The 2012 Nissan Sentra has 180 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 0 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are power train and engine. Owners most often flag cvt operational problems (all generations): shuddering during acceleration, jerking when shifting between drive and reverse, rubber band effect, whining noise, and laggy throttle response. frequency: very frequent.
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2012 Nissan Sentra vehicles (US, public record).
Across the 6 Sentra model years we track, complaint volume runs from 18 (2023) to 623 (2019). With 180 complaints, the 2012 Sentra sits belowthe model's median of 228.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
Sentiment is sharply divided by generation and is heavily influenced by transmission history. For models from approximately 2011 through the early 2020s, sentiment is overwhelmingly negative, dominated by widespread and severe CVT…
Owner insights cover all generations of the Sentra. See the full Sentra owner picture and every model year.
Used Sentra listings typically run $18,995–$23,563 across 2014 to 2026 model years.
Compare every Sentra year side by side to see how 2012 ranks against the rest.