Nissan Sentra Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability

Year-by-year breakdown of safety recalls, NHTSA owner complaints, reported deaths, injuries, crashes, and worst problem areas. Updated daily from federal databases.

74
Total Recalls
3493
Total Complaints
324
Total Crashes
255
Reported Injuries
2
Reported Deaths
2013
Worst Year
2026
Best Year
0
Poor
Overall Reliability Score (0–100)
Accelerating +84%
Complaint Trend
92 last 24mo vs 50 prior 24mo

Recent Safety Incidents — Last 5 Model Years

11
Crashes Reported
17
Injuries Reported

Own a Nissan Sentra? Check your specific VIN for a full history report.

Nissan Sentra — Year-by-Year Problem Comparison

YearVerdictRecallsComplaintsCrashesInjuriesDeathsTop Issue
2026BestExcellentFull report →
2025Good32389Electrical SystemFull report →
2024Excellent21964SteeringFull report →
2023Excellent10Electrical SystemFull report →
2022Good263315SteeringFull report →
2021Good1103166SteeringFull report →
2020Good2140113SteeringFull report →
2019Caution11561114Power TrainFull report →
2018Caution11551481Power TrainFull report →
2017Caution31731612Power TrainFull report →
2016Caution51951913Power TrainFull report →
2015Caution22501818Power TrainFull report →
2014Caution22601912Power TrainFull report →
2013WorstAvoid34322022Power TrainFull report →
2012Good143134Power TrainFull report →
2011Good297108EngineFull report →
2010Good311273Electrical SystemFull report →
2009Good1436101Air BagsFull report →
2008Caution21301820Air BagsFull report →
2007Good921322Air BagsFull report →
2006Good3791915Air BagsFull report →
2005Good411676EngineFull report →
2004Good3114128EngineFull report →
2003Good8104105Engine And Engine CoolingFull report →
2002Caution9197138Engine And Engine CoolingFull report →
2001Caution6164198Engine And Engine CoolingFull report →
2000Good6123162Engine And Engine CoolingFull report →

27 model years shown. Crashes, injuries, and deaths from NHTSA complaint filings. Click any year for full details.

Most Common Nissan Sentra Problems

Power Train
621
Electrical System
363
Engine
347
Air Bags
307
Engine And Engine Cooling
295
Unknown Or Other
263
Vehicle Speed Control
191
Service Brakes
184
Steering
159
Forward Collision Avoidance
101
Fuel/Propulsion System
90
Structure
69

Based on 3,493 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across all model years.

Recent Safety Recalls — Nissan Sentra (20222026)

#23V4210002022
12/06/2023
STRUCTURE:BODY

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2022 Sentra vehicles. The driver's side cowl area may have a missing or improper seal, which can allow water to leak inside the vehicle and corrode electrical components.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, reseal the driver's side cowl. If moisture or corrosion is found, the main harness and engine room harness will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 26, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

#23V5810002022
15/08/2023
STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may bend.

Remedy: Owners are advised to contact their dealer for transport assistance if they are experiencing an off-center steering wheel or vibration. As an interim repair, dealers will inspect and replace any bent or broken tie rods, free of charge. Once newly designed parts are available, dealers will replace both left and right tie rods, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed November 27, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23B3. This recall replaces and expands recall number 21V-461. Vehicles previously repaired under 21V-461 will need to have the new remedy completed.

#24V1540002023
27/02/2024
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Titan, Frontier, Infiniti QX60, Pathfinder, 2023-2024 Sentra, Versa, Kicks, Infiniti QX50, and 2023 Rogue vehicles. Due to a manufacturing issue, the driver's air bag inflator may absorb moisture, and cause the air bag to deploy improperly.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the front driver's air bag assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD103, PD104, and PMA34.

#24V3040002024
29/04/2024
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Sentra vehicles. The front left-side driveshaft may not be fully seated in the continuously variable transmission (CVT) assembly, or may have a loose or missing retaining clip, which can cause a transmission fluid leak and loss of drive power.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the front left driveshaft, and if necessary, replace the driveshaft and CVT assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 26, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA37.

#25V1530002025
11/03/2025
SEATS

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Sentra vehicles. The driver's seat frame may not be fully secured to the outer side of the seat track. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 207, "Seating Systems," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's side lower seat frame assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 1, 2025. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA45.

#24V4980002024
01/07/2024
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Nissan Sentra vehicles. The windshield may have air bubbles on the front lower driver's side, which can obscure the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 205, "Glazing Materials."

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the windshield as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 29, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA38.

