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 pay for a new transmission also several thousand dollars.
2012 Nissan Sentra transmission problems
68 complaints (38% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 71,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 68
- of this car's complaints
- 38%
- typical mileage
- 71,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Nissan Sentra transmission problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2012 Nissan Sentra transmission
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
CVT failure 25Transmission failure 20Won't shift 10Jerking 9Harsh shifting 6
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2012 Nissan Sentra owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Leaking transmission oil. Also burning engine oil a week after doing an oil change to the point there is no oil but no leaks.
The Transmission is making a whining nose and smells terribly bad! When driving on the interstate and parkways; after the car reaches 60 -70 miles, the car starts shaking and slows down; almost coming to a complete stop and we have to either get over in the slow lane and/ or sometimes, we have to pull over, off the interstate, because it has came to a complete stop and would not accelerate and/or move forward ! We sat there for an hour waiting for help/ and I called my Granny! When she got there; she checked the oil, added a quart of oil! After sitting there for over an hour; the car accelerated and we drove onto a side road and drove it slowly back to the house! WE took it to Unitires on Charolette ! He told us, the whining noise appeared to be the Transmission ! He repaired the wheel bearing , which stopped some of the shaking; but not all of it!
--- What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Transmission malfunction, yes available for inspection by the federal safety agency. 28k miles on odometer. --- How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? While driving and starting from a stop, the car loses power momentarily and then jerks forward, causing a dangerous driving condition. --- Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No. --- Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, an accident was not caused. --- Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? None. ----
While driving on the freeway pulling approximately 70 miles per hour, my car will begin to shake violently, continuously decelerate and my RPMs drop significantly. I am unable to go over 55 miles per hour when this happens. This has happened to me a total of four times now within the last 2 months. I had my car take this one auto repair shop in which my spark plugs were changed out a brand new air intake hose was put in my coils were changed out and everything. Today while driving on the freeway, going 72 mph my car decelerated and would not go above 55. This is a major safety issue considering I drive on the freeway a lot. I just paid $970 to have my car fixed and can't continue to pay to have the car fixed along with still paying a car note and insurance on this car. Well researching transmission issues I came across this page when filing a complaint. I looked to see if there was a recalls on my car and noticed that there is not. My VIN number is [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
While driving at around 70 mph on the highway the car suddenly lost power and was no longer able to accelerate. This issue persisted for the duration of the drive and has happened now on more than one occasion. There were no warning lights or messages before or after the car stopped accelerating and this very nearly caused and accident when the car wouldn’t accelerate during a lane change even with the gas pedal fully depressed. After a few minutes of no acceleration the car also begins to accelerate suddenly and without warning. I haven taken the car to an auto shop and they were able to pull codes that indicate an issue with the transmission. I have not yet paid for the issue to be fixed and the car is available for inspection upon request.
Vehicle transmission appeared to slip from gear causing vehicle to lose power while in heavy interstate traffic at 70mph, vehicle lost acceleration and began to slow then "bucked" jolting vehicle several times almost suffered rear collision from following cars. Upon stopping to check fluid in transmission, stick read full for hot.
I was driving on thruway and I pushed the gas pedal and there was no power. I was a nervous wreck. This definitely is dangerous. I would like something done.
I was getting on the freeway all of a sudden my steering wheel gets stiff and my car comes to a complete stop traffic is going at full speed me and my children could of being in a serious accident and then a few minutes later the car is back to normal. I would really appreciate if it's looked into someone can get hurt.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact drove at a slow speed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.
Questions about the 2012 Nissan Sentra transmission
Does the 2012 Nissan Sentra have transmission problems?
Owners have filed 68 complaints about the transmission of the 2012 Nissan Sentra, 38% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2012 Nissan Sentra transmission problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 71,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Nissan Sentra transmission?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Nissan Sentra have bad transmission?
The Nissan Sentra model years with the most transmission complaints are 2013 (311 complaints), 2014 (183 complaints) and 2015 (173 complaints).
Other 2012 Nissan Sentra problems
Engine 40Acceleration 22Airbags 20Body 17Electrical 13Visibility 11Fuel system 10Steering 9Brakes 7Suspension 6Driver assistance 4Wheels 3Locks 2Tires 2Lights 1Seat belts 1Seats 1
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