2012 Nissan Maxima Powertrain (other) Problems

2012 Nissan Maxima with 94,000 miles began hesitating upon accelerating and jerking on [XXX]. Vehicle diagnosed at Don Franklin Nissan in Glasgow, KY with bad transmission. Transmission replaced. Then on [XXX], while driving vehicle, a loud noise from front passenger tire, traction light come on, pulled to side and found wheel side ways and upon investigation, Ball Joint had come part damaging axle and wheel. Found no bolt for ball joint in place. Towed back to Don Franklin Nissan in Glasgow, KY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11670526

Incident

Jun 6, 2025

This CVT control variable transmission in these cars go out so fast. The CVT transmission went out at around 115,000. We replace it because we pressed the gas and no acceleration when stop light turned green. Then missed the light then it accelerated late and almost got hit by on coming car. We just replaced this CVT transmission in July 30, 2020 at around about price of $5000. The only place that it can be replaced is through the Nissan dealership. They only guarantee their work for 1 years time. It is starting to malfunction in just over 14 months time. This is only after a little over a year worth of driving. This is ridiculous the amount of money people pay for them on to get $5000 worth of quality equipment. This is a safety hazard driving through Dallas traffic and no shoulder to pull over on because of construction. I have seen on the internet so many complaints about these CVT transmissions. This is the second time transmission problems already replace CVT at 115, 000 miles. Now needs another replacement at 139, 000?

NHTSA ID

11437364

Incident

Oct 16, 2021

The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Maxima. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary at a traffic light while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started to hesitate. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was awaiting the repairs. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,200.

NHTSA ID

11423254

Incident

Jun 15, 2021

Mileage

87,200 mi

UPON COMING TO A STOP THE CAR DOES NOT WANT TO ACCELERATE, IT JERKS SOMETIMES, IF YOU GO CHECK ON ANY NISSAN FORUM OR YOUTUBE COMMENTS YOU WILL SEE THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES AND CAN CAUSE SERIOUS HARM IN TRAFFIC OR CROSSING INTERSECTIONS, I AM VERY SURPRISED THERE HASNT BEEN A RECALL YET. ITS THE CVT TRANSMISSION! THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND THE EXTENDED WARRANTY CUTS OFF IN 2011 SO 2012 OR NEWER WE ARE S.O.L. IT HAPPENS EVERYTIME I STOP.

NHTSA ID

11407114

Incident

Apr 8, 2021

Mileage

112,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT CALLED FRED ANDERSON NISSAN OF RALEIGH (LOCATED AT 9225 GLENWOOD AVE, RALEIGH, NC 27617, (919) 324-3443) AND INFORMED THEM OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,000.

NHTSA ID

11257523

Incident

Sep 16, 2019

Mileage

158,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN MAXIMA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT CALLED DAVE WRIGHT NISSAN AT 319-393-0640 (LOCATED AT 999 BOYSON RD, HIAWATHA, IA 52233) AND WAS INFORMED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL, AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,500. *TR

NHTSA ID

11229671

Incident

Jun 29, 2019

Mileage

92,500 mi

TAKATA RECALL. WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE BETWEEN 40 -50 THE RPMS WOULD JUMP THEN GO BACK DOWN AND JUMP AGAIN, THIS STARTED 2 WEEKS AGO , WHILE DRIVING THE CAR TODAY IN TRAFFIC, THE CAR DID NOT WANT TO MOVE THEN JUMPED INTO GEAR AND BACK OUT . NISSAN KNOWS THAT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM, AND THEY NEED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11185143

Incident

Feb 25, 2019

Mileage

94,000 mi

CURRENTLY AT 130,000 MILES, ORIGINAL OWNER, I JUST REPLACED MY 3RD AND 4TH FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS, ONE OF WHICH WAS A GENUINE NISSAN PART. FAILURES WERE NOT CRITICAL BUT THEIR "LOOSE" CONDITION WOULD NOT PASS STATE INSPECTION CRITERIA. PRIOR TO THIS, THE ORIGINAL FRONT BEARINGS SEPARATELY EXPERIENCED CRITICAL ROAD FAILURES WITH EXCESS NOISE, HEAT AND SEPARATION. BEARINGS WERE REPLACED AT 79,000 (LEFT) AND 45,000 MILES (RIGHT). MAINTENANCE RECORDS ARE AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11156444

Incident

Jun 23, 2015

Mileage

45,000 mi

MY CAR BEGAN TO MAKE A WHINING SOUND AT ACCELERATION OVER 60 MILES PER HOURS INTERMITTENTLY. THE CAR WAS SOLD TO ME AS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED CAR AT 54K MILES IN 2015. I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN IT A LITTLE OVER 50K MILES PERSONALLY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO PULLED THE CODE P01778 STEP MOTOR FUNCTION FROM THE SYSTEM. I NOTIFIED NISSAN WHO TOLD ME I HAD TO HAVE THEIR MECHANIC ASSESS THE CAR. I DROPPED IT OFF AND THEY PULLED THE SAME CODE. THE CVT TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. THERE IS A 7TH GENERATION MAXIMA FACEBOOK PAGE THAT IS FULL OF OWNERS THAT DISCUSS THIS VERY ISSUE ALL OF THE TIME. IT IS REFERRED TO AS A CVT BOOM! YOUTUBE IS FULL OF VIDEOS THAT DISCUSS THE FACT THAT NISSAN KNEW THIS WAS AN ISSUE SO MUCH SO THAT THE EUROPEAN VERSION OF THIS CAR CAME WITH A COOLER AND THE AMERICAN VERSION DID NOT! THERE IS A CLASS ACTION FOR SOME MODELS WHY NOT THIS ONE??

NHTSA ID

11119898

Incident

Aug 8, 2018

Mileage

109,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY MAXIMA ON CRUISE CONTROL AT 70 MPH AND THE RPM WAS FLUCTUATING WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY FROM 2000 TO 3000 RPM. IT WOULD NOT GO FROM THERE AND THE CAR DROPPED SPEED. THIS HAPPENED VARIOUS OF TIMES THROUGHOUT MY TRAVEL. I LOOKED UP PROBLEMS IT COULD OF BEEN AND I WALKED INTO A BLOG WITH MANY NISSAN CONSUMERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM ON THEIR CVT TRANSMISSION FOR THEIR VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11112888

Incident

Jul 21, 2018

Mileage

83,508 mi

VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE MOVING FROM A STOPPED POSITION ON CITY ROAD WITH A 45 MILE PER HOUR SPEED LIMIT. ALSO SLUGGISH ON A TURN. WOULD ACCELERATE SLOWLY THEN JUMP TO A HIGHER ACCELERATION. WAS ADVISED BY DEALER TO NOT DRIVE IT AND BRING IN. WAS FOUND TO HAVE 3 KILL CODES WHICH MEANT IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION TO THE TUNE OF $4300.00. CAR HAD 90,000 MILES AND IS WELL MAINTAINED. NO NISSAN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS MODEL YEAR ON THE POWERTRAIN. WAS ADVISED OTHER YEARS POWERTRAIN WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED BY NISSAN. NISSAN NEEDS TO EXTEND WARRANTY AS THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ON MANY 2012 MODELS.

NHTSA ID

11104747

Incident

Jun 4, 2018

Mileage

90,000 mi

CAR HAS TRANS CODE P1778, WHILE TRAVELING AT 75MPH CAR WILL LOSE POWER AND RPMS JUMP VERY HIGH WITH NO ACCELERATION. CAR ONLY HAS 81,000 MILES, WHY IS IT THAT 1,000S OF VEHICLES HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE BUT NOTHING IS BEING DONE FOR THE CONSUMERS? SHAME ON NISSAN AND THE FEDERAL GOVT.

NHTSA ID

11103476

Incident

Jun 15, 2018

Mileage

81,000 mi

ON CITY STREET AT RED LIGHT VEHICLE WOULD NOT PULL OFF FROM RED LIGHT. BIG CLOUD OF SMOKE FROM HOOD AND WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. IN THE COURSE OF TURNING AT LIGHT BECAME STUCK IN INTERSECTION. TOWED TO DEALER AND BLOWN CVT HOSE. CAR HAS ONLY 58K MILES AND JUST MONTHS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. DEALER ASKING $650 AND SAID IT ADMITTED IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN IN 50K. TOW BILL AND RENTAL CAR COST CHARGED TO OWNER. CVT ARE NOTED AS PROBLEMATIC BUT MANUFACTURER ONLY REPLACING YEARS 2010 AND EARLIER, BUT ONLINE SEARCH REVEALS SAME OR MORE ISSUES WITH YEARS 2011 AND LATER. DISCOVERED PARTS COST TO BE $150 AND NOT SURE OF UNITS OF CVT FLUID SINCE IT DIDN'T ALL LEAK OUT. UNETHICAL SERVICE AGAIN STATED I'D RUN OVER SOME ARTICLE LIKE A TIRE TO CAUSE THIS ISSUE. WENT ONSITE AND WENT OVER VEHICLE WITH DEALER MECHANIC AND NO UNDERNEATH SCRATCHES AND VEHICLE HAS SKID PAN TO PREVENT SUCH OCCURRENCES. RECEIVED CALL FROM NISSAN CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ADVISING THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD/WOULD DO.

NHTSA ID

11093791

Incident

May 9, 2018

Mileage

58,000 mi

MY TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING A FEW WEEKS AGO AT RIGHT AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. IT'S

NHTSA ID

11010600

Incident

Jul 3, 2017

Mileage

110,000 mi

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 64,000 MILES AND STOPPED WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD, UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND IT FAILED AGAIN A SECOND TIME WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD. DELAERSHIP SAYS I NEED ANOTHER TRANSMISSION. FAILURE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ID

10954057

Incident

Feb 11, 2017

Mileage

118,000 mi

THIS IS MY SECOND NISSAN MAXIMA THAT HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. EVERY MAXIMA I BUY EVERY TIME THE CAR REACHES 100,000 AND IS OUT OF WARRANTY THE TRANSMISSIONS GOES OUT. I CONTACTED NISSAN TO HAVE SOMEONE LOOK INTO THIS AS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLES AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY HADN'T RECEIVED AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT TRANSMISSIONS.

NHTSA ID

10861280

Incident

Mar 23, 2016

I PURCHASED MY NISSAN MAXIMA BAND NEW TWO YEARS AGO. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS MY VEHICLE RECEIVED ALL REQUIRED MAINTENANCE, WHICH WAS PERFORMED AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. AT 67,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAILED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT 'IT JUST HAPPENS SOMETIMES WITH PERFORMANCE ENGINES'. THE TRANSMISSION IS UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I AM NOW TOTALLY DISENCHANTED WITH THE VEHICLE. I KEEP VEHICLES FOR THE LIFETIME OF A CAR. I STILL HAVE A 2000 HONDA ACCORD WITH OVER 300,000 MILES (ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE). I NO LONGER FEEL THAT THE REPLACED TRANSMISSION ON MY MAXIMA IS RELIABLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10588452

Incident

Apr 22, 2014

Mileage

67,000 mi