2011 Nissan Sentra Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 18about this part
- Share
- 13%of 142 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 91,458miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 18 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2011 Nissan Sentra, 13% of the 142 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 91,458 miles.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I bought a used 2011 Nissan Sentra that went through a vigorous inspection. 3 days later transmission started giving me problems. Had metro Nissan replace the valve body and cooler assembly and made no difference. There is a major issue with theses issues”
NHTSA complaint #10981152, filed 2017-04, 85,699 miles“Brand new car under 4k miles on it I was driving between 60-65mph on the busy i95n of fort lauderdale miami cars speeding up to 70mph with my family on a vacation then all of sudden the service light pop up and after that the car lost its power so I coasted on the side of the road really scary. It seems that the problem with this sentras are still active even with new cars so Nissan are we gonna wait for the next incident?”
NHTSA complaint #10469571, filed 2012-08, 3,700 miles“It is ridiculous that so many people with the same car have had the same exact problem and no investigation or action has been done by the NHTSA yet. As others have complained before, I have had moments where my car would have the vdc light go off and the car would begin to not accelerate over 2,000 rpms and would shake the car in a violent manner. I have had error codes p0101 and p0725 come up and dissapear through a period of six months. I have had to install a new oem mass air flow sensor to try to fix p0101 and it has returned on and off. …”
NHTSA complaint #11192235, filed 2019-03, 91,458 miles“I bought a 2011 Nissan Sentra brand new one owner just the other day I was driving. As I got of the highway I stopped at a light and once it turned green tried to gas it but it doesn't move. I tried to put it in l nothing, reverse nothing car revs but doesn't accelerate. Took it to a mechanic they said transmission is gone . Really disappointed 4 years and cars transmission went. Would not recommend to anyone 8th Nissan in the family and I'm worried now because they are all CVT. After this never buying another Nissan they knew about the problem. …”
NHTSA complaint #10713369, filed 2015-04, 113,000 miles“Cvt transmission whines and appears to be slipping when going uphill - the rpms increase but the car is not going faster. There seems to be an ongoing issue with Nissan CVT transmissions. They extended the warranty to 10 years/120k miles for 2004-2010 cvts. Unfortunately, mine is a 2011.”
NHTSA complaint #11123900, filed 2018-08, 87,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10233904Mar 29, 2023CLICKING NOISE FROM FRONT OR REAR AXLE DURING TAKE-OFF/ACCELERATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of…
- 10222714Sep 27, 2022CLICKING NOISE FROM FRONT OR REAR AXLE DURING TAKE-OFF/ACCELERATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of…
- 10199148Jun 9, 2021CLICKING NOISE FROM FRONT OR REAR AXLE DURING TAKE-OFF/ACCELERATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of…
- 10116292Jun 20, 2017CLICKING NOISE FROM FRONT OR REAR AXLE DURING TAKE-OFF/ACCELERATION This bulletin has been amended. The APPLIED VEHICLES section has been revised. No other changes have been…
- 10091575Sep 9, 2016"altima, sentra, and rogue; cvt fail-safe condition service information this bulletin has been amended. The applied vehicles section has been revised. No other changes have been…
- 10192615Aug 6, 2015SERVICE INFORMATION The information in this bulletin is provided to help ensure correct diagnosis and repair of fluid leaks. All fluid leaks, when properly diagnosed, should be…
- 10192605Jul 10, 2015IF YOU CONFIRM: Customers concern of a "clicking" noise coming from either left or right front/rear CV-type axles during take-off/acceleration. ACTION: Apply Molykote M77 grease…
- 10192474Nov 20, 2014SERVICE INFORMATION If a customer describes lack of power or poor acceleration, perform the following checks before attempting any repair: * Check for stored DTCs. * Check if the…
- 10044570Jul 6, 2012Nissan: if continuously variable transmission (cvt) fluid temperature rises above a certain threshold, it will go into fluid protection logic mode (fail safe mode), as designed.
- 10043950Apr 10, 2012Nissan: ecm replacement procedures with consult iii plus. Applies to all 2004 and later (does not apply to leaf/ev) vehicles.
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 13% |
| 2024 | 9 | 22% |
| 2023 | 2 | 10% |
| 2022 | 6 | 7% |
| 2021 | 4 | 3% |
| 2020 | 10 | 5% |
| 2019 | 54 | 24% |
| 2018 | 46 | 25% |
| 2017 | 76 | 33% |
| 2016 | 127 | 47% |
| 2015 | 173 | 49% |
| 2014 | 182 | 48% |
| 2013 | 311 | 49% |
| 2012 | 68 | 38% |
| 2011 | 18 | 13% |
| 2010 | 18 | 13% |
| 2009 | 3 | 5% |
| 2008 | 20 | 12% |
| 2007 | 17 | 11% |
| 2006 | 8 | 7% |
| 2005 | 10 | 6% |
| 2004 | 7 | 4% |
| 2003 | 9 | 5% |
| 2002 | 20 | 7% |
| 2001 | 9 | 4% |
| 2000 | 8 | 5% |
| 1999 | 4 | 7% |
| 1997 | 1 | 1% |
| 1996 | 11 | 8% |
| 1995 | 4 | 3% |
| 1994 | 5 | 5% |
| 1993 | 12 | 21% |
| 1992 | 11 | 18% |
| 1991 | 8 | 13% |
| 1990 | 3 | 8% |
| 1988 | 2 | 5% |
| 1987 | 6 | 17% |
| 1986 | 1 | 17% |
Other parts of the 2011 Nissan Sentra
34 complaintsEngine
30 complaintsAir bags
20 complaintsOther or unknown
18 complaintsElectronic stability control
17 complaintsBrakes
14 complaintsSteering
8 complaintsBody and structure
7 complaintsFuel system
6 complaintsVehicle speed control
6 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
6 complaintsEngine cooling
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2011 Nissan Sentra
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 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