2009 Nissan Sentra Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe engine stalls or sudden shutoffs, steering column noise or lost power steering assist, and airbag warning lights that stay on or blink. Brake complaints include squealing or grinding noise and, in some reports, brakes that did not slow the vehicle as expected. Engine stall reports cluster between about 56,000 and 74,000 miles, while steering and brake reports appear across a wider mileage range, sometimes early in ownership.

1. 1
   Steering

   Steering column noise and sudden power steering loss

   • 7 complaints (13%)
   • median 47,350 mi at 4.4 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2010–2016

   Owners describe the steering wheel locking or becoming hard to turn, power steering cutting out and returning after a restart, and clunking, popping, or binding noises when turning. Some complaints describe intermittent symptoms over several months before the power assist failed completely. In several complaints the dealer diagnosed a faulty steering column or recommended replacing it, and some owners paid for the work themselves. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 12,000 to about 146,000 miles, with most cases between about 16,000 and 65,000 miles.

   What to check: Ask for service records for any steering column or power steering repair. On a test drive, turn the wheel at low speed and listen for clunking or popping while checking that the steering feels steady.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This is a 2009 Nissan Sentra purchased new from reed Nissan in 2009. In january 2016 the horn failed completely. For some time before that the horn was working only intermittently, and for approximately 6 months before that the car would make a clacking sound when turning. On january 28, 2016 we brought it in to reed Nissan to investigate. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10861085, filed 2016-04, 145,694 miles

   “Brakes make loud squealing and grinding noise starting as little as 8 to 10 thousand miles even when pads and rotors are fine. The steering column pops and jolts slightly when turning starting at 27 thousand miles. The car makes a clunking noise when taking moderate to hard right or left turns at any speed. One tire sensor has already gone bad at 20 thousand miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #10597829, filed 2014-06, 12,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine stalls or cuts out while driving or at stops

   • 13 complaints (24%)
   • median 58,500 mi at 6.1 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2023

   Owners describe the engine shutting off or stalling with little warning, often while braking to a stop at a light and sometimes while moving at speed. Many cars restarted normally after a short time, while others had to be towed. Some dealers reportedly found no fault, a dealer noted a missing intake duct in a different complaint, and some owners replaced the starter, alternator, or battery without resolving the stalling. Most reports fall between about 56,000 and 74,000 miles, with the full range running from about 9,000 to about 160,000 miles.

   What to check: Ask whether the stalling was diagnosed with stored trouble codes and request repair records for any starter, alternator, or battery replacement. On a test drive, check for a steady idle and smooth restarts after stopping at a light.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After warming up and driving for a bit, my car dies at random times. I am able to immediately restart it and go. Usually it dies when I am coming to a stop at a light but it has died while sitting in reverse in a parking spot waiting to be able to pull out. This started a month or so ago and has happened randomly since.”

   NHTSA complaint #10872674, filed 2016-06, 160,000 miles

   “Takata recall car stalls out and dash board lights up with every warning signal, every time I brake to quickly when hitting a red light but check engine light isn't regularly on. My problem matches another type of 2009 Nissan Sentra problem but my exact model is not recalled. Purchased brand new starter, alternator and battery to no avail another recall says mass airflow sensor and fuel pump.”

   NHTSA complaint #11155793, filed 2018-12, 70,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light stays on or blinks

   • 7 complaints (13%)
   • median 94,000 mi at 10.6 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2015–2024

   Owners describe the airbag indicator lighting up or blinking, often with no other symptom and sometimes with no prior crash or incident. Dealers in these complaints pointed to a clock spring or a front passenger airbag control module needing replacement, and a complaint reports the manufacturer said the airbag would need replacing before diagnostic tests could be run. Some owners say the manufacturer offered no remedy, and a complaint notes that service bulletins were issued for airbag issues without a recall. Mileage in these reports is mostly between about 79,000 and 98,000 miles, with a report near 200,000 miles and some with no mileage stated.

   What to check: Ask whether the airbag system has been scanned for stored codes and whether any clock spring or passenger airbag control module repair is recorded. Use the vehicle's VIN with the official recall lookup to confirm whether any airbag-related recall applies.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driver side air bag alert blinking. Nissan claims no recall and states that they must replace the air bag in order to run diagnostic tests. My car is in perfect working order so my question to you is; what constitutes a mandatory recall? Must consumers wait until there are a certain number of incidents before it is determined a faulty part?”

