2012 Nissan Altima Exterior lighting Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 1%of 426 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 6,250miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 2012 Nissan Altima, 1% of the 426 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 6,250 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Light in the glovebox doesnot have a switch. It turns on as soon as the headlights are turned on. My glovebox was full of some paper and I opened the glove box to fin dhte papers became very hot to touch and I felt like they would burn any moment. A switch should be included so that the light turns on only when the glove compartment is opened. Any cloth of easily flammable material can catch fire due to heat and go unnoticed.”
NHTSA complaint #10732763, filed 2015-07, 500 miles“My issue concerns the extremely bright headlights (especially aftermarket halogen) that are allowed to be installed on cars and worse on SUV's and pick-up trucks. These lights are blinding in normal highway night travel, especially when opposing drivers use them at the high beam level. It is worse when a car driver is opposed by a SUV or a pick-up truck whose lights are mounted about one foot higher than the ones mounted on a typical car. My wife's accident when she entered the left turn lane of a highway with a single lane in each direction with a dedicated left turn lane at the intersection. …”
NHTSA complaint #10948670, filed 2017-01, 12,000 miles“Hi, I would like to bring it to your notice that the headlights provided with my Nissan Altima do not provide adequate lighting on the street. It is particularly very difficult when making turns, and the other side is like a 4 lane road(the divider is visible when it is already too late). It is my personal experience that when you are unfamiliar with the roads in an area, you will end up on the wrong side of the road (the light is not wide enough and not bright enough). I was lucky that the roads were empty. …”
NHTSA complaint #10457799, filed 2012-05Related service bulletins
- 10235698Apr 5, 2023HEADLAMP, FOG LAMP, OR REAR COMBINATION LAMP FOGGING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 10138264Apr 20, 2018FOG LAMP AND/OR HEADLAMP FOGGING This bulletin has been amended to add Fog Lamps and modify one step in the flow chart on page 3. No other changes have been made. Please discard…
- 10192750Feb 26, 2016SERVICE INFORMATION Occasionally customers may notice water vapor or fog in the headlamps. The information, illustrations, and flow chart in this bulletin are provided to help…
Exterior lighting: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 3% |
| 2020 | 1 | 1% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0% |
| 2018 | 13 | 6% |
| 2017 | 18 | 5% |
| 2016 | 42 | 8% |
| 2015 | 270 | 28% |
| 2014 | 299 | 27% |
| 2013 | 442 | 19% |
| 2012 | 5 | 1% |
| 2011 | 2 | 1% |
| 2010 | 7 | 2% |
| 2009 | 9 | 1% |
| 2008 | 9 | 1% |
| 2007 | 4 | 1% |
| 2006 | 9 | 1% |
| 2005 | 13 | 1% |
| 2004 | 6 | 2% |
| 2003 | 17 | 2% |
| 2002 | 41 | 4% |
| 2000 | 2 | 1% |
| 1998 | 1 | 1% |
| 1997 | 4 | 4% |
| 1996 | 4 | 4% |
| 1995 | 1 | 1% |
| 1994 | 2 | 2% |
| 1993 | 3 | 2% |
Other parts of the 2012 Nissan Altima
149 complaintsEngine
68 complaintsOther or unknown
58 complaintsAir bags
57 complaintsVehicle speed control
49 complaintsElectrical system
44 complaintsBody and structure
33 complaintsBrakes
20 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
18 complaintsSteering
17 complaintsSuspension
17 complaintsFuel system
13 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2012 Nissan Altima
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology