Your vehicle report
2008 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
- 167
- Received Apr 2008 to Apr 2024
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbag warning light stays on23 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Tires blow out or tread separates9 complaints · 5.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes8 complaints · 4.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #10V401000Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected gps units can overheat.
- Recall #09V431000Nissan is recalling certain model year 2008 sentra passenger vehicles equipped with bosch master cylinders. Brake fluid may leak from the master cylinder. If the amount of brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoir decreases to below the minimum level, the brake system warning indicator will illuminate as designed and the brakes will not function properly.
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, 3 fires, 17 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
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- CVT transmission fails or loses power
- Transmission fails or loses power while driving
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
1 more problem
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
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 |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 14 |
| 2009 | 19 |
| 2010 | 19 |
| 2011 | 12 |
| 2012 | 11 |
| 2013 | 8 |
| 2014 | 18 |
| 2015 | 9 |
| 2016 | 14 |
| 2017 | 9 |
| 2018 | 9 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 167 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag warning light stays on | 23 | 14% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 9 | 5.4% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 8 | 4.8% | – | |
| TPMS valve stems break or leak | 7 | 4.2% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 7 | 4.2% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 5 | 3.0% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 5 | 3.0% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 5 | 3.0% | – | |
| Brake master cylinder leaks fluid and fails | 5 | 3.0% | – | NHTSA recall #08V311000, #09V431000 |
| CVT transmission fails or loses power | 5 | 3.0% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 2.4% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 4 | 2.4% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 4 | 2.4% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 4 | 2.4% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 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 #10V401000September 10, 20107,948 vehicles affected
equipment: electrical: navigational system(global positioning system)
Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected gps units Can overheat.
Overheated batteries could result in a fire.
Remedy
Nissan will notify owners and the repairs will be performed by garmin technicians by replacing the battery and inserting a spacer on top of the battery free of charge. The safety recall began on september 16, 2010. Owners may contact garmin directly at 1-866-957-1981 or Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #09V431000November 3, 200910,586 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2008 Sentra passenger vehicles equipped with bosch master cylinders. Brake fluid may leak from the master cylinder. If the amount of brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoir decreases to below the minimum level, the brake system warning indicator will illuminate as designed and the brakes will not function properly.
If the warning lamp is continuously ignored, one of the brake circuits on the vehicle may fail increasing stopping distances and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the master cylinder brake booster assembly free of charge. The recall began on december 14, 2009. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #08V311000July 11, 2008169,202 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
Nissan is recalling 169,202 my 2007-2008 Sentra passenger vehicles equipped robert bosch master cylinder. Due to the machining irregularity by the supplier, the internal seal groove in the body of some brake master cylinders may allow for a gap in the groove contact area of the seal. This may result in brake fluid slowly leaking from the master cylinder into the brake booster assembly, causing the brake warning light to illuminate.
If the warning lamp is ignored, one of the brake circuits on the vehicle may not operate as designed increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the master cylinder/brake booster assembly and if brake fluid leakage is detected, the master cylinder will be replaced with a new one free of charge. The recall began on august 20, 2008. Owners may 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 2008 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