2012 Nissan Sentra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
260 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Nissan Sentra, alongside 0 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 33/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 74,500 miles.
Typical
Where 2012 sits among all Sentra years
What owners report
“At 50k miles after four hours driving at 70mph the car lost power, rpm not moving at all when accelerating. At 67k miles, the car lost power again after driving 3 hours, got code p0744 from scanner. Car would only 50-60 mph.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Sentra
“While driving, a piece fell out of the bottom of the car, after which the engine began to smoke and the car began to lose power. I pulled off the road and turned off the car, at which point the engine became engulfed in flames. The car has had no problems to date, and the check engine light has…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Sentra
“I've had the car for a while, about 4 months ago the oil light cam on i figured it just meant i was running low, i've never been in accident but some how my oil line is leaking”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Sentra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 175 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 66,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 33,000 and 95,000 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 Sentra.
Technical service bulletins
107 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and wheels & tires — are on file for the 2012 Nissan Sentra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 Sentra 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 Sentra reliable?
The 2012 Nissan Sentra drew 260 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 33/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2012 Nissan Sentra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Nissan Sentra are transmission & drivetrain (68 complaints), engine (40), and other (26).
At what mileage do 2012 Nissan Sentra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Nissan Sentra problems around 66,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 33,000 and 95,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Nissan Sentra have recalls?
No recall campaigns are on file for the 2012 Nissan Sentra. 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.