MyCarTSB

2012 Nissan Altima Steering Problems

16 owner-reported steering complaints from NHTSA data

16
Complaints
1
Recalls
5
Crashes
Jan 2013Dec 2014
Date Range

Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.

Steering Recalls (1)

RECALLCampaign #12V494000

STEERING

Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Altima vehicles manufactured from May 10, 2012, through July 26, 2012. These vehicles may have been equipped with transverse link bolts and power steering rack bolts that were not torqued to proper specification.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the bolts to the proper torque specifications. The safety recall is expected to begin during November 2012. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.

Owner Complaints (16)

criticalSTEERING,SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN
CrashFiled: Jun 2025

Your power steering hose has been leaking since the car was new and wasn't repaired by the manufacturer. The tie rods failed around 5 years of ownership with less than 24,200 miles, and the CV joints have also been damaged, causing loss of steering control. Your suspension is no longer reliable, and you're also experiencing engine rattling after 2 years of ownership. The manufacturer did not identify these issues, creating a safety risk for you and others on the road. Repairs will likely involve replacing the power steering hose, tie rods, CV joints, and having the engine inspected for the source of the rattling.

NHTSA #: 11670314
highSTEERING,SUSPENSION,ENGINE
Filed: Mar 2025

Your car is making clunking and bouncing noises from the right tire, and your acceleration isn't working properly. The issue appears to involve the steering, suspension, and engine systems. You should have this inspected soon, as suspension problems combined with engine performance issues can affect how your car handles and drives.

Parts you may need:

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NHTSA #: 11649779
mediumSTEERING,SUSPENSION
Filed: Oct 2021

The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that the steering wheel would emit an abnormal whining noise while both stationary and while making turns in either direction. As the failure persisted, the steering wheel began to vibrate, and excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. A dealer was not notified of the failure. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that her vehicle was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V494000 (Steering, Suspension). The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 129,921. Consumer stated RECALL was called due to the rack and pinion of the steering wheel of the car.

NHTSA #: 11437779
mediumSTEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE
Filed: Feb 2020

SO I PURCHASED MY CAR IN 2014 AT TONY NISSAN WAIPIO AND HAD CNA MANUFACTURED WARRANTY..WHICH IS A GOOD WARRANTY.BUT I COME TO REALIZE EVER SINCE.MY MANUFACTURED WARRANTY EXPIRED IN 2019, AND I ROUTINELY BRING MY CAR IN FOR OIL AND OIL FILTER MAINTENANCE EVERY 3 MONTHS, AND EACH TIME I WOULD BRING IT IN. MECHANICS AND SERVICE ADVISORS SEEMS TO FIND A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR..AND ASK IF I WANTED IT TO BE FIXED OR REPLACED, MAJORITY OF THE TIME. I WILL ASKED IF MY AUL WARRANTY WILL COVER, FOR THE PARTS AND LABORS..I WOULD SAY 80 PERCENT OF MY WARRANTY COVERS..SOME. DONT.BUT TO MAKE MY COMPLAINT SHORTER ..EACH TIME I WOULD BRING IT IN TO TONY NISSAN FOR A REPAIR..NOT EVEN 3 MONTHS AFTER, ANOTHER PROBLEMS.COME ABOUT..AT THIS TIME I'M GETTING VERY SCARED AND AFRAID FOR MY SAFETY IN DRIVING MY CAR.ESPECIALLY.WHEN I HAVE MY 6 YEAR OLD GRANDSON THAT I PICK UP FROM SCHOOL..AND I'M BEGINNING TO NOT HAVE FAITH IN THEM AND I'M REALLY HAVING TRUST ISSUES, WITH EITHER THE MECHANICS OR SERVICE ADVISORS..AT TONY NISSAN .I CAN SHOW PROOFS OF DOCUMENTS THAT I HAVE ALL MY INVOICES DATED FROM 2014 UNTIL NOW OF 2020..OF ALL SERVICES AND REPAIRS THEY HAVE CLAIMED THEY DONED ON MY CAR..JUST RECENTLY I ASKED FOR MY OLD PARTS BACK, TO SEE IF THEY GOT IT REPLACED..THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY AND IGNITION COIL #3..MY UPCOMING REPAIR WILL BE ALTERNATOR AND DRIVE BELT..I WILL BE TAKING MY CAR IN EITHER 02/25/2020 OR 02/26/2020..IN THE AFTERNOON.THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FOR THE HELP AND CONCERNS.PLEASE REPLY BACK TO ME IF MY CAR WAS SOLD TO ME AS A LEMON OR ANY RECALLS..I'VE BE GLAD TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS TO THE PRESIDENT OF THAT COMPANY..BUT I ALWAYS GET TALKED TO THE OTHER STAFFS THAT WORKS FOR HIM...

