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Nissan SentraModel year report

2017 Nissan Sentra Problems

Compared with other Nissan Sentra years

Typical for this model

50/100 1.0× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with a typical complaint level and no open NHTSA investigation: 2018

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
231filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
44,000miles, 104 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
4 / 5stars overall
EPA fuel economy
29 mpgcombined, 1.6L 4-cyl FWD · 27 city / 33 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2017 Nissan Sentra (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2017 Sentra most often describe the CVT transmission losing drive or power at speed, with high RPM and no acceleration, typically appearing from roughly 40,000-100,000 miles. A smaller group of complaints covers acceleration and idle problems, starting trouble, and brake and air bag warning behavior.

  1. Transmission and drivetrain

    CVT transmission slips, then loses drive

    • 93 complaints (40%)
    • median 60,000 mi at 3.4 yrs old (40 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $4,500 (median of 9 quotes)
    • filed 2017–2026

    Owners describe the vehicle surging, jerking or hesitating, with engine RPM rising while speed does not follow. In many accounts the car then refuses to accelerate at all, sometimes after a stop, and may need to be restarted or shifted out of and back into drive. Several say a dealer or independent mechanic diagnosed transmission failure and recommended replacement, while others report no stored code or warning light. Mostly reported between roughly 40,000 and 105,000 miles, with a few at very low mileage.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: Have the transmission fluid and CVT service history checked, and ask whether the CVT/TCM calibration has been updated. A test drive that includes a highway pull and a stop-and-go restart is worth doing.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My car has started acting confused with the gear shifts. It's almost like I am repeatingly putting it in drive then neutral then sports mode when I am not doing anything just trying to drive. The car struggles to pick up speed and 'giddy up' when I accelerate. It gets worse when I go up hill or over 40 MPH. I was told it's very dangerous and now have to get the transmission looked at per the diagnosis.”

    NHTSA complaint #11388900, filed 2021-01, 103,000 miles

    “I have had many issues with this vehicle, and the most problematic one is the transmission. When I accelerate to high speed on highway at a point the transmission starts to act up. The RPM start to go up and down crazy. And the vehicle does not accelerate and I could of had hardcore accidents this happens frequently, but randomly. There are no check lights on or anything, sometimes the vehicle drive normal and at times it does not. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11339534, filed 2020-07, 80,120 miles
  2. Engine

    Sudden loss of power or no acceleration

    • 32 complaints (14%)
    • median 54,905 mi at 3.4 yrs old (14 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $4,250 (median of 6 quotes)
    • filed 2019–2026

    Complaints describe the car slowing or cutting out on its own, sometimes on the highway, and refusing to respond when the accelerator is pressed. Owners report high or fluctuating RPM, rough idle, and in some cases the engine shutting off while driving. Several mention a check engine light and codes pointing to throttle-related sensors. Spread from low mileage up past 100,000 miles, often during highway driving or acceleration.

    What to check: Ask whether any stored trouble codes or throttle/pedal sensor work are on record, and check that the car accelerates cleanly uphill and at highway speed during a test drive.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My car have been giving me problems such as cutting off in the middle of driving and I don't seem to be going over 45 when this happen I took it to Nissan to get it fixed and still does the same thing without warning the car locks the steering wheel and brakes the lights on the dash light up and the car cuts off.”

    NHTSA complaint #11366117, filed 2020-10, 41,606 miles

    “Purchased my car in aug. Of 2017. Jan. 2018 was the first of 7 times I have taken my car in for the check engine light. Case is at Nissan north america in arbitration where they want to 'compensate' me $1500 to essentially shut my mouth. There is a significant lag in the acceleration not only from a standstill , but also while in motion trying to accelerate to higher speeds. The car will not go faster than 55 MPH up a hill. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11309070, filed 2020-02, 7,500 miles
  3. Electrical system

    Car will not start (push-button or brake switch)

    • 34 complaints (15%)
    • median 44,000 mi at 3.3 yrs old (17 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2017–2026

    Owners report the vehicle failing to start, sometimes intermittently, with the dash lights and radio working normally. Several describe the brake pedal feeling stiff or the car not recognizing that the brake is pressed, and one account links the no-start to a failed brake light switch. Others mention key fob and push-to-start problems that persisted after a battery change. Reported from around 26,000 to 100,000 miles, often as an intermittent problem.

    Recall 21V135000Recall 18V5510003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Confirm start reliability over several cold starts, check that the brake lights come on when the pedal is pressed, and ask whether the brake light switch or ignition-related recalls have been completed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While stationary, vehicle will not start when trying to start vehicle with push start there are also no brake lights when brakes are applied. Periodically the ABS light will turn on, while driving on multiple types of roads, for no reason and will not turn off until car is turned off and restarted. This began approximately 1 year again in 2019 and has continually gotten worse and won't start daily. Dealership told me my car is no longer under warranty and therefore would be an out of pocket expense. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11339064, filed 2020-07, 26,000 miles

    “Push to start not working intermittently. Key fob has been reprogrammed and battery replaced. Can take up to two hours for push to start to work and car to start. All lights come on and radio start. Does not start car. Battery and key fob both working properly. Brakes also working properly. This is a problem that has been reported to Nissan many times from reports and forums found online and has not been corrected by the company. Car is in parked position and off.”

    NHTSA complaint #11351403, filed 2020-08, 56,601 miles
  4. Brakes

    Brake pedal goes low or brakes feel soft

    • 19 complaints (8%)
    • median 39,500 mi at 2.9 yrs old (12 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2018–2026

    Complaints describe the brake pedal traveling near the floor before the car slows, sometimes intermittently. One owner reports air being bled from the lines with only temporary improvement, and another had rear rotors replaced at low mileage. Some accounts tie a stiff or unresponsive brake pedal to starting trouble rather than stopping. Reported from about 13,000 up to 67,000 miles.

    What to check: Check pedal feel and braking on a long, firm stop, look at the brake fluid level and service record, and ask whether the system has been bled or inspected for leaks.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “We purchased a used 2017 Nissan Sentra in april 2019. It currently has 49,000 miles on it, and for the past three months there has been a problem with intermittent soft brakes. The pedal will go all the way down to the floor. Mechanic had problems diagnosing it because it was intermittent. Finally he replicated the issue and flushed air out of the brake lines. Brakes worked properly for a few days, and then issue started up again. Still trying to get the mechanic to diagnose the problem.”

    NHTSA complaint #11403867, filed 2021-03, 49,000 miles

    “The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the brake pedal was stiff. The contact stated that the message Put Foot on Brake Pedal was displayed. While standing on the brake pedal, the vehicle started. The failure recurred while attempting to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that there would be a charge for a diagnostic test. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11713456, filed 2026-01, 44,000 miles
  5. Air bags

    Air bag warning light and passenger air bag deactivated

    • 25 complaints (11%)
    • median 48,000 mi at 2.5 yrs old (13 state mileage)
    • 18 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2017–2026

    Owners report the air bag warning light coming on, sometimes indicating the front passenger air bag is off while that seat is occupied. Some accounts involve air bags not deploying in a collision, and owners say they were told their vehicle identification number was not covered by the air bag inflator recall. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 31,000 to over 100,000 miles.

    Recall 17V253000

    What to check: Watch the air bag light through a full ignition cycle, check whether the passenger air bag indicator reads correctly with someone in the seat, and have the recall status for the inflator campaign verified for that specific vehicle.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “On wednesday, may 11, 2021 I was in an accident that totalled my car out. Running at 45 miles per hour on a decline hill a deep jump straight center of my vehicle causing the collision. Airbags never deployed. Upon investigation I found that in june 2017, there was a recall for this particular reason. I checked the NHTSA website and it shows that the only runrepaired recall at this time is for a stop lamp switch.”

    NHTSA complaint #11416573, filed 2021-05, 88,000 miles

    “Takara recall, airbags light in middle of dash comes on saying no airbags and goes off constantly. I believe there is a problem with my airbags. Which I've noticed a few days after purchasing the car. Which was purchased 8/23/2018.”

    NHTSA complaint #11187167, filed 2019-03, 31,379 miles

Buying note. The transmission is the item to focus on: a thorough test drive at highway speed and a check of CVT service records will tell you more than mileage alone. Also confirm the open recalls were completed and that the car starts reliably and the brake pedal feels firm.

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.

NHTSA recorded 231 consumer complaints for the 2017 Nissan Sentra. 104 of the complaints include a mileage, and 59% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 44,000 miles. Of all complaints, 29 involved a crash, 6 a fire, 21 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 183 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 14 Nissan Sentra model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 50 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Fuel system (7), Wheels (5), Electronic stability control (4), Seat belts (3), Forward collision avoidance (2), Seats (2), Suspension (2), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (2), Engine cooling (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “The transmission does not shift properly to 2nd, 4, and 5th gear. I took it to the dealership to get it looked at and the mechanic reported that this problem is common among my vehicle makes. I still don't see a recall for it and he said they won't fix it until then. Can we get this ball rolling please, it's a huge highway safety concern.”

