2012 Nissan Maxima Problems, Recalls & Reliability
137 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Nissan Maxima, alongside 0 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 10/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 31,301 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2012 Nissan Maxima has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2012 sits among all Maxima years
What owners report
“The passenger air bag light turns off and on when someone is sitting in the passenger seat and even when no one is in the seat. And this happens while the vehicle stationary and in motion.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Maxima
“While driving my car at extremely slow speeds my car completely turned itself off and was unable to start back up for 15 minutes. During this time there was no power to the entire car, thus resulting in having to unlock my door manually and crawl through the back to get my son out. 2 months later…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Maxima
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 101 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 55,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 33,000 and 87,200 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls
No recall campaigns on file for the 2012 Nissan Maxima.
Technical service bulletins
115 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and wheels & tires — are on file for the 2012 Nissan Maxima. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 Maxima TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2012 Nissan Maxima reliable?
The 2012 Nissan Maxima drew 137 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 10/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2012 Nissan Maxima problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Nissan Maxima are airbags (27 complaints), other (25), and electrical (21).
At what mileage do 2012 Nissan Maxima problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Nissan Maxima problems around 55,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 33,000 and 87,200 miles.
Does the 2012 Nissan Maxima have recalls?
No recall campaigns are on file for the 2012 Nissan Maxima. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check the VIN before buying.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.