2012 Nissan NV Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
GoodComplaint Index
33/100
#7 most-complained of 10 NV years
The 2012 Nissan NV has a complaint index of 33, ranking 7th out of 10 model years and earning a "Good" verdict relative to other NV years. It has 7 complaints, 4 recalls, and no reported fires or deaths.
- Complaints
- 7
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 1 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 0 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- —
Top 2012 Nissan NV problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain3 (43%)
- Airbags2 (29%)
- Electrical System1 (14%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires1 (14%)
What owners report
- Transmission shift lever can slip from park into reverse, causing the vehicle to roll back and strike the driver's door, at a median mileage of 14,115 miles.
- Blower motor fuses blow within seconds of turning on the air conditioning fan, leaving the fan inoperative, reported around 55,000 miles.
- Airbag control unit issues have led to passenger door and seat airbags deploying without impact or warning near 54,000 miles.
- Some owners report the airbag warning light staying on and disabling airbag deployment even after recall repairs, near 41,000 miles.
- Tire pressure monitoring failed to catch severe underinflation after a service visit, with the issue surfacing around 30,000 miles.
2012 Nissan NV recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V188000Mar 30, 2020Airbags216,678 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2012-2017 NV Cargo and NV Passenger Van, 2013-2015 Titan and Armada and 2011-2012 Infiniti QX56 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing issue, the air bag inflator may not function properly or may rupture during deployment.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or Infiniti customer service at 1-800-662-6200.
- NHTSA 13V095000Mar 15, 2013Transmission & Powertrain18,880 vehicles
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 NV vehicles manufactured from December 20, 2010, through January 4, 2013 and are equipped with steering column-mounted transmission shift levers. The transmission lever gear selector plate lock clip may have been installed incorrectly. As a result, normal road vibration may cause the gear position indicator to not match the gear shift lever position.
Risk: As a consequence of the incorrect display, although the gear indicator may display that the vehicle is in Park, the vehicle may not be properly secured allowing the vehicle to roll away unexpectedly, increasing the risk of personal injury or a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will correct the installation of the transmission lever gear selector plate lock clip, free of charge. The recall began on April 15, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.
- NHTSA 11V592000Dec 19, 2011Engine14,718 vehicles
Engine and engine cooling
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2011 infiniti fx, model year 2012 infiniti m, model year 2011-2012 nissan frontier, model year 2011-2012 nissan xterra, model year 2011-2012 nissan pathfinder, and model year 2012 nissan nv vehicles. Some of the bolts that connect the engine oil cooler and the engine oil filter to the engine in these vehicles may have been manufactured to below specification strength. As a result, the bolt may break at the oil filter attachment point and can cause an engine oil leak.
Risk: If there is an engine oil leak, the engine oil pressure would drop and the engine could seize, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the connector bolts free of charge. The safety recall began on january 30, 2012. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
2012 compared with other NV years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Nissan NV reliable?
- Compared to other NV model years, 2012 has a complaint index of 33 and ranks 7th out of 10 years, earning a "Good" verdict. It has 7 NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls.
- What problems does the 2012 Nissan NV have?
- NHTSA complaints point mainly to Transmission & Powertrain issues, making up 43% of complaints, followed by Airbags at 29%. One complaint involved a crash tied to a transmission shift-lever defect.
- Does the 2012 Nissan NV have any recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2012 NV, covering airbag inflators, a transmission shift-lever gear selector issue, an engine connector bolt problem, and an airbag control unit defect.
- What is the median mileage for reported failures on the 2012 NV?
- Across all reported problems, the median mileage at failure is 41,000 miles, though the Transmission & Powertrain complaints specifically show a median of 14,115 miles.
- How does the 2012 NV compare to other years?
- The 2012 NV's complaint index of 33 is lower than 2013 (56), 2014 (89), 2016 (67), 2018 (78), and 2019 (100), making it comparatively one of the better years alongside 2015 and 2020.