Nissan Sentra owners filed 1,762 complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for model years 2015–2025 (see the Car Problem Index for all 60 models), and NHTSA lists 21 recall campaigns for the same years. The 2015 Nissan Sentra drew the most complaints (351); across all years, owners complain most about transmission / powertrain (29% of complaints).
Key findings
- Worst model year: 2015, with 351 complaints, led by transmission / powertrain (172) and 3 recalls.
- Complaints vs recalls: Transmission / powertrain drew 509 complaints but 2 recalls, so for most of these owners the repair falls to warranty or their own pocket, not a free recall fix.
- Spike years, compared with a typical model year: 2015 (1.9 times as many complaints).
- Earliest-failing area: automatic emergency braking / collision warning complaints came at a median 19k mi.
- Fire and crash reports: 16 complaints mention a fire and 139 a crash, with 113 injuries and 1 death reported.
Nissan Sentra complaints and recalls by model year
| Model year | Complaints | Top problem areas |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 3 recalls | 351 | Transmission / powertrain (172), Engine (68), Speed control / acceleration (49) median 56k mi · 23 crashes · 3 fires |
| 2016 6 recalls | 270 | Transmission / powertrain (127), Engine (48), Electrical system (45) median 61k mi · 18 crashes · 2 fires |
| 2017 3 recalls | 230 | Transmission / powertrain (76), Engine (48), Electrical system (33) median 44k mi · 29 crashes · 6 fires |
| 2018 2 recalls | 185 | Transmission / powertrain (46), Brakes (38), Electrical system (32) median 40k mi · 17 crashes · 3 fires |
| 2019 2 recalls | 222 | Electrical system (64), Transmission / powertrain (54), Brakes (37) median 35k mi · 16 crashes · 1 fire |
| 2020 4 recalls | 204 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (60), Steering (55), Electrical system (44) median 29k mi · 8 crashes |
| 2021 3 recalls | 131 | Steering (40), Electrical system (38), Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (38) median 23k mi · 14 crashes · 1 fire |
| 2022 2 recalls | 81 | Steering (31), Electrical system (24), Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (13) median 36k mi · 1 crash |
| 2023 1 recall | 19 | Electrical system (8), Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (5), Steering (4) median 75k mi · 1 crash |
| 2024 3 recalls | 39 | Steering (10), Transmission / powertrain (9), Electrical system (9) median 30k mi · 6 crashes |
| 2025 4 recalls | 30 | Electrical system (4), Engine (4), Transmission / powertrain (4) median 10k mi · 6 crashes |
One recall campaign often covers several model years, so the recall column adds up to 33, more than the 21 separate campaigns. Newer years have had less time to collect reports.
Most-reported Nissan Sentra problems, and what they cost to fix
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Recalls | Median mileage | Estimate the repair |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / powertrain | 509 | 29% | 2 | 75k mi | Transmission repair cost |
| Electrical system | 326 | 19% | 2 | 38k mi | Alternator / electrical repair cost |
| Engine | 239 | 14% | 0 | 51k mi | Engine overhaul cost |
| Brakes | 191 | 11% | 0 | 26k mi | Brake repair cost |
| Automatic emergency braking / collision warning | 186 | 11% | 0 | 19k mi | — |
| Steering | 176 | 10% | 2 | 40k mi | Power steering repair cost |
| Speed control / acceleration | 160 | 9% | 0 | 32k mi | — |
| Air bags | 122 | 7% | 5 | 26k mi | — |
Top problem areas only; one complaint can count twice.
What Nissan Sentra owners report
Owners’ own words; dollar figures are what they reported.
Transmission / powertrain
I bought a 2016 Nissan Sentra brand new. It has 120,000 miles and the transmission needs replacement. This is a CVT so no way to check on fluid or anything. I was having pickup issues and brought it to the dealership and they are saying that it needs a new transmission which will cost $5600, which is more than the cars worth.
2016 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11583093
During normal driving conditions, the vehicle's transmission failed to move forward in drive. This happened after stoping at a gas station. I reversed the vehicle to pull out of the spot and switched to drive. Thats when the vehicle failed to move forward. Checked the vehicle reverse, and the reverse continue to work.
2017 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11431641
Related recalls: 26V410000 (2025): An unexpected loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. In addition, a driveshaft that is not fully engaged can result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. 24V304000 (2024): An unexpected loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
509 owners reported transmission / powertrain problems; the transmission repair cost calculator shows what the fix costs where you live.
Electrical system
03/11/2020 I drove the 2018 Nissan Sentra on hwy 26 w to portland oregon. While driving the AEB sensor light turns on, malfunction from manufactory light on with the piping sound came on that was the effected the speed control by the braking. Next day 3/12/20. I drove to carr Nissan dealer for repair aeb(automatic emergency brake) censor.