   NHTSA complaint #10703707, filed 2015-04, 79,000 miles

   “The air bag warning light pop on when I was stopping for red light. The car has not been in a crash ,fire , or flood. The air bag module must be a manufacturer problem, this is not no routine maintenance problem. There are other Nissan models with same problem. Please don't let manufacturers get away with this, it is putting me and my passengers in very high danger. This is a item only manufacturers have easy access to.I payed alot of money for vehicle, please add my vehicle for recall , there's no where else to turn to. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11360797, filed 2020-09, 94,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brakes not slowing or stopping the vehicle as expected

   • 8 complaints (15%)
   • median 8,035 mi at 2.1 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2023

   Owners describe brakes that stopped slowing the vehicle, including a pedal that did not respond and a brake line that reportedly broke while driving on a highway. Some report no dashboard warning before braking was lost, and some describe the vehicle moving forward while the brake pedal was pressed hard. Some owners used the parking brake to slow the car, and a complaint describes a collision after the vehicle did not stop as expected. Where mileage is given, these reports fall below about 40,000 miles, with some very early in ownership, and some reports do not state mileage.

   What to check: Ask for the brake service history, including any brake line, fluid, or hydraulic repairs, and have the brake fluid and lines checked during a pre-purchase inspection. On a test drive, confirm the pedal feels firm and that the car slows evenly at low speed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was recently involved in an accident on 4/15/17 when my brakes on my car stop working we tried to stop but unfortunately it didn't we even tried to put it in parking gear but it still keep on going.”

   NHTSA complaint #10979854, filed 2017-04, 1 miles

   “My car accelerated with my foot on the brake with me pushing as hard as I could. I had stopped to get the mail in front of my house, so had my seat belt off. I have to also open the door just a tad, because the paper container is down lower. When it wouldn't stop and my driveway, which it was going across was slightly hilly, the door came completely open and I got dragged and then I turned loose and the car kept going. Fortunately the front right mirror got caught on a tree and it stopped right at the edge of my neighbors yard.”

   NHTSA complaint #10320820, filed 2010-03, 10,462 miles
5. 5
   Brakes

   Brake squealing, grinding, or scraping noise

   • 5 complaints (9%)
   • median 10,100 mi at 2.7 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2011–2023

   Owners describe squealing, grinding, or knocking when applying the brakes, sometimes at low speed or while backing out of a parking space. In some reports the steering wheel also shakes under braking, and the noise reportedly returned after repairs to the pads or rotors. Dealers and mechanics in some complaints found no fault even after repeated visits. Mileage given in these reports ranges from about 100 to about 56,000 miles, and some complaints say the noise began early in ownership.

   What to check: Ask whether the brake pads and rotors were inspected for glazing or hot spots and whether the noise was rechecked after any brake repair. On a test drive, brake gently at low speed and while reversing to listen for squealing or grinding.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchased an 09 Sentra brand new sept 24th 09 since day one when I brake they grind and the steering wheel shakes they fixed it around 8200 miles and it started again 7 thousand later. Originally they said the pads were glazed and the rotors had hotspots! Anyway maybe its the type of pads they use. Im tired of it and just want smooth braking. I researched this and found several other complaints made by 09 Nissan owners reporting the same thing. Obviously there's a problem and should be recalled. If you have to brake fast the whole car shakes. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10394353, filed 2011-04, 8,200 miles

   “My brake line broke in three pieces while I was driving on the highway visiting my son I almost lost my life the brakes did not work all of the fluid came out thank God I didn’t die there was no sign on the dashboard also my brakes even when I change the pads the rotors and calipers they always make noise. I change brake pads every year and that’s not right I don’t think so. I always buy the best quality even when purchased fluids always buy CVT oil and I get it from the Nissan dealership.”

   NHTSA complaint #11517083, filed 2023-04

Buying note. Owners considering this model year may want service records for the steering column, the airbag warning light, and brake work, plus any record of a stalling diagnosis. A pre-purchase inspection that focuses on these systems can help set expectations about the vehicle's condition.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 51 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.