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2012 Nissan Sentra

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2012 Nissan Sentra do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 116.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

129 reports with mileage · 51 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.

  • Power Train. Review the 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

10 crash reports4 fire reports7 injury reports

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

22 reports
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31,796 miles · Sep 17, 2014
Fuel/propulsion SystemPower TrainVehicle Speed Control

WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY, ACCELERATING TOWARD 70 MPH. ACCELERATOR DROPPED AWAY FROM UNDER MY FOOT, TACHOMETER "PEGGED" 5000 RPM. QUICK SCAN OF INSTRUMENT PANEL SHOWED CAR WAS NOW IN NEUTRAL, NOT DRIVE. MY HANDS WERE BOTH ON THE STEERING WHEEL; I DIDN'T TOUCH THE GEARSHIFT LEVER. THE CAR SHIFTED ON ITS OWN. THIS STARTED A SERIES OF…

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WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY, ACCELERATING TOWARD 70 MPH. ACCELERATOR DROPPED AWAY FROM UNDER MY FOOT, TACHOMETER "PEGGED" 5000 RPM. QUICK SCAN OF INSTRUMENT PANEL SHOWED CAR WAS NOW IN NEUTRAL, NOT DRIVE. MY HANDS WERE BOTH ON THE STEERING WHEEL; I DIDN'T TOUCH THE GEARSHIFT LEVER. THE CAR SHIFTED ON ITS OWN. THIS STARTED A SERIES OF PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION THAT CONTINUE TO ESCALATE; TRANSMISSION WILL OVERRIDE BRAKING (CAUSED 2 ACCIDENTS 2 WEEKS APART); ON A 500-MILE (1-WAY) BUSINESS TRIP IN JULY, CAR WENT INTO FAIL-SAFE MODE 3 TIMES - LOSS OF POWER, ACCELERATOR NON-FUNCTIONAL. CAR TAKEN OFF THE ROAD BY NISSAN CORP, BUT NO REPAIRS DONE; AFTER 49 DAYS OUT OF SERVICE, CAR WAS RELEASED TO ME, CONTINUES TO EXHIBIT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. NOW THE STEERING IS EXTREMELY HARD TO OPERATE, AS IF THERE'S NO POWER STEERING IN THE CAR. WHEN TRANSMISSION OVERRIDES BRAKES, IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS BEING PUSHED, THEN CHOKES DOWN (NOSE OF CAR DIPS), THEN IS CATAPULTED IN THE SAME DIRECTION (D OR R); IN THIS SEQUENCE, BRAKES FULLY APPLIED WILL NOT STOP THE CAR. NISSAN'S ONLY RESPONSE IS TO SELF-PROTECT AGAINST A LAWSUIT; NO CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF SOMEONE DRIVING A CAR IN THIS CONDITION! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10633827

13,300 miles · Jun 29, 2013
EngineService BrakesVehicle Speed ControlCrash

AT ABOUT 1130 PM ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK, APPROACHING A INTERSECTION, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND CAR SEEMED TO INCREASE SPEED AND WENT THROUGH INTERSECTION THROUGH LAWN AND STRIKING ANOTHER CAR, TOTAL LOSE OF CONTROL, NO BRAKES, A REAL SCARY FEELING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10522401

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.