2018 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11318618
When stopped the vehicle goes to 4 RPM when trying to drive after being stopped at red light or stop sign anytime car is stopped and trying to drive again.I had a faulty switch on 9/8/2019 car wouldn't start took to dealership for repair and oil change after that the pic that I attached lights came on.those lights wasn't on before.after pulling off dealerships lot I got on highway and lights came on
2019 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11254819
Related recalls: 18V551000 (2017): If the vehicle stalls, it can increase the risk of a crash. 16V485000 (2016): If the engine room harness loses connection to the ECU, the vehicle may not start or the engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
326 owners reported electrical system problems; the alternator / electrical repair cost calculator shows what the fix costs where you live.
Engine
Car abruptly stalled while driving, would restart but fail again upon acceleration. Would only move in reverse. Had this happened two minutes earlier, I would have likely been killed on interstate 10, luckily I had just exited the freeway. At this point state farm sent a tow truck, it was brought to the car shop we use nearby.
2018 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11568639
I"m documenting the scary situations I've experinced with my 2017 Nissan Sentra sr turbo. On 7/31/17 the vehicle started to stall at an intersection, then came to a complete stop. The engine turned off and I was left without any ability to controll the car. I was able to get it started again trying to make it back home it barely made it at a maximum speed of 10 miles/hr.
2017 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11014903
None of these 239 engine complaints is matched by a recall on these model years, so a repair is covered only by warranty or paid by the owner.
239 owners reported engine problems; the engine overhaul cost calculator shows what the fix costs where you live.
Nissan Sentra recalls
Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for your car’s open recalls.
| Campaign | Announced | Model years | System | Risk (NHTSA's wording) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26V410000 | 2026-06-26 | 2025 | Transmission / powertrain | An unexpected loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. In addition, a driveshaft that is not fully engaged can result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. |
| 26V023000 | 2026-01-21 | 2025 | Latches and locks | A door that opens unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion increases the risk of injury or a crash. |
| 25V807000 | 2025-11-21 | 2025 | Visibility (windows, mirrors, wipers) | Reduced visibility while driving can increase the risk of a crash. |
| 25V153000 | 2025-03-11 | 2025 | Seats | An unsecured driver's seat may not adequately restrain the driver during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. |
| 24V498000 | 2024-07-01 | 2024 | Visibility (windows, mirrors, wipers) | An owner who cannot see their VIN clearly may not recognize their vehicle is involved in a safety recall, and may not have the recall remedy performed, which could increase the risk of injury, fire, or a crash. |
| 24V304000 | 2024-04-29 | 2024 | Transmission / powertrain | An unexpected loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. |
| 24V154000 | 2024-02-27 | 2023–2024 | Air bags | An air bag that deploys improperly may not protect the driver as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. |
| 23V628000 | 2023-09-08 | 2020–2021 | Backup camera / rear sensors | A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 23V581000 | 2023-08-15 | 2020–2022 | Steering | A bent tie rod can break and cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 23V421000 | 2023-06-12 | 2022 | Body structure | Corrosion of the electrical components could result in failure of various electrical systems, such as loss of wiper motor function or exterior lighting, inoperative air bags, or the ability to shift into gear without applying the brake pedal. Any of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash. In addition, an electrical short-circuit may occur, increasing the risk of a fire. |
| 22V244000 | 2022-04-13 | 2020 | Exterior lights | An improperly aimed headlight may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 21V461000 | 2021-06-17 | 2020–2021 | Steering | A bent tie rod can break, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 21V135000 | 2021-03-03 | 2016–2019 | Exterior lights | The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 19V654000 | 2019-09-12 | 2018–2019 | Backup camera / rear sensors | The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash. |
| 18V551000 | 2018-08-22 | 2017 | Electrical system | If the vehicle stalls, it can increase the risk of a crash. |
| 17V253000 | 2017-04-13 | 2016–2017 | Air bags | In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag doesn't deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury to passengers. |
| 16V485000 | 2016-06-29 | 2016 | Electrical system | If the engine room harness loses connection to the ECU, the vehicle may not start or the engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 16V436000 | 2016-06-15 | 2016 | Air bags | If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. |
| 16V244000 | 2016-04-26 | 2015–2016 | Air bags | If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury. |
| 16V242000 | 2016-04-26 | 2015–2016 | Air bags | If the frontal passenger air bag deploys in the event of a crash when a child seat is installed in the front passenger seat, there will be an increased risk of injury to the child in the CRS. |
| 15V453000 | 2015-07-21 | 2015 | Latches and locks | A door that does not fully latch may result in the door opening while the car is moving. The distraction may increase the risk of a crash and/or a vehicle occupant may fall out of the vehicle if they are not wearing a seatbelt, increasing their risk of injury. |
What this data can and can't tell you
1,762 unverified owner reports, not adjusted for sales. Method.
Other Nissan models in the index
- Nissan Rogue (4,457)
- Nissan Altima (2,684)
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint files (nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-25; NHTSA recalls database (nhtsa.gov/recalls), retrieved 2026-09-23. Model years 2015–2025. Free to cite with a link to this page.