2012 Nissan Sentra MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2012 Nissan Sentra is rated 24 to 29 mpg combined across 4 EPA-tested gas versions; the best is the 2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT.

EPA fuel economy

2012 Nissan Sentra · 4 EPA-tested versions

Best EPA rating

29MPG combined

26 city 34 highway

$2,300 a year to fuel

2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT

Best version saves $500 in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.47 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Sep 30, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $2,300 to $3,400 a year. Ratings for the best versions are unchanged from 2011.

Fewer complaints than a typical Sentra year

The 2012 drew 43 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 64 for a typical Sentra year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.

Years to avoid: 2013; best year: 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Sentra year ranked The 2012 Sentra's recalls and problems

Every 2012 Sentra version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT Best EPA listing: Sentra	29 mpg	26 / 34	$2,300
2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed manual EPA listing: Sentra	26 mpg	24 / 30	$2,600
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT EPA listing: Sentra	26 mpg	23 / 30	$2,600
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed manual EPA listing: Sentra · Premium fuel	24 mpg	21 / 28	$3,400

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.47 a gallon for regular gas and $5.48 a gallon for premium gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT	$2,312	$193	$11,560
2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed manual	$2,579	$215	$12,894
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT	$2,579	$215	$12,894
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed manual	$3,425	$285	$17,125

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

Nissan Sentra MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 29 to 34 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2026); highest in 2024.

2012: gas 29 mpg

Show as a table

Nissan Sentra best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2010	29
2011	29
2012	29
2013	33
2014	33
2015	33
2016	33
2017	32
2018	32
2019	32
2020	33
2021	33
2022	33
2023	33
2024	34
2025	34
2026	33

Every Sentra year's ratings in one table

How the 2012 Sentra compares

2012 compact cars covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2012 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Toyota Prius Best: hybrid	48 mpg	–	$1,400
Honda Civic Best: hybrid	44 mpg	32 mpg	$1,500
Hyundai Elantra Best: gas	32 mpg	32 mpg	$2,100
Mazda3 Best: gas	32 mpg	32 mpg	$2,100
Volkswagen Jetta Best: diesel	32 mpg	28 mpg	$2,400
Kia Forte Best: gas	30 mpg	30 mpg	$2,250
Toyota Corolla Best: gas	29 mpg	29 mpg	$2,300
Nissan Sentra This page Best: gas	29 mpg	29 mpg	$2,300

2012 Sentra recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 0 safety recalls and 180 owner complaints for the 2012 Sentra.

Owners most often describe loss of power and transmission failure (23 complaints, 13% each), then the check engine light (13). NHTSA's overall crash rating: 4 stars.

See the 2012 Sentra recalls and problems

Questions

Does the 2012 Nissan Sentra need premium gas?

Some versions do. EPA lists the 2.5L 4-cyl (FWD) on premium, the rest use regular.

How does the 2012 Sentra's MPG compare with the 2011?

For 2012, the best gas version is rated 29 mpg, the same as the year before.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 29, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.47, midgrade $5.07, premium $5.48, diesel $6.38 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Oct 2, 2026 and complaint file dated Oct 2, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.