NHTSA #: 11311213
mediumSTEERING,POWER TRAIN
Filed: Aug 2019

CVT TRANS GIVING CHECK ENGINE SOON CODE P1777 STEPPER MOTOR COD... TRANS NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY, IT GETS STUCK AT 2000RPMS AND LAGS THEN JUMP UP IN RPMS. TRANS SHAKES HARD FROM TIME TO TIME WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS

NHTSA #: 11246044
mediumSTEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE
Filed: Aug 2019

LOSSES POWER WHEN DRIVING WHEN MAKING TURNS IT SHAKES IT OVER HEATS

NHTSA #: 11244568
mediumSTEERING,ENGINE
Filed: Jul 2019

TAKATA RECALL, I HAVE A 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA AND I PURCHASED FROM A DEALER IN JAN 2015. I BELIEVE THIS CAR MUST BE A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. IT'S A PRE-OWNED CAR. JUST AFTER DRIVING IT FOR 1.5YRS, I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR THE TRANSMISSION BROKEN. THE SPEED DROPS TO 30MILES/HR FROM 65MILES/HR WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. THERE WERE CARS BEHIND ME. IT'S SO DANGEROUS. I WAS LUCKY THAT THE DRIVER BEHIND ME REACTED VERY QUICKLY AND DIDN'T HIT ME. IT WAS UNDER THE WARRANTY SO THEY REPLACED THE TORQUE CONVERTER OF THE TRANSMISSION. HOWEVER, JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND I WAS DRIVING UPHILL ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD AND A SIMILAR PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN. MY CAR CAN'T SHIFT CORRECTLY AND THE SPEED DROPS TO 25 MILES/HR FROM 40MIELS/HR. BOTH THE FIRST TIME AND THE SECOND TIME WHEN THIS HAPPENS THERE IS NO SIGNAL LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD. I WENT TO THE DEALER BUT THEY SAID I'M OUT OF THE WARRANTY AND THEY MAY NOT COVER THE REPAIR. I FAILED A CLAIM TO NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND STILL WAITING FOR THE RESPONSE TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE. THEY SAID THERE ARE NO RECALLS OF MY CAR BUT I HAVE FOUND A LOT OF REPORTS ONLINE ABOUT THEIR TRANSMISSION ISSUES AND PEOPLE HAD EXPERIENCED SIMILAR TO ME. ALSO, THE STEERING WHEEL DIDN'T WORK FOR A FEW TIMES. NISSAN SAID THEY CARE ABOUT CUSTOMERS' SAFETY BUT I DON'T THINK THEY REALLY DO WHAT THEY SAID. IF THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT OUR SAFETY THEY SHOULD TAKE MORE ACTIONS ON THIS ISSUE AND RECALL THE DEFECTIVE CARS. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS FOR EVERYONE ON THE ROADS.

NHTSA #: 11229885
mediumSTEERING
Filed: Jun 2019

CAR WANDERS AND FEELS DANGEROUS OVER 60MPH

NHTSA #: 11219730
mediumSTEERING,SUSPENSION,AIR BAGS
CrashFiled: Sep 2015

ON THE ABOVE DATE, MY VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHICH AFTER THOROUGH ASSESSMENT BY THE BODY SHOP AND BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S FIELD ADJUSTERS, WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. MY VEHICLE'S STEERING SUDDENLY BECAME VERY DIFFICULT DUE TO THE FRONT WHEELS BECOMING SEEMINGLY LOCKED AND STEERING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WAS IMPOSSIBLE. STEERING WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN AS WELL. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EITHER. EVERYTHING HAPPENED SO FAST. THERE WAS A LOSS OF CONTROL WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERTURN OR "FLIP". THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UPSIDE DOWN WHEN PASSERSBY AND LAW OFFICIAL ARRIVED.THIS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE'D RECEIVED PRIOR NOTIFICATION. WE KNOW THERE WERE RECALLS FOR THIS YEAR,MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE AND THOSE SIMILAR, HOWEVER WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED BY ANYONE OF SAID RECALLS.THIS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL, THAT'S HOW BAD IT WAS.BY THE GRACE OF GOD IT WASN'T.

NHTSA #: 10761112
mediumSTEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
Filed: Mar 2015

ENGINE QUIT WHILE DRIVING, BRAKES FAILED, STEERING LOCKED UP A DEADLY SITUATION. DEALER CLAIMS IT WAS DUE TO A LOOSE BATTERY CABLE. IF SO A LOOSE BATTERY CABLE COULD KILL YOU OR OTHERS. *TR

NHTSA #: 10692355
mediumSTEERING
Filed: Dec 2014

CAR GOES TO THE RIGHT. .WILL NOT RESPOND WHEN TRYING TO BRING BACK. THEN TO MUCH. LIKE OUT OF ALIGNMENT. GOING TO REPLACE STEERING COLUMN. GOING TO FIX ORDERED PART. DEC 8 2014. *TR

