2012 Nissan Sentra Transmission & Power Train Problems
NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN · data through 07/12/2026
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
How power train ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 180 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2012 Nissan Sentra overview page.
What owners report
“CAR COULD NOT CHANGE GEAR WHILE DRIVING HAD TO TAKE FOOT OFF THE GAS, WHEN SHIFTING GEARS FROM PARK IT WAS VERY LOOSE AND SLIPPERY…”NHTSA complaint 11139894 — filed 10/11/2018
“CVT TRANSMISSION FAILURE NO RECALL OPTION. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SLOWLY FAILING OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS SLIPPING NO RECOURSE BUT TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE…”NHTSA complaint 11090943 — filed 04/30/2018
“TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH NO WARNING. VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE AFTER BRAKING WHILE STILL IN GEAR. ONLY 78,000 MILES LOGGED.5.5 YEARS OLD. EXACT EVENT: BACKING SLOWLY…”NHTSA complaint 11053405 — filed 12/08/2017
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Power Train complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2012 Nissan Sentra have transmission & power train problems?
Power Train is the most-reported problem area on the 2012 Nissan Sentra: 68 of 180 complaints on file (37.8%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2012 Nissan Sentra have in total?
180 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 10 involved a crash, 4 involved a fire, 10 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's power train category include?
NHTSA groups complaints about the transmission (automatic or manual), driveline, axles, transfer case and related parts under a single component category called POWER TRAIN. This page reports that category as NHTSA defines it.