#25V8070002025
21/11/2025
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Sentra vehicles. The windshield glass may have visible air bubbles, which can obscure the driver's visibility. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 205, "Glazing Materials."

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the windshield as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 21, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA58. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning November 21, 2025.

#26V0230002025
21/01/2026
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Altima, Sentra, 2025-2026 Frontier, and 2026 Kicks vehicles. The door strikers may have been improperly welded and break, allowing the door to open while moving. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."

Remedy: Dealers will replace the door strikers, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD185 and PMA61. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning January 28, 2026.

#26V1450002026
13/03/2026
SEATS

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2026 Kicks and Sentra vehicles. The hook bracket of the front seat frames may be insufficiently welded, which can cause the front seat frames to become loose. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 207, "Seating Systems" and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."

Remedy: Dealers will replace the front seat assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 1, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA64. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 13, 2026.

Showing 9 recalls from 20222026 model years. See the full year-specific pages for older recalls.

Recent Owner Complaints

Direct reports filed with NHTSA by Nissan Sentra owners — 20222026 model years.

Unknown Or Other04/24/2026

I leased a new 2026 Nissan Sentra SR from O'Neil Nissan at 849 W Street Rd, Warminster, PA 18974. Couple of days after leasing the car I had trouble starting it. I took it to Service at O'Neil Nissan. They checked the battery and put a new software version on my car. Now my dashboard doesn't come on right away when I start my car. I have to wait close to a minute for it to come on. This presents a safety issue. The camera doesn't work, I don't have maps loaded. What is the point of safety features if they don't work? I called the dealership, schedule another appointment, but they are basically telling me the software update probably has glitches and it just takes a long time to load the screens. What's with the guessing? Why aren't they taking the issue seriously. The worst part is that the gauges don't load sometimes and there are no manual gauges. So it appears that the dealership wants me to drive blindly without gauges. It makes no sense and it puts the driver and other people in danger. Something needs to be done about this.

Suspension /Wheels04/24/2026

I was driving down [XXX] towards [XXX] to go and pick up kids from school. All of a sudden I heard a weird noise and the next second the steering wheel got pulled to the right very hard as if tire came off and this resulted me hitting the curb and after stopping the car I got out to see and then I noticed the whole control arm was broken which resulted in wheel turning right very hard. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Unknown Or Other04/24/2026

The back up camera on these cars are terrible and blurry. I talked to the dealership and they don’t seem to be concerned with the issue. Very low quality.

Unknown Or OtherCRASH03/31/2026

My Nissan Sentra experienced unintended forward movement while Reverse was selected. After restarting the vehicle and shifting back into Park and then Reverse, the vehicle moved forward instead of backward, and the brake behavior became abnormal. This caused a minor collision. The condition has been reproducible, and I have video evidence documenting the issue. The vehicle is currently being held, and I was informed that repairs should not begin until Nissan inspects the vehicle and retrieves diagnostic/event data. I am submitting this as a potential safety defect involving unintended vehicle movement, shifting, braking, and vehicle control.

Suspension /Power Train /Wheels03/24/2026

The contact owns a 2024 Nissan Sentra. While the contact’s daughter was driving approximately 10 - 15 MPH and turning to the right, the front driver’s side wheel assembly, including the drive shaft, strut, shocks, and brake line detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was coasted to a stop, and the contact was immediately called. The driver had the vehicle towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Power Train /Electrical System1 INJURY03/20/2026

The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway and shifted to park(P), the vehicle started to slowly roll backwards unexpectedly. While attempting to re-enter the vehicle to stop the vehicle, the contact was knocked to the floor by the driver’s side door. The contact sustained injuries to the knees, back, thighs, and a concussion. The contact received medical treatment and an appointment for an MRI was scheduled. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,300.

Steering03/16/2026

I took my Sentra to Performance Nissan located at 1345 S Federal Hwy, Pompano Beach, FL 33062 and was refused service. They refused to fix the safety recall on my vehicle because of a rebuilt title. I called Nissan Of America and was told regardless of a rebuilt title a safety recall should be fixed by the dealership.

Power Train /Electrical System /Engine03/06/2026

I purchased this car around January 2025 & around August 2025 I started having battery issues. It’s currently March 2026. I have to keep having the battery jumped at. When he battery wasn’t jumping I had to get it sent to a nissan where they said nothing was wrong with the car so the next day the battery failed again.. and again each day . I have to keep calling AAA to come have the car jumped which I ended up just getting a portable battery jumper which works sometimes but other times I would have to call AAA of course, or if it doesn’t start at all, I will have to get it told to nissan. Certain times the car would start up and then when you pull out the parking space it’ll start shaking and then you’re driving in the car will slowly turn off. You’ll just be sitting there and that’s the main time you’ll have to get it towed to the dealership. Recently it happened on the side of the road from me, leaving the dealership and the police ended up, towing the car because triple AAA didn’t come fast enough which I had to pay 300 something dollars to get it out of the tow yard. System malfunction pops up, the engine light blinking , battery light pops up.

Engine03/05/2026

The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled and unintendedly decelerated. The vehicle was driven to the parking lot and came to a complete stop. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. Upon arrival at the residence, the vehicle failed to restart with the check engine warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic arrived at the residence, and the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had seized. The local dealer was contacted, and an estimate for the repair was provided. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and was not repaired. The mechanic stated that the engine was cracked and was a rebuilt engine, not a new engine. The contact purchased a used engine from a salvage yard for replacement. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Steering /Fuel/Propulsion SystemCRASH1 INJURY03/04/2026

In December 2025, the vehicle was towed to the dealer after it shut off and would not restart. No warning lights displayed, no low fuel light displayed either. Dealer attributed stall to low fuel (fuel range showed 30 miles remaining), found no diagnostic codes, attributed it to low fuel, added gas, and released the vehicle and charged a DX fee. In February 2026 (approximately two months later), the vehicle lost power again while being driven and was rear-ended while disabled. Post-collision dash photos show approximately half a tank of fuel and malfunction indicators illuminated. The dealership had notice of a shutdown event and failed to properly diagnose or investigate before returning the vehicle as safe in December. My daughter was injured as a result of the rear end accident. The vehicle was a total loss.

Unknown Or Other03/04/2026

Rental car company is renting out cars with open safety recalls. I paid 1212$ cash ( I did not plan on this expense. I did not have that much money on one card so they told me to remove it from multiple cards at an ATM and give them cash ) for a seven day rental only to find out if open safety recalls on it. I took it back the next day. They said it did not have a recall. They did not offer me an exchange or refund. They took the car before I talked to them about my complaint. They did not remove the charges for the seven days of insurance or tolls and charge me 50 extra dollars for gas. not only are they breaking federal law they’re taking advantage of the elderly.

Electrical System /Engine02/27/2026

My car would cut off on me and all the lights would turn on and the engine light. It would shake then slow down and cut off. It happened to me while driving on the freeway. I was able to cut it back on before accident happened. I’d randomly try to start my car and right when I do the engine light would turn on the car would rumble nd shake really bad and cut off so I’ll have to wait like three min and the car would start up. I forgot what day it happened but my car still acts weird

143 total complaints retrieved from NHTSA for 20222026. For older model years, see individual year pages.

Sentra Years to Avoid

2013 Sentra
432 complaints · 3 recalls · 20 crashes
Details →
2015 Sentra
250 complaints · 2 recalls · 18 crashes
Details →
2014 Sentra
260 complaints · 2 recalls · 19 crashes
Details →

Ranked by combined complaints, recalls, crashes, injuries, and deaths.

Best Sentra Years to Buy

2026 Sentra
0 complaints · 0 recalls
Details →
2023 Sentra
10 complaints · 0 recalls
Details →
2024 Sentra
19 complaints · 2 recalls
Details →

Years with fewest complaints and recalls.

Nissan Sentra Problems by Year

Select a year to see detailed complaints, recall notices, and safety incident data.

Frequently Asked Questions — Nissan Sentra Reliability

What year Sentra has the most problems?

Based on NHTSA data, the 2013 Nissan Sentra had the highest combined complaint and recall count — 432 complaints and 3 safety recalls. See the full 2013 report for specific defects.

Is the Nissan Sentra reliable?

The Nissan Sentra has accumulated 3,493 owner-filed complaints and 74 safety recalls across all model years in NHTSA's database. There have been 2 reported deaths associated with complaints. The 2026 model year shows the fewest reported issues. Always run a VIN check before purchasing any used Sentra.

What are the most common Sentra problems?

The most frequently cited problem areas are: Power Train (621 reports), Electrical System (363 reports), Engine (347 reports), Air Bags (307 reports). Based on NHTSA complaints across all model years.

How do I check if my Sentra has an open recall?

Use the vehicle's 17-character VIN at VinCheckEngine.com. Our free VIN report pulls the latest NHTSA recall data along with auction history, odometer records, and 30+ intelligence signals.

Check a Specific Nissan Sentra VIN

Model-level data shows what can go wrong. A VIN-specific report shows what has gone wrong with a particular vehicle — including auction history, odometer discrepancies, open recalls, accident records, and 30+ intelligence signals.

Run a Free Nissan Sentra VIN Report →

No account required · Instant results · Updated daily