What breaks most · 1990 to 2019 model years
Nissan Sentra problems by year
Owners have filed 3,649 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Nissan Sentra across model years 1990 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2013 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2002 for engine and cooling complaints and 2001 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 2017, 1990 and 2009.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 2002, 2001
- Fewest complaints: 2017, 1990, 2009
- Complaints on file
- 36491990 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2013419 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 44890 fires · 397 injuries · 13 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 62kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 126Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 6 | 2 | Seat belts (14) | |
| 63 | 8 | 2 | Seat belts (19) | |
| 62 | 8 | 0 | Electrical system (14) | |
| 58 | 8 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (12) | |
| 98 | 19 | 0 | Seat belts (27) | |
| 117 | 26 | 7 | Air bags (46) | |
| 141 | 43 | 7 | Air bags (53) | |
| 108 | 26 | 7 | Air bags (33) | |
| 57 | 17 | 5 | Air bags (15) | |
| 59 | 14 | 3 | Electrical system (12) | |
| 168 | 20 | 7 | Engine and cooling (71) | |
| 232 | 20 | 8 | Engine and cooling (93) | |
| 298 | 19 | 14 | Engine and cooling (127) | |
| 173 | 13 | 10 | Engine and cooling (86) | |
| 188 | 19 | 5 | Engine and cooling (58) | |
| 159 | 11 | 6 | Engine and cooling (48) | |
| 107 | 22 | 6 | Air bags (27) | |
| 130 | 20 | 1 | Air bags (33) | |
| 146 | 19 | 3 | Air bags (43) | |
| 47 | 9 | 1 | Steering (11) | |
| 112 | 10 | 3 | Electrical system (39) | |
| 112 | 17 | 2 | Electrical system (24) | |
| 120 | 7 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (37) | |
| 419 | 18 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (178) | |
| 183 | 17 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (65) | |
| 125 | 9 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (40) | |
| 76 | 10 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (22) | |
| 37 | 10 | 3 | Air bags (10) | |
| 11 | 3 | 2 | Unknown or other (4) | |
| 4 | 0 | 2 | Brakes (2) |
What fails on the 2013 Nissan Sentra
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 42% |
178 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 21% |
90 | 8 | Shop brakes parts for the 2013 Nissan Sentra |
| Air bags | 17% |
73 | 7 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 13% |
54 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 Nissan Sentra |
| Unknown or other | 7% |
31 | 2 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 7% |
31 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 Nissan Sentra |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 5% |
23 | 2 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2013 Nissan Sentra |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 5% |
23 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2013 Nissan Sentra |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
I only had this vehicle for a year now i have 43 thousand miles and my transmission has gone out. I've been doing research and a lot of people are complaining of the same issue . I shouldn't be responsible for this
-
While driving the will stop running without warning or my service engine light will come on and my car will not start. This started about 5 years ago.
-
2001 nissan sentra. Consumer states vehicle suddenly died while driving *tgw the dealer informed the consumer, his vehicle identification number was not associated with any recalls. *jb
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Nissan Sentra years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013, 2002, 2001 carry the most filings on the Nissan Sentra. The 2013 alone has 419 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Nissan Sentra problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 178 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Nissan Sentra problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Nissan Sentra complaints that include mileage is about 62,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.