Your vehicle report
2000 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
- 171
- Received Feb 2000 to Oct 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine suddenly shuts off while driving17 complaints · 9.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes14 complaints · 8.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Check engine light comes on repeatedly10 complaints · 5.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V511000On certain electric vehicles, the front suspension transverse link's ball joint bracket may break from stress concentration at a notch created by surface roughness and the shape of the material cut-line.
- Recall #03V455000On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
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: 20 crashes, 4 fires, 11 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 13 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Check engine light comes on repeatedly
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
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 |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 10 |
| 2001 | 16 |
| 2002 | 33 |
| 2003 | 16 |
| 2004 | 37 |
| 2005 | 15 |
| 2006 | 6 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 5 |
| 2009 | 4 |
| 2010 | 7 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 171 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 17 | 9.9% | – | NHTSA recall #01V357000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 14 | 8.2% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 10 | 5.9% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 7 | 4.1% | – | |
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 5 | 2.9% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 5 | 2.9% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 5 | 2.9% | – | |
| Alloy wheel rims crack and lose air | 4 | 2.3% | – | NHTSA recall #01V277000 |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 2.3% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 4 | 2.3% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 1.8% | – |
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 #03V511000December 10, 200370 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling
On certain electric vehicles, the front suspension transverse link's ball joint bracket may break from stress concentration at a notch created by surface roughness and the shape of the material cut-line.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the bracket on these vehicles. Owner notification began december 15, 2003. Owners should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #03V455000November 17, 2003630,000 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
This could cause the "service engine soon" warning light to come on, create a no start condition, cause reduced engine power, or cause the engine to stop running without warning during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s). Vehicles involved in a previous recall campaign, 01V357, are also included in this new campaign. The replacement sensors used in that campaign are also affected. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261 or Infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.
NHTSA recall #03V477000November 14, 2003276,000 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition: module
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with the QG18DE engine or QR25DE engines, the foam material used for the interior lining of the electronic control module (ECM) box emits sulfur as it cures.
If one of the resistors inside the ECM has a crack on the surface coating, the gas may cause corrosion of the resistor. This could cause the malfunction indicator light to come on, poor drivability (idle instability, poor accelerator), or the engine to stop running during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will remove the inside lining material from the ECM box. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #01V357000November 16, 2001103,000 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with a 1.8 liter engine. The engine could stop running while being driven due to a defective crank position sensor. This could also result in the "service engine soon" warning light coming on or reduced engine power.
If the engine stops running while the vehicle is in motion, it could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Owner notification began december 10, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #01V277000August 29, 2001115,000 vehicles affected
wheels
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The cooling holes in the steel wheel may have burrs on their edges as a result of improper manufacturing. These burrs Can cause cracks as the vehicle is being driven. Cracks Can propagate between adjacent cooling holes. If enough cracks develop between the cooling holes, the wheel could fail and separate from the mounting hub without prior warning.
Separation of the wheel from the vehicle while being operated could result in a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect for cracks and replace the wheel if cracks are discovered. Owner notification will be conducted in two phases. The first mailing began october 1, 2001, asking owners to bring their vehicles in to a dealer for inspection of the wheels. Any wheels with cracks will be replaced. A second owner notification will begin in early december, at which time Nissan will have an adequate number of replacement wheels, requesting owners to return to their dealers to have the wheels replaced. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #01V174000May 23, 2001101,000 vehicles affected
suspension: front: control arm: lower arm
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. One or more of the three bolts used to attach each front suspension lower control arm to the body on the left and right sides may not have been properly manufactured.
The bolts could fracture, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the lower control arm attachment bolts. Owner notification began june 30, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
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 2000 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