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2012 Nissan Sentra transmission complaints

Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 68, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2012 Nissan Sentra transmission problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Sep 10, 2021 · Transmission · UT

I was stopped at an intersection. When the light turned green, I pressed the gas pedal, and the car started forward, but it would lunge forward and stop repeatedly, all the way through the intersection until I pulled over and turned the car off. The "slip indicator" light was on when this was happening. The light was not on previously and did not come back on when I restarted the car. I believe the jerking motion was due to the CVT transmission or the Vehicle Dynamic Control system not operating properly,. This was dangerous because I didn't have control of how the car was accelerating. If this had occurred at a faster speed, someone could have easily crashed into me. The problem has only happened once, and has not been inspected by anyone other than me.

Filed Aug 3, 2021 · Transmission · NV

I was going on a road trip with my sister that should have taken 5 hours and I had enough gas to make it there with no stops. I had gotten an emissions test done a few days prior for registration purposes and the car passed (there were no engine lights present). When we started the drive between Nevada and Arizona, there were many steep inclines and downhill areas. The first few inclines were fine, but about an hour into the trip we were going up a hill and I could not get the car to accelerate past 45mph with the pedal fully to the floor. At first I suspected that I may have made poor use of my momentum, but after cross-checking my RPM gauge, I noticed that the car was not making effort to go over 3000 RPM's. I was very fearful being that the car was barely able to hold 45mph in the 65mph zone and we may not be able to make it over the hill. After suffering through many steep inclines in the middle of nowhere, I was finally able to pull over and turn the car completely off. There were no mechanics within an hour drive in either direction, so I chose to continue. I got back on the highway and the car was behaving normally again. I thought the whole thing was a hoax until it happened again on another bout of uphill stretches. We were trying to find another town to pull over in and hit a thunderstorm at one point. It was absolutely terrifying because we were practically crawling up the hills and unable to hold a constant speed, but it was not safe to pull over because of the weather. We eventually made it through and were able to turn the car off. The problem went away again for a short time and came back a final time on a flat stretch of road. I was unable to accelerate over 70mph. The only problem that I've ever had with the car was that the transmission wasn't changing gears smoothly, and it caused an engine light at one point. I got the engine light checked and it was for the transmission, but the engine light went away soon after and has not come back.

Filed Jul 28, 2021 · Transmission · NJ

I purchased a 2012 Nissan Sentra for my daughter for school. Sunday July 25th she was driving on I95 when the vehicle began to lose speed while driving in the middle lanes. She proceeded to pull the vehicle over and turned it off to see if the car needed to cool down. Once started, the car was fine but the car began to lose speed once again. This was ongoing on a Sunday night while she was on here way home from DE into NJ (2hour drive). The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who diagnosed the car as having transmission failure and the car will need a new transmission. This is extremely frustrating and this car should be recalled based on the danger while on the road and continued reported issues with the CV.

Filed Jul 27, 2021 · Transmission · GA

Continuously Variable transmission (CVT) failure. Specifically the torque converter and valve body. While operating the vehicle, without warning, it goes into safe mode, effectively losing all power. When in the mode, power to the engine stops and power steer and brakes are disabled. The risk of an accident, when this occurs, is extremely high and very dangerous. Especially with a newer driver (17 years old). No warning lights or chimes come on indicating a problem. The vehicle was taken to the Nissan dealership where it was confirmed that it needed a new transmission (99988). Nissan has extended the warranty for the CVT for model years 2003-2010 and for 2013 and later but not 2012 (or 2011). As there were no changes in the transmission for those two years, they are aware of the high risk of failure but appear not to be concerned with the increased risk of injury or death from an accident caused by the transmission going into safe mode.

Filed Jul 19, 2021 · Transmission · KS

CVT Transmission Failure: My son was driving on an Interstate at 75 miles per hour when suddenly the 2012 Nissan Sentra he was driving, suddenly powered down and he was not able to go over 40 miles per hour. No warning lights came on and the only indicator was the vehicle making a knocking sound and jerking around on the highway. This created a very dangerous situation with other traffic going 75 MPH or faster. He pulled onto the shoulder to avoid a wreck and being rear-ended. He called a tow company to take him and the vehicle to the nearest town and to a non-Nissan dealership which was the only option. They did a diagnostic and stated that they thought it was the CVT transmission but recommended we tow to a Nissan dealership. We then had to tow the vehicle over 100 miles back to our hometown and to a Nissan dealership. They ran diagnostics and found that the CVT transmission went out and would need to be replaced. Counting a 100 mile tow, this CVT transmission problem is going to cost my family around $5,000 for repairs. I can't believe that the 2012 Nissan Sentra is not included in the Nissan Extended Warranty for the CVT transmission as it is basically the exact same transmission of the other years that were having the same problem. In researching this problem, I found that hundreds if not thousands of 2012 Nissan Sentra owners were having the same problem. Imagine going 75 MPH on an interstate and suddenly your vehicle drops down to 40 MPH in traffic with traffic behind you. That is a very serious safety risk and I am thankful that my son was able to pull over before getting in an accident.

