1997 Nissan Sentra Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about the air bags — both deployments in low-speed or bump situations and failures to deploy in crashes. The second large group of complaints covers wipers that stop moving while the motor still runs, which owners frequently link to an existing wiper-linkage recall their car was never covered by. Remaining complaints cluster around brakes, electrical faults, and intermittent unintended acceleration or cruise control, mostly on vehicles showing high mileage.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers stop moving (linkage separates)

   • 18 complaints (17%)
   • median 121,000 mi at 8.1 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2011

   Owners describe the wipers quitting mid-use, often in rain or snow, while the motor can still be heard running. Diagnosis in several complaints points to the wiper arm linkage or ball joint separating from the motor linkage, with water in the joint cited as the cause. A number of owners say the wiper linkage recall did not cover their car because of the VIN, and some say a repair was done but the symptom returned. Typically reported between roughly 90,000 and 150,000 miles, and often described as happening without warning in wet or snowy weather.

   Recall 98V093000

   What to check: Run the wipers at every speed and check that the arms move smoothly with no play at the pivot; ask whether recall 98V093000 was performed on this VIN or whether the linkage has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 1997 Nissan Sentra and on a rainy day my windshield wipers quit working without warning. The wiper transmission motor sounds like its working but nothing happens. It has been suggested it is a faulty wiper arm. I found out about recall 98v093000 and called Nissan north america. They informed me there is no open recall on the issue and that my VIN number did not qualify for the recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #10419975, filed 2011-08, 147,000 miles

   “(1) it was a light rain. The wiper is in the lowest setting. Both wipers stopped working. I can hear the wiper motor running but the wipers doesn't operate. (2) as it was no raining hard, I was still able to drive vehicle safely home. I found there is a recall for the windshield wiper/washer:linkages for 1997 Nissan Sentra. (3) contacted Nissan about the problem because I have never receive a recall notice but I am told the recall doesn't applied to my VIN number. I took the vehicle to a Nissan dealership repair shop. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10073166, filed 2004-05, 160,500 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Air bag warning light on or air bags not deploying

   • 31 complaints (29%)
   • median 120,907 mi at 17.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 20 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1997–2018

   Complaints describe the air bag warning light staying on or flashing while driving, sometimes with no other fault present. Other owners report that in a frontal collision the driver and passenger air bags did not deploy, and a few describe deployment from a light bump or even while the car was parked with the engine off. Several say the dealer or manufacturer declined to help or offered no diagnosis. Reported across a wide mileage range, from vehicles with no mileage given to well over 100,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have the air bag system scanned for stored fault codes and confirm the warning light behaves correctly on a cold start. Ask whether the air bag system has ever been serviced or the module replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Was driving home from work on the freeway doing about 70 MPH when there was a wreck on the hwy, to avoid further collisions up to 5 cars in front of me locked up their brakes, the truck in front of me locked up his brakes, & I locked up my brakes, & my front end went down, my brakes locked up, my car slid under the truck in front of me, & neither air-bag deployed! My front end buckled up I count 3 failures, the brakes being 1st, 2nd, & 3rd being air bags. (drivers, & passenger. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10172197, filed 2006-10, 120,907 miles

   “Vehicle was involved in an accident, and neither driver's side nor passenger's side air bag deployed. Consumer sustained injuries. Windshield wipers failed resulting in accicent in which neither driver nor passenger side air bag deployed. Driver and passenger sustained injuries.”

   NHTSA complaint #862898, filed 2000-06
3. 3
   Brakes

   Grinding noise and longer stopping distance

   • 8 complaints (7%)
   • median 120,907 mi at 10.0 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2006

   Complaints describe a grinding noise when braking, sometimes returning after a brake job, and in some cases a longer stopping distance or a pedal that needs pumping after the car sits for several days. One owner says the dealer advised letting the engine run briefly and pumping the brake before driving. Others describe brakes that smoke or overheat on downhill grades. Mileage varies widely in these complaints, with several filed on vehicles already past 100,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Inspect pad and rotor condition and test braking from a cold start after the car has sat a few days. Ask for service records showing when rotors and pads were last replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle's braking distance has increased when it sits for 4 or 5 days at a time without being driven. Dealer said he has other models on his lot that do the same thing. Also, dealer told consumer to let vehicle run for 30 seconds. Then, pump brake before driving. Nissan has file on this.”

   NHTSA complaint #880462, filed 2001-02

   “Going down hill at approx 15-30 miles per hour,brakes smoke/ overheat/ burn squeek. Have had to shop twice in last week. Just got car last week, no other problems. Would like to have them safety checked and replaced if needed. Have appointment again for next monday, just hope all will work out. Wanted to know of others with same brake problem, and poor gas milage, that has to relate in some way to break system.”

   NHTSA complaint #704474, filed 1999-03
4. 4
   Vehicle speed control

   Unintended acceleration / cruise control won't disengage

   • 8 complaints (7%)
   • median 115,000 mi at 11.9 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2014

   Complaints describe the engine speeding up on its own while braking at a stop sign or while parking, and in one case repeatedly at highway speed. Owners describe stopping the car by shifting to neutral, shutting off the engine, or braking hard, and say the dealer could not fix the problem. Mostly reported on higher-mileage cars, with one complaint filed above 200,000 miles.

   What to check: Check that the throttle cable and linkage return freely and that cruise control disengages when the brake pedal is pressed. Ask about any prior throttle body or cruise control repairs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Throttle accelerated uncommanded when I was parking the car this morning. I found no reated recalls on your database but I did find an exact recall, 97-140, on a canadian database. Tc.gc.ca/vehiclerecalls/vraug97e.htm)”

   NHTSA complaint #755519, filed 2001-12

   “1997 Nissan Sentra has had (4) four run-away cruise control incidents. Cruise refuses to disengage while accelerating speed to 90-100+MPH. Once the governnor shut the car down, each other time the teenage driver has managed to stop the car by either, shifting into neutral, shutting the car off or using the emergency brake and regular brake at the same time. Each time the incident has required a different method to stop the car. Fortunately there haven't been any injuries or accidents. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10064095, filed 2004-03, 100,000 miles
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Electrical faults: stalling, door wiring, burning smell

   • 8 complaints (7%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 3.9 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2004

   Owners report the engine shutting off without warning at speed, with the distributor assembly replaced in one case. Another complaint describes wiring under the driver door window controls smoldering and catching fire, melting the door panel. Others mention intermittent speedometer operation. Reported from around 84,000 miles up to 160,000 miles, with no single condition shared across complaints.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check door window switches and wiring for heat damage or a burnt smell, and confirm the speedometer reads steadily on a test drive. Ask about distributor and ignition service history.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Speedometer will work only intermittently. Turns out that something in the head is broken and the whole head will have to be replaced. When I did research on the internet to see if I could solve the problem myself I saw numerous posts on the board with owners who had the same general problem with 1995-1997 Nissan sentras, small pickups and altimas.”

   NHTSA complaint #764142, filed 2002-07

   “The wiring under the window controls in the driver door started to smolder and burst into flames within seconds. Part of the plastic door panel melted. It took two watering cans of water to put out the fire. Nissan has refused to take any responsibility, but I see on your website that a similar complaint was filed today. It might be worthwhile to check into this.”

   NHTSA complaint #10023982, filed 2003-06, 84,000 miles

Buying note. On this model year, check the air bag warning light and wiper linkage carefully, since those are the two most common themes in owner complaints. Ask for records showing whether the wiper recall and any air bag or brake service was completed on the specific VIN before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.