Nissan Sentra

Where it stands out against its peers

• Power train: more complaints than 97% of 2013 cars — 49% of its 638 complaints, where an ordinary 2013 car has 12%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• POWER TRAIN — 238 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• SERVICE BRAKES — 64 owners reported this, 5 involving a crash
• AIR BAGS — 60 owners reported this, 6 involving a crash
• ENGINE — 31 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 14 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — 13 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

62% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 13V068000

  A gasoline leak in the presence of an ignition source may lead to a vehicle fire.

  Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tanks as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 1, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.

• 13V069000

  If the vehicle is involved in a crash necessitating airbag deployment and the passenger airbag is suppressed, there may be an increased risk of personal injury.

  Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ODS sensors and replace them as neccessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2013. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.

• 14V138000

  If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger airbag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

  Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

• 15V453000

  A door that does not fully latch may result in the door opening while the car is moving. The distraction may increase the risk of a crash and/or a vehicle occupant may fall out of the vehicle if they are not wearing a seatbelt, increasing their risk of injury.

  Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the date, lot number, and cavity code on the left front and rear door latches, and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 31, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

• 15V681000

  If the OCS does not detect an adult occupant in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag would be deactivated. Failure of the passenger airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of injury to the passenger.

  Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will update the OCS software, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

• 16V242000

  If the frontal passenger air bag deploys in the event of a crash when a child seat is installed in the front passenger seat, there will be an increased risk of injury to the child in the CRS.

  Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reinforce the seat belt bracket as well as reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU), free of charge. The recall began on June 13, 2016. Owners are warned not to install a CRS in the front seat. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

• 16V244000

  If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

  Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

• 16V436000

  If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

  Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiring harness connector for proper engagement and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag module and main body harness, free of charge. The recall began on August 9, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

10 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.

• Scope of Recalls 08V311 and 09V431

  Defect petition, opened December 2016, closed October 2017.

• Occupant Classification System Failure

  Engineering analysis, opened August 2015, closed May 2017.

  Became recall 15V681000.

• Occupant Classification System Failure

  Recall query, opened March 2015, closed September 2015.

• Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened February 2015, still open.

• Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Preliminary evaluation, opened June 2014, closed March 2015.

• Excessive Brake Pedal Travel

  Preliminary evaluation, opened May 2014, closed May 2015.

• Corrision fatigue of front coil springs

  Investigation SQ, opened June 1999, still open.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Nissan filed 2 bulletins about the 2026 Sentra.

• Structure: 2

• CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT:… · April 2026
• CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT:… · April 2026

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.