YearToAvoid

2012 Nissan Maxima Airbags Problems

NHTSA lists 27 airbag complaints for the 2012 Nissan Maxima, 25% of all complaints for that year, linked to 5 crashes, 1 fire and 5 injuries. No related recall is on file, and median mileage at failure was 30,650.5 miles.

Airbags complaints
27
25% of 107
Crashes reported
5
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
5
Median mileage
30,651 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical airbag symptoms owners report

  • Owners report airbags failing to deploy during frontal or side-impact crashes at speeds around 30 mph, sometimes at highway speeds near 60 mph.
  • Several drivers describe rear-end or T-bone collisions with visible front-end damage where the airbag system never activated.
  • A recurring pattern involves the passenger "air bag off" light illuminating intermittently when adult passengers of varying weights, including around 120 to 200 pounds, are seated.
  • Some owners say dealers could not find a diagnostic code or fault despite the passenger airbag warning light repeatedly turning on and off across multiple trips.
  • One owner reported the main air bag control unit and occupant weight sensor were both found faulty after a minor rear-end collision, and the airbags still did not deploy.

When 2012 Nissan Maxima airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Apr 29, 2013, latest Dec 31, 2023.

2012 Nissan Maxima airbags complaints: complaints filed per month4Apr 2013Aug 2013May 2014May 2016Oct 2016Jul 2018Jan 2020
27 complaints filed with NHTSA from Apr 2013 to Dec 2023; peak Mar 2014 (4).

Airbags recalls for the 2012 Nissan Maxima

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Airbags complaints by Maxima model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20059 (1%)
  2. 200613 (2%)
  3. 200718 (14%)
  4. 200823 (29%)
  5. 200943 (13%)
  6. 201015 (5%)
  7. 201123 (22%)
  8. 201227 (25%)
  9. 201316 (26%)
  10. 201424 (25%)
  11. 20151 (100%)
  12. 201614 (10%)
  13. 201718 (17%)
  14. 20181 (3%)
  15. 20190 (0%)
  16. 20202 (9%)
  17. 20210 (0%)
  18. 20220 (0%)
  19. 20230 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

Do 2012 Nissan Maxima owners report airbag problems?
Yes. NHTSA lists 27 airbag complaints for the 2012 Maxima, making up 25% of all complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2012 Nissan Maxima airbags?
No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for the 2012 Maxima airbag complaints.
How serious are the reported airbag issues?
NHTSA data tied to these complaints show 5 crashes, 1 fire, and 5 injuries associated with the 2012 Maxima's airbag system.
At what mileage do airbag problems usually appear?
The median mileage at failure among these complaints is 30,650.5 miles.
Is the 2012 Maxima worse than other years for airbag complaints?
Its 27 complaints and 25% share are among the higher totals shown across Maxima model years in this dataset, similar to 2011, 2013, and 2014.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.