NHTSA complaint #11115757, filed 2018-08, 1,500 miles

Engine: “I was driving on the highway and noticed that as I accelerated, my RPM would increase but my speed-o-meter wouldn't. And if it did move, it moved very slowly.”

NHTSA complaint #11408593, filed 2021-04, 46,000 miles

Other or unknown: “I was driving and the radio turned off, the dash turned off and the car turned off while driving but less than a minute all turned on it happened 4 times... From that day on the radio wont turn off either when pressing the turn off button. Am really scared if something goes crazy with the car whilr driving. Sorry my english is not that good.”

NHTSA complaint #11193968, filed 2019-04, 13,000 miles

Electrical system: “Three weeks after purchased it, I got stranded. Car turned off on me while driving. I had it towed to dealership, and was told they were going to replace alternator. They did, and now its been like 8 months and it will start when it pleases.”

NHTSA complaint #11079121, filed 2018-03, 2 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

59% of the 104 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 17,000 and 81,000 miles.

14%0–1018%10–2526%25–5013%50–7516%75–10010%100–1503%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (104 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 44,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

201820203320223320242026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2017 Nissan Sentra. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Sentra · sedan FWD★★★★☆4 / 4554 · 11.8% risk
Sentra Nismo · sedan FWDnot rated———4 · 11.8% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2017 model year: forward collision warning optional, lane departure warning not available, automatic emergency braking not available.

Neighbouring years: 2016: same overall rating; 2018: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2017 Nissan Sentra version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Sentra FWD1.6L 4-cylCVT273329$2,850
Sentra FWD1.6L 4-cyl6-speed manual263228$2,950
Sentra FWD1.8L 4-cylCVT293732$2,100
Sentra FWD1.8L 4-cyl6-speed manual273530$2,250
Sentra Nismo FWD1.6L 4-cyl6-speed manual253127$3,050
Sentra Nismo FWD1.6L 4-cylCVT253027$3,050

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2017 Nissan Sentra → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 183 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 183 bulletins →

Other model years of the Nissan Sentra

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026193001—33—Too new
2025317,9504534Too new to compareToo new
20244130,0003534Too new to compareToo new
20232075,3001533—Too new
20228136,000253327 · FewerRising
202113324,000353364 · TypicalRising
202020728,879453371 · MoreRising
201922334,500242954 · TypicalStable
201818540,000242938 · TypicalFalling
201723144,000342950 · TypicalStable
201627060,255643269 · MoreFalling
201535255,500343259 · TypicalStable
201438067,000543371 · MoreFalling
201363861,000643397 · MoreFalling
201218064,000042610 · FewerFalling
201114271,000242627 · FewerStable
201014469,3163—2731 · FewerFalling
20095557,0001—270 · FewerFalling
200816767,0003—2739 · TypicalFalling
200715460,0001—27Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200611678,8325—27Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200517076,2005—27Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200419777,0004—27Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200318069,0127—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200230471,00010—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200123661,0007—26Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200017157,1106—26Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19995972,9000—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199858102,5001—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1997108105,0003—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199614166,5003—28Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1995117157,9943—28Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199499180,0000—26Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199358100,0000—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199262107,5000—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199163120,0002—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19903982,9582—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198941—1—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198837122,4871—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198736—1—26Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19866—0—30—Not enough data
19856—0—29—Not enough data

All Nissan Sentra model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2017 Nissan Sentra?

Owners of the 2017 Sentra most often describe the CVT transmission losing drive or power at speed, with high RPM and no acceleration, typically appearing from roughly 40,000-100,000 miles. The issues reported most often: CVT transmission slips, then loses drive; Sudden loss of power or no acceleration; Car will not start (push-button or brake switch).

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2017 Nissan Sentra have?

NHTSA recorded 231 consumer complaints for the 2017 Nissan Sentra as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2017 Nissan Sentra is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 76 complaints (33% of the total), followed by engine with 48.

Has the 2017 Nissan Sentra been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2017 Nissan Sentra do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2017 Nissan Sentra 4 out of 5 stars overall. Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2017 Nissan Sentra get?

The EPA rates the 2017 Nissan Sentra (Sentra, 1.6L 4-cyl) at 29 mpg combined, 27 city and 33 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,850 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2017 Nissan Sentra reported?

Among the 104 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 44,000 miles and the middle half falls between 17,000 and 81,000 miles; 59% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.