NISSAN NV · model year

2012 NISSAN NV

3 NHTSA complaints, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2012NISSANNV carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2012 NV is power train with 2 filings, followed by air bags (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 54 investigation files overlapping the 2012 NV, and 5 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN2
AIR BAGS1

Recalls (4)

20V18800030/03/2020

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.

11V59200019/12/2011

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

13V09500015/03/2013

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,

11V40800009/08/2011

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 NISSAN ALTIMA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 15, 2011, THROUGH JUNE 21, 2011 AND MODEL YEAR 2012 NISSAN NV VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 23, 2011, THROUGH JUNE 28, 2011 BECAUSE THE AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT (ACU) WAS ASSEMBLED INCORRECTLY.

Recent Complaints

20210126AIR BAGS

AIR BAG SENSOR WILL NOT ALLOW AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY NISSAN CLAIMS THIS IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL FOR NHSTA: 20V-188 AIR BAG LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON AND DISABLES THE AIR BAGS. -98820-1PD9B O SPO SENSOR-SID

Mileage: 41,000

20161009POWER TRAIN

VEHICLE AFTER A PERIOD WOULD NOT MOVE! I PURCHASED A NISSAN VERSA BRAND NEW AND TOOK EXCELLENT CARE OF IT. YET, THIS CAR HAS CVT TECHNOLOGY WHICH MEANS WHEN A-N-Y PART OF THE TRANSMISSION BREAKS, YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION!!! COST TO REPLACE: $4,200.00

Mileage: 100,123

20141016POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN NV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V095000 (POWER TRAIN) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND DID NOT HAVE AN ESTIMATED DATE FOR PART AVAILABILITY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR A YEAR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE DELAY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

Compare 2012NISSANNV to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 5 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2012 NISSAN NV have?
The 2012 NISSAN NV has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2012 NISSAN NV?
Yes, the 2012 NISSAN NV has 4 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 NISSAN NV?
The most-complained component for the 2012 NISSAN NV is POWER TRAIN with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS.
Is the 2012 NISSAN NV safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.