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2012 Nissan Maxima

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2012 Nissan Maxima do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 99.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

85 reports with mileage · 22 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports2 fire reports5 injury reports

Power Train complaints

18 reports
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90,000 miles · Jun 29, 2018
Power Train

VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE MOVING FROM A STOPPED POSITION ON CITY ROAD WITH A 45 MILE PER HOUR SPEED LIMIT. ALSO SLUGGISH ON A TURN. WOULD ACCELERATE SLOWLY THEN JUMP TO A HIGHER ACCELERATION. WAS ADVISED BY DEALER TO NOT DRIVE IT AND BRING IN. WAS FOUND TO HAVE 3 KILL CODES WHICH MEANT IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION TO THE …

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VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE MOVING FROM A STOPPED POSITION ON CITY ROAD WITH A 45 MILE PER HOUR SPEED LIMIT. ALSO SLUGGISH ON A TURN. WOULD ACCELERATE SLOWLY THEN JUMP TO A HIGHER ACCELERATION. WAS ADVISED BY DEALER TO NOT DRIVE IT AND BRING IN. WAS FOUND TO HAVE 3 KILL CODES WHICH MEANT IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION TO THE TUNE OF $4300.00. CAR HAD 90,000 MILES AND IS WELL MAINTAINED. NO NISSAN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS MODEL YEAR ON THE POWERTRAIN. WAS ADVISED OTHER YEARS POWERTRAIN WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED BY NISSAN. NISSAN NEEDS TO EXTEND WARRANTY AS THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ON MANY 2012 MODELS.

NHTSA ODI #11104747

61,000 miles · Jun 28, 2018
Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED, REVVED, AND THE RPMS INCREASED. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED OVER TWO YEARS AGO BY AN UNKNOWN DEALER; HOWEVER, THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION WAS EXHIBITING THE SAME …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED, REVVED, AND THE RPMS INCREASED. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED OVER TWO YEARS AGO BY AN UNKNOWN DEALER; HOWEVER, THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION WAS EXHIBITING THE SAME FAILURE AS THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

NHTSA ODI #11104486

81,000 miles · Jun 22, 2018
Power Train

CAR HAS TRANS CODE P1778, WHILE TRAVELING AT 75MPH CAR WILL LOSE POWER AND RPMS JUMP VERY HIGH WITH NO ACCELERATION. CAR ONLY HAS 81,000 MILES, WHY IS IT THAT 1,000S OF VEHICLES HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE BUT NOTHING IS BEING DONE FOR THE CONSUMERS? SHAME ON NISSAN AND THE FEDERAL GOVT.

NHTSA ODI #11103476

58,000 miles · May 14, 2018
Power Train

ON CITY STREET AT RED LIGHT VEHICLE WOULD NOT PULL OFF FROM RED LIGHT. BIG CLOUD OF SMOKE FROM HOOD AND WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. IN THE COURSE OF TURNING AT LIGHT BECAME STUCK IN INTERSECTION. TOWED TO DEALER AND BLOWN CVT HOSE. CAR HAS ONLY 58K MILES AND JUST MONTHS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. DEALER ASKING $650 AND SA…

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ON CITY STREET AT RED LIGHT VEHICLE WOULD NOT PULL OFF FROM RED LIGHT. BIG CLOUD OF SMOKE FROM HOOD AND WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. IN THE COURSE OF TURNING AT LIGHT BECAME STUCK IN INTERSECTION. TOWED TO DEALER AND BLOWN CVT HOSE. CAR HAS ONLY 58K MILES AND JUST MONTHS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. DEALER ASKING $650 AND SAID IT ADMITTED IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN IN 50K. TOW BILL AND RENTAL CAR COST CHARGED TO OWNER. CVT ARE NOTED AS PROBLEMATIC BUT MANUFACTURER ONLY REPLACING YEARS 2010 AND EARLIER, BUT ONLINE SEARCH REVEALS SAME OR MORE ISSUES WITH YEARS 2011 AND LATER. DISCOVERED PARTS COST TO BE $150 AND NOT SURE OF UNITS OF CVT FLUID SINCE IT DIDN'T ALL LEAK OUT. UNETHICAL SERVICE AGAIN STATED I'D RUN OVER SOME ARTICLE LIKE A TIRE TO CAUSE THIS ISSUE. WENT ONSITE AND WENT OVER VEHICLE WITH DEALER MECHANIC AND NO UNDERNEATH SCRATCHES AND VEHICLE HAS SKID PAN TO PREVENT SUCH OCCURRENCES. RECEIVED CALL FROM NISSAN CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ADVISING THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD/WOULD DO.

NHTSA ODI #11093791

110,000 miles · Jul 25, 2017
Power Train

MY TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING A FEW WEEKS AGO AT RIGHT AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. IT'S

NHTSA ODI #11010600

118,000 miles · Feb 12, 2017
Power Train

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 64,000 MILES AND STOPPED WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD, UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND IT FAILED AGAIN A SECOND TIME WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD. DELAERSHIP SAYS I NEED ANOTHER TRANSMISSION. FAILURE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ODI #10954057

Mileage unknown · Apr 25, 2016
Power Train

THIS IS MY SECOND NISSAN MAXIMA THAT HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. EVERY MAXIMA I BUY EVERY TIME THE CAR REACHES 100,000 AND IS OUT OF WARRANTY THE TRANSMISSIONS GOES OUT. I CONTACTED NISSAN TO HAVE SOMEONE LOOK INTO THIS AS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLES AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY HADN'T RECEIVED AND COMPLA…

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THIS IS MY SECOND NISSAN MAXIMA THAT HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. EVERY MAXIMA I BUY EVERY TIME THE CAR REACHES 100,000 AND IS OUT OF WARRANTY THE TRANSMISSIONS GOES OUT. I CONTACTED NISSAN TO HAVE SOMEONE LOOK INTO THIS AS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLES AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY HADN'T RECEIVED AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT TRANSMISSIONS.

NHTSA ODI #10861280

67,000 miles · May 14, 2014
Power Train

I PURCHASED MY NISSAN MAXIMA BAND NEW TWO YEARS AGO. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS MY VEHICLE RECEIVED ALL REQUIRED MAINTENANCE, WHICH WAS PERFORMED AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. AT 67,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT 'IT JUST HAPPENS SOMETIMES WITH PERFORMANCE ENGINES'. T…

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I PURCHASED MY NISSAN MAXIMA BAND NEW TWO YEARS AGO. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS MY VEHICLE RECEIVED ALL REQUIRED MAINTENANCE, WHICH WAS PERFORMED AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. AT 67,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT 'IT JUST HAPPENS SOMETIMES WITH PERFORMANCE ENGINES'. THE TRANSMISSION IS UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I AM NOW TOTALLY DISENCHANTED WITH THE VEHICLE. I KEEP VEHICLES FOR THE LIFETIME OF A CAR. I STILL HAVE A 2000 HONDA ACCORD WITH OVER 300,000 MILES (ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE). I NO LONGER FEEL THAT THE REPLACED TRANSMISSION ON MY MAXIMA IS RELIABLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10588452

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.