NHTSA #: 10663227
mediumSTEERING,SUSPENSION,AIR BAGS
CrashFiled: Oct 2014

MY SON WAS DRIVING, LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE VEERED OFF OF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE, WENT THROUGH A RESIDENTIAL BACKYARD FENCE AND CAME TO REST 3FT. BEFORE AN 8FT. EMBANKMENT INTO A CREEK. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND HE HAD TO BE EXTRICATED FROM THE VEHICLE. HE SUFFERED THE FOLLOWING INJURIES: - 2 BROKEN VERTEBRA IN HIS NECK - BROKEN CLAVICLE - 4 BROKEN RIBS - COLLAPSED LUNGS - LACERATION ON HIS UPPER LEFT ARM. *TR

NHTSA #: 10650148
mediumSTEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Filed: Sep 2013

WHEN I TRY TO START THE CAR, THE POWER COMES ON(RADIO COMES ON, DASHBOARD LIGHTS), BUT THE IGNITION DOESN'T START. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 15K MILES ON IT. *TR

NHTSA #: 10543900
mediumSTEERING,SUSPENSION
Filed: Feb 2013

I PURCHASED A 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA. WHILE DRIVING 35-40 MPH THE CAR BEGAN RATTLING,NOISE,BING LIKE AND VIBRATION. WHEN I REACHED THE SPEED OF 60MPH, IT BEGAN TO SHAKE AND JERK. IT'S REALLY HARD TO EXPLAIN WHAT IT FEELS LIKE, BUT I KNOW IT'S NOT NORMAL, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THE FRONT TIRES NEED ROTATED. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. THIS CAR WAS A CERTIFIED/USED PURCHASE ON FEB. 5,2013. *TR

NHTSA #: 10498290
mediumSTEERING,SERVICE BRAKES
CrashFiled: Jan 2013

PURCHASED MY NEW ALTIMA S2.5 CONVIENCE PKG PLUS 1ST OF AUG 2012. I BOUGHT NEW CAR TO BE SAFE THIS WAS MY 3RD ALTIMA. MON. DEC 31, 2012 @ 11;15 A.M. I MADE RIGHT TURN INTO HOME DRIVEWAY. MY DRIVEWAY IS STEEP HOUSE SITS DOWN WAS PROCEEDING FORWARD DOWN DRIVEWAY TO ENTER GARAGE. I HAD BRAKES NO WARNINGS OR INDICATORS ANYTHING WAS WRONG. TOP OF DRIVE HAD BRAKES ON, THEN LET OFF LITTLE TO ALLOW CAR TO GO FORWARD. AS I EASED OFF LIITLE ON BRAKES DOWN CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE TO FAST SO TRIED TO APPLY PRESSURE TO BRAKES AND WENT TO FLOOR, STARTED PUMPING BRAKES AND NOTHING CAR WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN TO AVOID GOING THROUGH GARAGE DOOR OR SIDE OF HOUSE VEERED TO RIGHT STEERING WAS LITTLE TIGHT ALL COULD THINK WAS KEEP PUMPING BRAKES! CAR WENT OFF EMBANKMENT AIRBORNE LANDED ON NEIGHBORS DRIVEWAY EMPACT SHOOK ME. CAR IS PROCEEDING THROUGH THEIR BACKYARD STILL PUMPING BRAKES NO RESULTS I SEE HUGE TREE HEADED FOR FRANTIC TO STOP CAR NEXT I KNOW I AM DASED AIRBAG DEPLOYED CAR IS ON DRIVERS SIDE UP AGANIST TREE SEE SMOKE COMING OUT FRONT. EMA HAD BE PULLED OUT BACKSEAT THROUGH PASSENGER SIDE. CAR WENT OFF 6' STRIAGHT RETAINING WALL TIRES PULLED CINDER BLOCKS DOWN KEPT ME FROM HEAD ON TREE. MY BRAKES FAILED PERSON TOWED MY CAR WHILE INCLINE SAID HAD NO BRAKES, BUT BODY SHOP SAID HAVE BRAKES THEY'RE NOT GOING TOTAL CAR OR CHECK MASTER CYLINDER $13,000 DAMAGE IT CAN BE REPAIRED, BUT CAN'T DRIVE THIS CAR IT IS NOT SAFE FOR ME. MY BRAKES FAILED. I BOUGHT NEW 2012 ALTIMA MY 3RD ONE, CAR 4 MOS. OLD 4,000 MILES THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN. LEARNED RECALL SENT OUT 2012-2013 POWER STEERING BOLTS. I HAD GO BY AMBULANCE TO ER I HAVE BEEN HURT. NISSAN MAKING ME GATHER INFO SEND TO INVESTIGATE IF DEFECT. TAKEN SO LONG INS GIVES RENTAL CAR 25 DAYS NISSAN WON'T PROVIDE ONE UNTIL THROUGH INVESTIGATING FOR DEFECT WHICH HASN'T STATRED. MY CAR IS NOT SAFE AND I HAVE PROVE TO THEM. YOUR CAR SHOULD NOT HURT YOU! *TR

NHTSA #: 10493467
mediumSTEERING
CrashFiled: Oct 2012

THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO GO RIGHT, HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE KEPT GOING STRAIGHT. *TR

NHTSA #: 10482125

Other 2012 Nissan Altima Issues