2012 Nissan Altima: stuck in gear or won't shift

Filed Dec 16, 2022 · Transmission · TN

Transmission spudders at times. It is very delayed when pulling out sometimes. Turning the car off and back on might help sometimes. Car will go in limp mode. Nissan dealer said it was the Transmission. There is a big safety concern because when you push the gas trying to cross an intersection, it might lag behind and not go. This could result in being hit. This has been a great car but the cat is complete junk and Nissan should be ashamed of themselves for this. If they get enough law suits they may change something. Well maybe, They don't care about peoples lives.

Filed Jul 13, 2020 · Transmission · 110,000 miles · IN

My 2012 nissan altima was bought at 40k miles. It ran good for was maintained. At 108k miles the transmission started acting up. It would not shift into 6th gear (CVT transmission) and would eventually lose power and not accelerate. I had it diagnosed and found out there was a recall on these transmission but they were only for the prior year models so there was nothing I can do. It is now at 120k miles and it hasn't gotten so bad I can't drive it on the highway. I took it to the dealership and had it completely diagnosed and they told me that it threw what they refer to as a 'death code' and said it needed a new transmission. They told me that it's a matter of time before the transmission completely dies. I'm a student and in the military so I stay very busy and my car not being reliable has put a stop to everything. A transmission going bad at 120k miles should not be a thing. I truly feel cheated by nissan with this car.

Filed Jun 15, 2020 · Transmission · 177,000 miles · FL

Vehicle was fine and all of the sudden it went into limp mode and check engine light came on due to problems with the CVT transmission.

Filed Oct 1, 2019 · Acceleration · 130,000 miles · TX

2012 nissan altima CVT transmission issues. Altima has recalled from 2007-2010 and then again after 2012 for the CVT transmissions. Mine is doing the same things and nissan doesn't have a way for me to check the fluids. The dealership said they can fix the problem for over $7000. I'm in the dealership right now and he says again that he can't check the fluids but that I can replace it if I want but that it might make it worse. The vehicle sometimes doesn't shift and engine revs without acceleration at any speed. Pulling into traffic is very difficult and if I am unable to pass if needed because sometimes it accelerates and sometimes it doesn't.

Filed Jul 11, 2019 · Transmission · 190,000 miles · MN

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 nissan altima. The vehicle shifted to limp mode while driving the complainant was stranded on several occasions the CVT transmission cooling system inadequate to cool fluids causing the vehicle to go into safe driving/limp mode. The contact stated that while driving for 45 minutes to one hour,the vehicle shifted into limp mode. There was no warning indicators illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated from 70 MPH down to 20-30 MPH. The contact stated that even with the accelerator pedal down to the floorboard, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was taken to miller auto plaza located at 2900 2nd st s, st cloud, mn 56301, (320) 200-2472, to be diagnosed however, the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred on a daily basis. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure, case number: 36304669. The approximate failure mileage was 190,000.piir=y. Ah

Filed May 11, 2019 · Engine, Fuel system · 126,000 miles · GA

After a few hours of driving, the vehicle lost power and went into "limp mode" on an 8 lane highway. After research, nissans have a known problem with the transmission that has yet to he addressed

Filed Jul 17, 2018 · Transmission · 126,000 miles · CO

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 nissan altima. While driving 75 MPH, the vehicle decelerated without warning. The vehicle was taken to larry h. Miller nissan highlands ranch (91320 plum valley ln, highlands ranch, co 80129, (720) 907-0718) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to the transmission overheating, which caused the vehicle to revert to limp mode. The contact was informed that a cooling pump needed to be installed to cool the transmission while the vehicle was being operated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.

Filed Apr 11, 2018 · Transmission · 90,000 miles · FL

The vehicle will not shift out of first gear with its automatic transmission.

Filed Jun 19, 2017 · Transmission · 150,000 miles · MS

In warm weather, car consistently goes into limp mode. It will only achieve speeds of around 30mph even though rpms are accelerating. I have to stop the car and wait for 20 minutes in order to drive it again. Doesn't seem to happen when outdoor temperatures are cooler. This has been happening for several months and is apparently a well-documented issue with other nissan altima owners.

Filed May 19, 2015 · Transmission · 35,000 miles · FL

On 5/16/2013 after a long period of highway driving my 2012 nissan altima, the vehicle lost power and I was forced to pull over to the right lane in order not to get hit from traffic behind me. After awhile I was able to limp into my local nissan dealer. Nissan service said it was a electronic control module (ECM). Nissan replace and reprogrammed the ECM under warranty. On 7/11/2013 the same issue returned leaving me in a dangerous situation with no power on the highway driving at highway speeds! Again I limped back to my local nissan dealer and this time they diagnosed that I needed a new transmission and they gracefully covered it even though I now had 41k miles. Now less than 2 years later 5/13/2015 my car lost power just as it had before on the highway at highway speeds, narrowly getting creamed before pulling over! Back to the nissan dealer and at first they reported nothing wrong with my car. I told them it happens when the car is hot, they replied that they couldn't drive it that long! Finally after several calls the dealer found a tsb (ntb-13-079) identifying the sensor on the transmission forced it to go into limp mode when the transmission gets hot. Nissan's fix is to sell me a $640. Transmission cooler. There is a serious defect with these transmissions putting drivers at risk of serious injury and nissan knows about it!

Filed Oct 15, 2014 · Transmission · 34,500 miles · AZ

I was driving on interstate 17 going uphill when all of a sudden my car went into what is known as "limp mode"(loss of power). My speed dropped to 25 MPH. I had numerous trucks almost rear end me, until I could limp onto the shoulder. I took it straight to a nissan dealer in flagstaff az. When I got there he pointed to four other vehicles and said to me "what just happened to you, happened to those other 4 nissans right there". I was told by the dealer " you need a transmission cooler installed because of the hot climate we live in this happens all the time, the transmission gets overheated, it's a defect nissan has known about for awhile now". I believe this is a safety issue and it's only a matter of time until someone gets killed when their car looses power on an interstate. I have contacted nissan on numerous occasions only to be told "since no code popped up nothing can be done". The power train is still under warranty. I have tried going through the proper channels with nissan, but it's been in vain. This is a known problem yet they will not recall these vehicles. Again sooner or later this will cause an accident and I'm afraid it could be fatal.