Filed Apr 2, 2021 · Transmission · NY

I realized I was losing power while driving down the sagtikos parkway. I pulled to the side of the road, turned off the car, and attempted to restart. The car would start, but would not change into drive, nor reverse (or would not register). I was effectively stranded along the parkway. It was determined that my car experienced -- what I understand to be -- transmission failure. I purchased the car only six (6) months ago.

Filed Mar 1, 2021 · Transmission · 100,220 miles · AR

Was driving on snow when the check engine light illuminated, upon running a code scan it showed TCM lost communication. When dealer checked they said they detected a shutter in the CVT.

Filed Sep 15, 2020 · Transmission · 40,000 miles · VA

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 nissan sentra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to move forward while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact and her daughter had taken the vehicle to rocking nissan of stafford (1 coachman cir, stafford, va 22554) and nissan of orangeburg (2827 st matthews rd, orangeburg, sc 29118) on two separate occasions and both dealers were unable to diagnose the vehicle. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where he diagnosed the vehicle with a transmission issue linked to the RPM's. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and informed her that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Filed Aug 24, 2020 · Engine, Steering · 95,000 miles · CA

Driving down the freeway then all of a sudden my car lost 90% of power and could only go about 25mph. There was no warning. Car jerks violently steering becomes harder. You try to punch down on the gas and nothing happens. Also was forced to take city streets due to not being able to go a safe speed to stay on freeway/highway.

Filed May 20, 2020 · Fuel system, Transmission · 103,000 miles · CA

While driving from az to ca on the highway, my vehicle lost the ability to speed up while pushing the pedal. It happened a total of three times on 2 different days.the first two times I couldn't get above 60 however on one occasion, it dropped down to 3-5 miles per hour and the pedal was to the floor. I was on a 2 lane highway with semi trucks having to pass me on the left. I was terrified, had no cell service and had to drive on the shoulder with my hazards on until the shoulder disappeared. Eventually it returned to normal, but it was a very scary experience. I see now that nissan has had a multitude of complaints with the same problem. Shame on you for not recalling the transmission.

Filed Jan 23, 2020 · Transmission · 4,444 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 nissan sentra. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, without warning the vehicle began to jerk as the brake pedal shakes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer premier nissan of san jose 1120 w capitol expy, san jose, ca 95136 (408) 978-1234 to be diagnosed. The mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure or retrieve any diagnostic trouble codes. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle then was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximate 4,444.

Filed Jan 14, 2020 · Transmission · 118,000 miles · GA

Right after purchasing our nissan sentra, my daughter went on a road trip to south carolina and the car lost power and started stuttering. As it turns out the CVT transmission went out. We had to purchase a used transmission to get the car running. The car only had 118,000 miles when this occurred which is riduclous.

Filed Dec 29, 2019 · Engine, Transmission · FL · crash · 3 injuries

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.

Filed Nov 27, 2019 · Transmission · 74,000 miles · NY

When taking off from any location engine revs to 4000 RPM until up to speed , need to be very easy on gas to get going up to speed , can be dangerous at intersections to get moving quickly if needed

Filed Oct 8, 2019 · Acceleration, Transmission · 8,900 miles · NY

It looses power and then it turns off,, and this happens on highway, really dangerous, then I had to turn off the key switch and and turn a break back on it turns on and then it keeps going slow but it keeps going, eventually goes back to normal

Filed Sep 24, 2019 · Transmission · 89,000 miles · MD

Car won't go over 20 MPH. Rpms increase but no additional speed. The panel flickers of and then right back on. The wheel jerks. Has happened repeatedly. Twice while turning. Once while driving straight. Luckily I was. It on a highway only residential streets and rte 5. It happened in front of a mechanic for the dealership.

