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SteeringPart report

2004 Nissan Sentra Steering Problems

Complaints
5about this part
Share
3%of 197 total for the year
Median mileage
53,300miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the steering of the 2004 Nissan Sentra, 3% of the 197 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 53,300 miles. 3 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“On 12/08/14, I was driving through I-85 n. At one point I changed a lane towards my left and needed to straighten my car to that lane. But surprisingly the car wouldn't got straightened and steering had no impact/control over the car wheels. As a result my car hit the median of the hwy and after that I was still trying to put it back in the lane. But I had no control on it. It was shaking and speeding up; hit the median with the left middle and again after traveling a few feet hit the median with rear left. …”

NHTSA complaint #10663445, filed 2014-12, 85,000 miles

“I was driving east on i494 near a major interchange, in very heavy traffic. I was in the center lane going approximately 60-65 MPH when my engine suddenly quit. I quickly checked the lane on my right and it was clear so I moved over and onto the shoulder. My brakes and steering were going quickly, but I was able to bring the car to a full stop next to the guard rail. I was right next to a two-lane exit to i35, where the traffic was flying past me; several cars almost ran into me, with one extremely distracted driver crossing the line onto the shoulder and heading right at me. …”

NHTSA complaint #10761490, filed 2015-09, 148,753 miles

“Engine fuel pump failure. Driving on busy highway engine started to stall. Had to use clutch to keep engine running, nearly missing other vehicles trying to maintain control of vehicle trying to restart engine. Immediately took to dealer and fuel pump failure diagnosed. Fuel pump being replaced right now at $700.00.”

NHTSA complaint #10903238, filed 2016-09, 53,300 miles

“20 feet after pulling out of the driveway, suddenly there was a vibration in the steering, the brakes failed to function, the vehicle veered to the left and went into a ditch and impacted a sewer drain. The driver was severely burned by the airbags when they deployed. The insurance company totaled the vehicle. The cause of the above failures is undetermined.”

NHTSA complaint #10099085, filed 2004-11, 2,800 miles

“The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH in rainy weather, the vehicle began spinning suddenly (the contact could not figure out why) and crashed into a guardrail twice. There were no injuries. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. The contact called the dealer who stated that they had no complaints about the failure. The manufacturer had not been notified. The VIN was unavailable. The current and failure mileages were approximately 40,000. Updated 03/24/11 updated 04/01/11 the consumer also stated the air bags failed to deploy. …”

NHTSA complaint #10367173, filed 2010-11, 40,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Steering: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202526%
20241024%
2023420%
20223138%
20214030%
20205527%
201931%
201863%
2017146%
201652%
201562%
201492%
2013163%
201295%
201186%
201096%
20091120%
2008159%
20073019%
200633%
200532%
200453%
200321%
200272%
200183%
200042%
199935%
199744%
199621%
199533%
199455%
199323%
199212%
198912%
198813%
1986117%

Other parts of the 2004 Nissan Sentra

Engine cooling
59 complaints
Fuel system
36 complaints
Air bags
32 complaints
Electrical system
28 complaints
Engine
26 complaints
Brakes
10 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
7 complaints
Vehicle speed control
7 complaints
Body and structure
4 complaints
Equipment
3 complaints
Latches, locks and linkages
2 complaints
Other or unknown
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2004 Nissan Sentra

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology