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The 2012 Nissan Juke has 87 NHTSA owner complaints and 4 active recall campaigns on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2012 Nissan Juke has 87 NHTSA owner complaints and 4 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of September 2026). The most-reported system is engine at 23 complaints (~$3,100 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Juke | 153 | 3 |
| 2012 Juke (this page) | 87 | 4 |
| 2013 Juke | 103 | 2 |
| 2014 Juke | 59 | 2 |
| 2015 Juke | 34 | 1 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Driver-assist features on the tested model: Electronic stability control: Standard · Forward collision warning: No · Lane departure warning: No
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program — tested configuration: 2012 Nissan Juke SUV AWD. Stars rate crash protection in NHTSA's tests, not overall reliability — see the owner-complaint data below for what actually goes wrong.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: airbags is flagged severe on this model . Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 4 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.0/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Nissan juke. While driving, the timing chain fractured off into the engine and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. An independent mechanic stated that the failure was due to a design flaw. The manufacturer stated…
The battery dies a lot! Cannot figure out why, I have been left stranded numerous times, not fun, sometimes I only left my car for half hour or so, I come back and it is dead, have to wait for aaa or a friend, this has been going for several years and just happened again…
Timing chain needs replacement however the timing chain was already replaced in 2014 under Nissan recall NTB14-030c campaign P4213. This car has 54,000 miles on it and has been serviced at Nissan dealerships according to the Nissan service schedule. There is no reason for this…
I arrived at an out of town destination to find I had oil covering the motor. Mechanic stated there was a 2" gash in the front cover of the timing chain, which was coming from the inside out. Google search revealed there was a previous recall for the same issue but when I…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could cause a vehicle fire.
In the event of a crash, the rear seat back may not be secured, increasing the risk of injury to the rear seat occupants.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.0 out of 10 based on 87 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Nissan Juke is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2012 Nissan Juke is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.0/10 — around the segment average; 4 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the engine first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 23 owner complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.0 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 87 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is engine. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is engine, with 23 complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop.
The engine is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 87 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $3,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.