Filed Sep 14, 2019 · Transmission · 105,000 miles · NC

The transmission started slipping they told me that was normal now after 100k it slips all the time at highway speeds and the transmission overheats and the car not be driven more then 20 to 30 miles without over heating the transmission. Nissan should have done a recall. All they did was extend the warranty to 110 which by the time I reported I am at 112000 miles and now I have no recourse. I feel that these companies are avoiding recalls and doing these extensions to avoid having multiple claims. The government is failing to hold them accountable for defective products!!!

Filed Aug 14, 2019 · Acceleration, Engine · 95,000 miles · MI

When driving on the highway in my 2012 nissan sentra it sometimes deaccelerates gradually to the point where you can't go past 60 MPH and when trying to accelerate it is sluggish

Filed Aug 1, 2019 · Transmission · 64,332 miles · MO

Goes limp, delay when pressing the gas while in motion, applicable to both city street and highway. Based on information gathered, it appears the transmission cooler is not providing adequate fluid cooling when driving in high temperatures resulting in the transmission fluid to get hot and the car to go limp (stalled acceleration) which creates an unsafe operating condition. Various dates...

Filed Jun 24, 2019 · Transmission · 85,000 miles · IN

2012 nissan sentra lost power at highway speeds with family in car. No response from gas pedal. Coasted to a stop on side of highway and had to wait approximately 30 minutes until car was responding to gas pedal. Not safe for anyone to be driving this car. Many complaints about nissan's CVT transmission without a solution from nissan. Car had approximately 85,000 miles on it at the time. Same thing occurred around 102,000 miles. My car is regularly serviced and cared for. It is parked in a closed garage every night.

Filed Jun 2, 2019 · Transmission · 76,000 miles · RI

Blighty vehicle used at route 46, totowa, nj in 2017. It has 76k miles and we just moved to rhode island. My 18 year old daughter driving by herself up I 95 while driving 65 MPH had the vehicle decelerate several times down to 40 MPH despite pursuing the gas to the floor. At one point with semi trucks all around her it dropped to 25 MPH where she had to put the hazards on while these trucks whipped by her. She got here but was freaked out. My odb picked up error code p074 for a clutch solenoid issue with the transmission. Known issue to nissan. How many of these do we have to report before someone gets killed to get this listed as a recall to fix the transmission? The federal safety agency you have a duty to protect us and order nissan to fix this issue.

Filed May 10, 2019 · Transmission · 71,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 nissan versa. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. No warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer bedford nissan (18115 rockside rd, bedford, oh 44146) where the transmission fluid was flushed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 71,000.

Filed Apr 22, 2019 · Engine, Transmission · 57,000 miles · CT

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 nissan sentra. While driving various speeds, the vehicle jerked and stalled. Additionally, there was an abnormal whistling noise emerging from the vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to nissan of norwich (691 w thames st, norwich, ct 06360, (860) 892-6000) where it was diagnosed that the belt needed to be replaced and there was metal in the transmission, which needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided case number: 35185453. The manufacturer stated that they would assist with sixty percent of the repair costs. The failure mileage was 57,000.

Filed Oct 11, 2018 · Transmission · 71,000 miles · MD

Car could not change gear while driving had to take foot off the gas, when shifting gears from park it was very loose and slippery, car can no longer be driven it will only go into neutral. When the incident happened I was waiting at the light with my foot on the break and it wouldnt shift back to drive when I stepped on the gas.

Filed May 8, 2018 · Transmission · 103,000 miles · VA

*CVT transmission crap* reported the issue yesterday with the sentra going into limp mode at any time without warning dropping from 70 MPH to 10 MPH. Codes p0744, p1722, p1788 transmission codes. P0744 means you have to buy a whole new torque converter solenoid unit as you cannot just replace the solenoid. Cost of the unit $1,116.00. The p1788 code is the step motor that is inside the transmission. Aamco will not even rebuild the CVT transmission. They told me cheaper to buy another transmission than to fix this one. Time nissan is held accountable for cutting corners on their transmissions in order to make profit. They are held accountable for the 2007 - 2010 cars, time to add 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 - ? Since CVT transmissions are junk. Daughter sentra only has 103,000 miles on it and well taken care of. For a car to go into limp mode with no warning is waiting for a fatal crash. Luckily this did not happen to my daughter. Appears the extended warranty nissan placed on 2007 - 2010 models experiencing the same problems my daughter has with her sentra. She graduated college and now is faced with a 2000+ bill for a repair since she cannot afford a car payment yet. What a way to welcome someone to the real world after graduating from college 3 days ago.

