Your vehicle report
1996 Nissan Sentra
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 141
- Received Feb 1996 to May 2018
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes36 complaints · 26% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbag warning light stays on11 complaints · 7.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail6 complaints · 4.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #00V063000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The front coil springs may not have sufficient corrosion resistance in areas of the country where significant amounts of de-icing salts are applied to roads in the winter.
- Recall #98V093000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Water can enter and displace the grease in the wiper arm linkage ball joint where the wiper linkage attaches to the wiper motor linkage.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 43 crashes, 1 fire, 33 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 16 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 22 |
| 1997 | 31 |
| 1998 | 14 |
| 1999 | 19 |
| 2000 | 19 |
| 2001 | 11 |
| 2002 | 5 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 3 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 6 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 141 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 36 | 26% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 11 | 7.8% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 6 | 4.3% | – | NHTSA recall #98V093000 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 3.5% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 2.8% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 2.8% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 3 | 2.1% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 2.1% | – | NHTSA recall #98V008000 |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 3 | 2.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 2.1% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 2.1% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 3 | 2.1% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 3 | 2.1% | – | |
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 3 | 2.1% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 3 | 2.1% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 3 | 2.1% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #00V063000March 2, 200014,800 vehicles affected
suspension: front: springs: coil springs
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The front coil springs may not have sufficient corrosion resistance in areas of the country where significant amounts of de-icing salts are applied to roads in the winter.
If a broken spring comes out of the lower seat, it could contact and puncture the tire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the front coil spring.
NHTSA recall #98V093000May 5, 1998512,387 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer: linkages
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Water Can enter and displace the grease in the wiper arm linkage ball joint where the wiper linkage attaches to the wiper motor linkage.
This Can result in gradual wear over a period of time inside the joint that could lead to the separation of the wiper linkage assembly from the wiper motor linkage at the ball joint. A loss of windshield wiper function Can result in this separation occurs.
Remedy
To prevent grease from being washed out of the joint, the dealers will modify by adding a water diversion seal that will prevent water from entering the windshield wiper linkage ball joint area.
NHTSA recall #98V008000January 21, 199865,000 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: tail lights
These vehicles do not meet the illumination requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Following vehicles may not be aware that the vehicle in front is stopping, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with two new light bulbs for the stop/tail lamps which are brighter than the original bulbs. A label with the new bulb number will also be provided for insertion into the owner's manual. If an owner so desires, a dealers Can install the light bulbs for them.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1996 Nissan Sentra.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN