Your vehicle report
1997 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
- 108
- Received Mar 1997 to Jan 2018
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes21 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail14 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbag warning light stays on7 complaints · 6.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- 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.
- Recall #98V008000These vehicles do not meet the illumination requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
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: 26 crashes, 2 fires, 26 people injured, 2 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 10 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
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
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
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 |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 6 |
| 1998 | 16 |
| 1999 | 18 |
| 2000 | 14 |
| 2001 | 11 |
| 2002 | 7 |
| 2003 | 10 |
| 2004 | 11 |
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 108 |
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 | 21 | 19% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 14 | 13% | – | NHTSA recall #98V093000 |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 7 | 6.5% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 4.6% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 2.8% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 3 | 2.8% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 2.8% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 3 | 2.8% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 3 | 2.8% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 3 | 2.8% | – |
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 #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.
NHTSA recall #97V110000July 22, 1997450 vehicles affected
structure: body: door
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. One of three styrofoam pads located in each rear door as part of the design for ensuring compliance with FMVSS no. 214, "side door strength," was not installed.
In the event of a vehicle crash, an occupant would not be properly protected increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy
Dealers will install the missing pad in each rear door.
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 1997 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