Filed May 7, 2018 · Acceleration, Transmission · 107,000 miles · AZ

When going highway speeds the acceleration drops and will not come back with the peddle to the floor, was almost rear ended. At a stoplight when taking off the car would not accelerate. This has happened several times. Researched and found the issue is the CVT transmission. Nissan has extended warranty to 10 yr 1200000 mile on this transmission. I called to schedule and was told my VIN is not covered. Why?

Filed May 7, 2018 · Suspension, Transmission · 103,000 miles · VA

"CVT transmission issues" 2012 nissan sentra sr 2.0l with 103,000 miles on the vehicle and maintained adequately since getting the vehicle in 2013. For the last six months, I have been experiencing my vehicle loss of acceleration on only being able to go 10 MPH max when my vehicle goes into limp mode. This happens to me on the interstate 64 westbound from richmond, va to harrisburg, va going uphill where I was going 70 - 75 MPH when the vehicle loss acceleration and my speed dropped dramatically almost causing a wreck. This is due to being in the left lane and having nowhere, I could pull off the interstate readily available. To me, this is a significant safety concern as this is happening now after being driven for 30 minutes to an hour. Took the vehicle to midas where I had them run a diagnostic test on the car to see if there are any codes on the car since there is "no check engine light on." the technician came back with the following: 'tech found that the CVT transmission is having internal problems-vehicle us not safe to drive. Tech found code p1722 est vehicle speed signal, p0744 at tr sw function, p1778 step motor. Also, vehicle needs front struts and rear shocks - no control of steering wheel.' it appears nissan has had problems with the CVT transmission from their 2007 - 2010 sentra and issued an extended ten year - 120,000 miles warranty. Nissan needs to extend the warranty to every year that nissan has used the CVT transmission as they are unreliable and eventually will cause a fatal accident on the highways with their transmission going into limp mode.would like my vehicle added to the CVT extended warranty - 10 years + 120,000 miles since my vehicle is experiencing the same issues as the 2007 - 2010 vehicles. Occurred on interstate, highway, and city.

Filed May 7, 2018 · Acceleration, Transmission · 103,000 miles · VA

"CVT transmission issues" 2012 nissan sentra sr 2.0l with 103,000 miles on the vehicle and maintained adequately since getting the vehicle in 2013. For the last six months, I have been experiencing my vehicle loss of acceleration on only being able to go 10 MPH max when my vehicle goes into limp mode. This happens to me on the interstate 64 westbound from richmond, va to harrisburg, va going uphill where I was going 70 - 75 MPH when the vehicle loss acceleration and my speed dropped dramatically almost causing a wreck. This is due to being in the left lane and having nowhere I could pull off the interstate readily available. To me, this is a significant safety concern as this is happening now after being driven for 30 minutes to an hour. Took the vehicle to midas where I had them run a diagnostic test on the car to see if there are any codes on the car since there is "no check engine light on." the technician drove the car for 30 minutes and experienced the same issue I've been experiencing. The vehicle went into limp mode, and he had to wait an hour before the car would accelerate again. The technician came back with the following: 'tech found that the CVT transmission is having internal problems-vehicle us not safe to drive. Tech found code p1722 est vehicle speed signal, p0744 at tr sw function, p1778 step motor. Also, vehicle needs front struts and rear shocks - no control of steering wheel. It appears nissan has had problems with the CVT transmission from their 2007 - 2010 sentra and issued an extended ten year - 120,000 miles warranty. Nissan needs to extend the warranty to every year that nissan has used the CVT transmission as they are unreliable and eventually will cause a fatal accident on the highways with their transmission going into limp mode. Please look into this matter for all nissan sentra 2011, 2012, etc. This is a problem.

Filed Apr 30, 2018 · Transmission · 70,000 miles · NC

Cvt transmission failure no recall option. The transmission has been slowly failing over the last 6 months slipping no recourse but to replace the vehicle has less then 100,000 miles.

Filed Dec 8, 2017 · Transmission · 78,000 miles · MD

Transmission failed with no warning. Vehicle would not move after braking while still in gear. Only 78,000 miles logged.5.5 years old. Exact event: backing slowly out of a driveway (in reverse); braked at end of driveway to look both directions; resumed acceleration (in reverse) as I turned and nothing happened. Vehicle would not "land" in any gear (drive, reverse, low drive, etc). Had to be towed from location to my mechanic. My mechanic diagnosed the transmission as inoperable and needing replacement. Recommended I tow to a nissan dealer for hopeful coverage by nissan. Nissan confirmed need to replace at the cost of $4156.

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