2012 Nissan Quest Problems, Recalls & Reliability
139 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Nissan Quest, alongside 1 recall campaign and 1 defect investigation. It scores 20/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 86,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2012 Nissan Quest has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2012 sits among all Quest years
What owners report
“The vehicle stalls due to transmission. Cvt failed when the vehicle has some 93,000 miles. Vehicle stalled in the middle of the freeway and did not move. We had to tow it home. This seems to be a widespread problem with these vehicles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Quest
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 97 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 25,000 and 92,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN QUEST VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 29, 2010, THROUGH FEBRUARY 21, 2012. DUE TO SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING, WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS OR IDLING ON A DECLINE WITH ¼ TANK FUEL OR LESS, THERE MAY BE AN…
Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 2, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE AT…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
120 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and wheels & tires — are on file for the 2012 Nissan Quest. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
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 Quest reliable?
The 2012 Nissan Quest drew 139 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 20/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2012 Nissan Quest problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Nissan Quest are transmission & drivetrain (28 complaints), electrical (22), and fuel system (20).
At what mileage do 2012 Nissan Quest problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Nissan Quest problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 25,000 and 92,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Nissan Quest have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2012 Nissan Quest. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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.