Nissan Sentra Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 5,957 consumer complaints across the 42 model years of the Nissan Sentra (1985–2026) that have at least 5 complaints. 2013 has the most, with 638. Across all years, the part named most often is transmission and drivetrain (1,287 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Sentra model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 19 | 300 | 1 | 2 | — | Too new |
| 2025 | 31 | 7,950 | 4 | 6 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2024 | 41 | 30,000 | 3 | 24 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2023 | 20 | 75,300 | 1 | 57 | — | Too new |
| 2022 | 81 | 36,000 | 2 | 98 | 27 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2021 | 133 | 24,000 | 3 | 132 | 64 · Typical | Rising |
| 2020 | 207 | 28,879 | 4 | 115 | 71 · More | Rising |
| 2019 | 223 | 34,500 | 2 | 124 | 54 · Typical | Stable |
| 2018 | 185 | 40,000 | 2 | 145 | 38 · Typical | Falling |
| 2017 | 231 | 44,000 | 3 | 183 | 50 · Typical | Stable |
| 2016 | 270 | 60,255 | 6 | 197 | 69 · More | Falling |
| 2015 | 352 | 55,500 | 3 | 181 | 59 · Typical | Stable |
| 2014 | 380 | 67,000 | 5 | 194 | 71 · More | Falling |
| 2013 | 638 | 61,000 | 6 | 201 | 97 · More | Falling |
| 2012 | 180 | 64,000 | 0 | 107 | 10 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2011 | 142 | 71,000 | 2 | 107 | 27 · Fewer | Stable |
| 2010 | 144 | 69,316 | 3 | 103 | 31 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2009 | 55 | 57,000 | 1 | 85 | 0 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2008 | 167 | 67,000 | 3 | 87 | 39 · Typical | Falling |
| 2007 | 154 | 60,000 | 1 | 86 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2006 | 116 | 78,832 | 5 | 63 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 170 | 76,200 | 5 | 66 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 197 | 77,000 | 4 | 62 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2003 | 180 | 69,012 | 7 | 47 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 304 | 71,000 | 10 | 46 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2001 | 236 | 61,000 | 7 | 38 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 171 | 57,110 | 6 | 35 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1999 | 59 | 72,900 | 0 | 27 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 58 | 102,500 | 1 | 27 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 108 | 105,000 | 3 | 25 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 141 | 66,500 | 3 | 26 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 117 | 157,994 | 3 | 23 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 99 | 180,000 | 0 | 22 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1993 | 58 | 100,000 | 0 | 23 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 62 | 107,500 | 0 | 23 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1991 | 63 | 120,000 | 2 | 23 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1990 | 39 | 82,958 | 2 | 3 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1989 | 41 | — | 1 | 3 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1988 | 37 | 122,487 | 1 | 3 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1987 | 36 | — | 1 | 3 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1986 | 6 | — | 0 | 2 | — | Not enough data |
| 1985 | 6 | — | 0 | 3 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Transmission and drivetrain1,287 22%
- Electrical system836 14%
- Air bags777 13%
- Engine679 12%
- Engine cooling647 11%
- Other or unknown609 10%
- Brakes592 10%
- Vehicle speed control426 7.3%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2016: “My car has 92,000 miles. As of 3 days it's been acting up I went to a mechanic and they said I needed to replace my transmission. That it wasn't sending enough signal to the engine to have my car run. When I step on the gas it goes around 10mph but 2 days ago it completely stopped. And I got a letter on the mail a while back that it had a recall”
NHTSA complaint #11388468, filed 2021-01, 92,000 miles2018: “When I bought the car my front collision sensor light was on I had to take it to the dealership and I was told it was affected now there is an active recall on my vehicle and it's affecting my brakes my lighting and my speed control because I can't break and they have not sent me a recall or send any information to me I found this out on my carfax report”
NHTSA complaint #11408582, filed 2021-04, 40,000 miles2014: “Shuttering, unexpected power surges, hesitation, stalling, and of course lots of bad noises in general. I found numerous Nissan transmission lawsuits filled regarding 2014 Sentra prone to shaking, jerking, sudden downshifts. I am unable to drive my vehicle and have been told it needs a transmission and this vehicle has a long history of issues.”
NHTSA complaint #11350239, filed 2020-08, 119,000 milesOther Nissan models
15,506 complaintsNissan Rogue
7,412 complaintsNissan Pathfinder
7,382 complaintsNissan Maxima
6,949 complaintsNissan Murano
5,964 complaintsNissan Frontier
3,363 complaintsNissan Versa
3,327 complaintsNissan Titan
3,266 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology