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2012 Nissan Altima electrical problems

44 complaints (10% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 47,000.

owner complaints
44
of this car's complaints
10%
typical mileage
47,000
crashes
0
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Instrument cluster/panel
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Nissan Altima electrical problems in other years

19931995200020052010201520202026

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

What 2012 Nissan Altima owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Apr 1, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · TX

When I BARELY accelerate my car it does a very aggressive bucking motion along with loud noise. I have done put over $3k in vehicle! Nissan fix your shit!

Filed Mar 11, 2023 · Electrical · LA

Have a '12 SR coupe. Car keeps turning over for 5-10 seconds before starting. The alternator checked fine, but the battery voltage was a little low. I bought a brand new battery and that seemed to fix the problem....... for an hour. New battery is at the correct voltage, and alternator came back fine again. Even Nissan themselves have bo idea what's wrong. I've never seen this complaint anywhere, but I assume not that many people own the coupes. I even had an 09 SE coupe that never did this.

Filed Apr 21, 2022 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 110,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the traction control warning light would intermittently illuminate. As a result, the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that he would turn off the vehicle for approximately 20 seconds before restarting the vehicle to resume normal driving. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where minor repairs were performed; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Filed Apr 9, 2022 · Airbags, Electrical · GA

Our vehicle has been in no collisions or anything and has been well taken care of. Out of nowhere about 3 years our airbag light came on indicating that it will not deploy. We tried to get Nissan to fix it due to hearing of recalls in the past but they said our vehicle was not included. They then said they had to try one thing at a time and the first thing was replacing the seat for $1400 and if that didn't work they will continue down a list of 10 possible things. So basically the vehicle is a deathtrap and we are not sure how it even became that. Seems like it has to be an electrical issue or the issue mentioned in the recall.

Filed Feb 17, 2021 · Airbags, Electrical · CA

I just found out that there were 4 safety recalls (performed 0)on our car according to kbb and for our safety purposed,it needs to be repaired and we just bought this in used car company last 09/09/2019.and please let us know if the car manufacturer will be responsible for the recall or we (owner).thank you in advanced

Filed Dec 4, 2020 · Electrical · 120,000 miles · CA

Something happened to the mass airflow sensor where it limits the RPM and slows the car down a lot almost made a accident happen I took it to my mechanic he told me it was normal and I would have to take it to nissan to get it fixed but that he sees that a lot

Filed Nov 4, 2020 · Electrical, Engine · 76,979 miles · GA

My 2012 nissan altima 2.5 sl cut off while I was driving yesterday. I was going about 15 MPH and making a right turn when the car cut off in the middle of the turn. There were no warning lights before, during or after the incident. I was able to coast into the parking lot where I restarted the car. There was of a tank of gas in the car and all of the battery cables were secure. I had the battery and alternator checked and both were fine. There are 76,979 miles on the car. This was the first time this has ever happened, however, after doing some research I have learned this is a common problem with this vehicle. I have loved driving this car for the past few years, but now I am afraid this will continue to happen and could cause me to lose my life in a traffic accident. Please advise me of your official recommendation as to how I should proceed.

Filed Jan 3, 2020 · Electrical · 160,000 miles · SC

The trunk will not open with the lever inside or with the fob. This occurred when the car was staionary and without warning.

Filed Sep 10, 2019 · Driver assistance, Electrical · AL

The power outlet in the center console had gone bad so my husband changed the fuse and as soon as I started to drive, my car started jumping and would not go over 15mph. The traction control light and check engine light had both come on. I turned the car off for about 30 seconds then cranked it again, the traction control light was off and the car drove fine. Now at random times, usually if the car is left idling, the traction control light will come back on and the same thing happens but if I turn the car off for about 30 seconds then crank it again, the light is off and the car runs fine again. The mass air flow sensor was replaced in 2017 but that is the code we keep getting when it is hooked to a computer. The transmission was also replaced in 2017, no issues with it so far... No one seems to know what is going on with my car but it's pretty scary when I'm driving with my 3 kids and the car decides to lose power, jump all over the road and only drive 15mph. This happens at least 3 times a day and since this is my primary way of transportation, I would really like to know what is causing this issue so it can be fixed and I can safely transport my children again.

Filed Sep 2, 2019 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · 100,000 miles · TN

This was a used pre-certified car, purchased from the dealer in which did not have any issues until its warranty was practically no longer valid. The cars electrical system started to have issues. The issues with the electrical system started with the USB port connection to a cellular device. Sometimes the car will recognize the phone, other times I have to disconnect the USB to phone connection, turn the USB cord around and reconnect a few times for the radio to recognize the phone. After this issues, one speaker went out. Later on, a second speaker went out. I replaced both speakers to find out that it is possible the in-car amplifier blew. After this, the radio unit would at times go completely black, causing me to have to turn the car off and back on. After this, the driver side door no longer locks electronically, I have to lock and unlock driver side door manually but the passenger side does indeed work. After these issues, I noticed the check engine light had come on for a mass air flow sensor. I cleaned the sensor, and the engine light went away. About 300 miles later, it came back on and the car hesitates/bucks consistently with a loss of power once the speed hits about 60 MPH. I-75 hills, I can no longer accelerate to maintain speeds. I replaced the maf sensor, check engine light is still on. I had it cleared from o'reilly's since the same code was appearing on the car. After 10 miles sitting in idle, the traction control sensor appeared. 10 miles afterwards this on I-75, the car will not climb hills, drops power, bucks and jerks the car forward and back. I stopped at a part store, turn the car off and back on. Traction control sensor goes away, engine light comes back on with same code reading. I cleaned the throttle body, check engine light is still on. I've read a lot of articles about this, no one has figured out how to fix this.

Questions about the 2012 Nissan Altima electrical

Does the 2012 Nissan Altima have electrical problems?

Owners have filed 44 complaints about the electrical of the 2012 Nissan Altima, 10% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2012 Nissan Altima electrical problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 47,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2012 Nissan Altima electrical?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Nissan Altima have the most electrical problems?

The Nissan Altima model years with the most electrical complaints are 2009 (466 complaints), 2013 (159 complaints) and 2005 (97 complaints).

Other 2012 Nissan Altima problems

Transmission 149Engine 72Airbags 57Acceleration 49Body 33Brakes 20Visibility 18Steering 17Suspension 17Fuel system 13Driver assistance 9Seats 7Tires 6Lights 5Seat belts 5Locks 2Wheels 2

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