CSR
Check a VIN

Look up

About

Nissan · NHTSA safety record

2012 Nissan Sentra

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

180

Complaints

10

Crashes

4

Fires

10

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2012 Nissan Sentra have filed 180 safety complaints with NHTSA between August 2011 and August 2025. The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 68 of them (38%). The typical failure was reported at 64,000 miles, the median across the 129 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 180.

POWER TRAIN 68 38%
ENGINE 39 22%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 22 12%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 21 12%
AIR BAGS 20 11%
STRUCTURE 17 9%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13 7%
VISIBILITY 10 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 9 5%
STEERING 9 5%
SUSPENSION 6 3%
SERVICE BRAKES 5 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2019 at 34.

2011 2019 2025
2011 to 2025

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ENGINE

3 injured · crash · towed

2012 NISSAN SENTRA WAS BOUGHT 3 WEEKS PRIOR WITH NO PROBLEMS. WHILE TRAVELING 60 - 70 MPH ON A HIGHWAY THE CAR SUDDENLY STOP RUNNING AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO STEER OUT OF THE TROUBLED AREA ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE BROKE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGHWAY. AFTER RESEARCH IT SEEM TO BE THE SAME ACTIONS THAT HAS HAPPENED TO THOUSANDS OF OTHER NISSAN SENTRAS. THE DEFECTED CVT TRANSMISSION CAUSES THIS TO HAPPEN. LUCKILY MY SON WAS NOT KILLED DURING A ACCIDENT THAT WAS CAUSED AFTER HE WAS REAR ENDED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.

NHTSA complaint 11291934. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · 60,000 miles

I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT IN NOVEMBER. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE DRIVER BROKE THEIR NOSE AND THEN FLED THE SCENE. I WAS UNCONSIOUS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHEN WMTS ARRIVED AND DO TO THE DRIVER FLEEING I WAS CHARGED WITH THE ACCIDENT AND INSURANCE FAILED TO PAY THE SETTLEMENT. ALL ON CLAIMS THAT HAD I BEEN IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE AIRBAG WOULD HAVE WENT OFF. I KNOW THAT NISSAN HAS AIRBAG PROBLEMS ALL AROUND THE YEAR OF MY CAR BUT AM TRYING TO FIND IF ANY OF THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS ARE IN MY CAR AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A NON DEPLOYMENT. THE COPS ESTIMATED THAT WE WERE GOING 50 MPH AND HIT A TREE. I WAS ASLEEP IN THE PASSENGER SEAT SO AM NOT SURE OF HOW MY BODY WAS POSITIONED IF IT

NHTSA complaint 10716583, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · fire · crash · 62,500 miles

RAINY NIGHT 55 MPH CRASH. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WET ROAD, CAR RAN OFF ROAD, HIT A SIGN POST, WENT DOWN EMBANKMENT, FLIPPED AND ROLLED OVER INTO DITCH. DAUGHTER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED... 4 BROKEN LOWER BACK VERTEBRAE, 9 BROKEN RIBS, NUMEROUS PELVIC FRACTURES, LACERATED SPLEEN AND KIDNEY. SEEMS LIKE THESE INJURIES COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH LESS SEVERE IF THE AIRBAGS WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED.*DT *DT*JB

NHTSA complaint 11206122. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

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

NHTSA complaint 11626015, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

160,504 miles

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.

NHTSA complaint 11677777. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
My ABS light and skid light is staying on all the time.

NHTSA complaint 11642312. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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

NHTSA complaint 11622787. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

174,000 miles

The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to turn on the headlights, the air bags deployed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to Special Coverage Adjustment: 23520 Passenger Presence Sensor (PPS) Module; however, the VIN was not included in the Special Coverage Adjustment. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 174,000.

NHTSA complaint 11615049. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER
The rearview mirror fell off the windshield and was hanging by the wires, which was found when entering the vehicle to drive; when touched, the wires and everything fell the rest off the way off the windshield. Glass from the windshield broke off with the rearview mirror. This was hazardous to be missing while driving and has prevented visibility and impacted safety. A mechanic is repairing the vehicle and has never seen anything like this issue, but upon looking up this specific problem, it appears many Nissan Sentra owners have experienced the same issue.

NHTSA complaint 11608044. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Nissan Sentra

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 13 1 —
2025 27 4 —
2024 34 3 —
2023 19 1 —
2022 80 2 —
2021 129 3 —
2020 204 4 —
2019 221 2 —
2018 184 2 1
2017 230 3 —
2016 267 6 —
2015 350 3 —
2014 380 5 —
2013 638 6 1
2011 142 2 —
2010 144 3 —

Other 2012 Nissan models

Versa 486 Altima 425 Rogue 317 Murano 134 Maxima 107 Quest 93 Juke 87 Frontier 78

Every Nissan on this site — 200 vehicles, 319 recall campaigns and 5 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst