There are 16 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2012 Nissan Sentrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,504.
The contact’s husband owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to smoke at an unknown location of the vehicle and caught fire. No warning lights were illuminated. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. The local authorities were notified, and the fire department was notified and extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS AN INADVERTENT DUPLICATE OF ODI# 11502677*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******
NUMBER 3 CYLINDER LOW COMPRESSION WITH ONLY 83K MILES ON THE VEHICLE. ROUGH ENGINE DRIVING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. CODES P0300 AND P0303 DISPLAYED. THIS KIND OF ENGINE FAILURE SHOULDN'T HAPPEN WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR WILL STOP RESPONDING TO THE GAS PEDAL AND LOSE POWER. YOU WILL EITHER HAVE TO PULL OVER OR MAINTAIN A MUCH SLOWER SPEED. THIS BECOMES A HAZARD AND CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.
THE CAR TURNS OFF WHEN STOPPED LIKE AT A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. BATTERY WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP A WEEK AGO. ALTERNATOR WAS CHECKED AND IS GOOD. I HAVE TO TURN THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND START IT AGAIN.
MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TRIGGERED AND I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY LOCAL NISSAN SHOP. THE CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING ROUGH, LOOSING POWER, AND BURNING OIL. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME I NEEDED NEW SPARK PLUGS AND A NEW BOOT. AFTER AGREEING TO PAY THE $500, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE SHOP. THE MECHANIC EXPLAINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED, THAT ACTUALLY I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. AFTER THE $500 IN WORK HAD BEEN DONE, THE MECHANIC PERFORMED A COMPRESSION TEST. THE TEST INDICATED A BAD ENGINE. SO THE WORK WAS DONE ON A BAD ENGINE. THE CAR HAD ABOUT 100,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS ALWAYS HAD PROPER MAINTENANCE. SO WHY IS IT BAD ALREADY? AND WHY WAS I MISLEAD TO PAY $500 ON A BAD ENGINE? THIS IS NOT RIGHT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
CAR STALLS FOR NO REASON WHEN STOP AT LIGHT OR STOP SIGN
I HAVE A 2012 SENTRA THAT I BOUGHT IN 2014. I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE RANDOM LOSS OF POWER ON HIGHWAY, AND RPM WOULD UP AT RANDOM TIMES, LIKE IT WAS STUCK IN GEAR. LAST YR I DISCOVERED THAT MY CVT TRANSMISSION WAS GOING BAD AND ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION (BOUGHT USED). LESS THAN A YEAT LATER, IM STARTING TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM. NISSAN NEEDS TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY THRU THE 2012 MDELS, ON ANY CVT TRANSMISSION TO 10 YRS. VERY AGGRIVATING CONSIDERING I'M STILL MAKING PAYMENTS! I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS VEHICLE TO ANYONE.
SES LIGHT THREW CODE 0420 INDICATING THAT BOTH O2 SENSORS NEED REPLACING. I BOUGHT THE PARTS AND TOOK TO A SHOP TO REPLACE. SHOP HAD TROUBLE REACHING THE UPSTREAM SENSOR AND WAS WORRIED IT MIGHT BE THREADED AND SUGGESTED I TAKE TO THE DEALER TO REPLACE. THE DEALER SAID THE PORT WAS INDEED THREADED UPON REMOVAL OF SENSOR, AND THE ONLY FIX WAS TO REPLACE THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. SEEMS LIKE QUITE A DESIGN FLAW THAT REPLACING A $70 SENSOR CAUSES THE NEED FOR A $1000 MANIFOLD. MANIFOLD ISN'T BROKEN, ONLY THE O2 SENSOR PORT IS THREADED SO THEREFORE A NEW SENSOR CAN'T BE PUT IN, NECESSITATING THE ENTIRE REPLACEMENT OF THE MANIFOLD.
ENGINE STOPPED WORKING WITH NO WARNING WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT ON A CITY STREET, RESTARTED AFTER 5-10 MINUTES GOING BACK & FORTH THROUGH THE GEARS BACK TO DRIVE. TEMPERATURE 115 ON THIS DAY IN LAS VEGAS , NEVADA
THE ISSUE FIRST STARTED LAST SUMMER. I HAD A CAR FULL OF 4 TEENAGERS AND WE WERE HEADING OUT OF TOWN AND THE ENGINE BEGAN A LOUD WHISTLE SOUNDS AND THEN THE GAS PEDAL QUIT WORKING - WE LIMPED OFF THE HIGHWAY AFTER ALMOST GETTING HIT AND GOT A TOW TRUCK AND RENTAL CAR. THE MECHANIC HAD US PAY FOR A WHOLE NEW MOTOR. WE THOUGHT THE ISSUE WAS FIXED. THEN A COUPLE MONTHS LATER I AGAIN HAD 4 TEENAGERS IN MY CAR HEADING OUT OF TOWN AND THE WHISTLE NOISE STARTED ABOUT AN HOUR INTO THE TRIP. THEN IT GOT LOUDER. THEN THE CAR WOULD DECELERATE GOING UPHILL. THEN, AS WE GOT TO THE NEXT EXIT, THE GAS PEDAL STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. WE AGAIN ALMOST DIED, BARELY MADE IT TO THE GAS STATION AND REALIZED THERE WAS AN AUTO ZONE NEXT DOOR. SO WE WENT AND HAD THE CODES READ AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD JUST POPPED ON...WHEN I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON, EVERYTHING WORKED FINE BUT IT HAD SAT FOR 30 MINUTES. RESEARCH LED US TO THE CVT ISSUES WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT HAD PASSED. WE TRIED A TRANSMISSION COOLING DEVICE AND DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR OVER AN HOUR. BUT THIS PAST WEEK I TRIED AGAIN WITH 2 TEENAGERS IN MY CAR...ONE HOUR IN TO A TRIP, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS IS NOT OK FOR A CAR TRANSMISSION TO DECELERATE AND PUT MY CHILDREN AND MY LIFE AT RISK.
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 NEVER COME ON.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 85 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT AND THE SPEED INDEPENDENTLY DECREASED TO 70 MPH WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN A LONG DISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A CVT COOLER INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
THE TEMPERATURE READING GOES UP TO 3/4
THE OIL PRESSURE SENSOR GASKET FAULTY ON THE 2012 MODELS, HAVE HAD IT REPAIRED 3 TIMES, LEAKS OIL ON TOP OF ENGINE, THE LAST TIME LOST ALMOST ALL OF OIL. IT IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENS IS NOT NECESSARILY NOTICED BY THE CONSUMER UNTIL AN OIL CHANGE, BUT THE PROBLEM SO FAR HAS OCCURRED 3X AND EACH TIME HAS GOTTEN WORSE. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026