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The 2012 Nissan Quest has 93 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 active recall campaign 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 Quest has 93 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 recall on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is powertrain at 28 complaints, typically surfacing around 94,826 miles (~$2,500 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 Quest | 22 | 2 |
| 2011 Quest | 66 | 1 |
| 2012 Quest (this page) | 93 | 1 |
| 2013 Quest | 18 | 0 |
| 2014 Quest | 18 | 0 |
| 2015 Quest | 12 | 0 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally.
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.
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: engine is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 51,262 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 1 active recall on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.6/10 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 quest. While driving various speeds, the fuel tank gauge indicated that the tank was empty. The contact stated that two hours after filling up the fuel tank, the tank would be empty. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was…
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Nissan quest. While driving approximately 50 MPH and slowing down in traffic, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but hesitated to respond. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not informed of the failure. The…
I was parked on a slope, with about 1/8 a tank of gas and the van would not start. I was able to start the vehicle after I put it in neutral and rolled it to level ground. I googled the problem and found out there was a recall, which I was never informed about. I took the van…
My van is not accelerating properly, it seems to idle out and does not go over 20 mph it idles on acceleration decline. i could not get out of way fast enough if traffic was busy.
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
Vehicle stalling could increase the risk of a crash.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.6 out of 10 based on 93 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Nissan Quest is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
On the NHTSA data, the 2012 Nissan Quest does not need avoiding. Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally. The record behind that call: No systemic severe-failure pattern in the complaint record; Reliability score 7.6/10 — above the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the powertrain first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 28 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 94,826 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 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 7.6 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 93 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is powertrain. Typical failure occurs around 94,826 miles. 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 powertrain, with 28 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 94,826 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop.
The powertrain is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 94,826 miles. 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 93 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $2,500, 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.