOR SURE”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 26, 2019StructureODI 11235192

Electrical system

13 reports
“The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled and, on several occasions, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the ignition switch, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced a second time. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 79,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 5, 2024Electrical systemODI 11575624
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.