Your vehicle report
2011 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
- 142
- Received Jan 2011 to Jul 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine suddenly shuts off while driving9 complaints · 6.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes8 complaints · 5.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Vehicle catches fire from wiring6 complaints · 4.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #11V579000Nissan is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 sentra vehicles equipped with MR20 engines, manufactured from may 11, 2010, to may 22, 2010, and july 8, 2010, to october 25, 2010. The zinc coating applied to the terminal stud bolt was thicker than specification. This can result in a voltage drop that may cause difficulty starting the vehicle and could cause damage to the engine control module (ECM).
- Recall #10V555000Nissan is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 sentra vehicles, manufactured from may 22, 2010, through july 8, 2010. Due to a machining irregularity, the bolt/washer surface on the positive battery terminal cable end may allow for a gap to occur in the contact area of the terminal. This can result in a voltage drop that may cause difficulty starting the vehicle and could cause damage to the engine control module.
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: 19 crashes, 6 fires, 14 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
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
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 |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 19 |
| 2012 | 7 |
| 2013 | 6 |
| 2014 | 15 |
| 2015 | 14 |
| 2016 | 13 |
| 2017 | 9 |
| 2018 | 21 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 142 |
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 | 9 | 6.3% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 8 | 5.6% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 6 | 4.2% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 6 | 4.2% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 5 | 3.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 5 | 3.5% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 5 | 3.5% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 4 | 2.8% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 4 | 2.8% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 4 | 2.8% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 4 | 2.8% | – | |
| Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmission | 4 | 2.8% | – | |
| CVT transmission fails or loses power | 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 #11V579000December 15, 201133,803 vehicles affected
electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery: cables
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Sentra vehicles equipped with MR20 engines, manufactured from may 11, 2010, to may 22, 2010, and july 8, 2010, to october 25, 2010. The zinc coating applied to the terminal stud bolt was thicker than specification. This Can result in a voltage drop that may cause difficulty starting the vehicle and could cause damage to the engine control module (ECM).
This issue Can cause the engine to stall while the vehicle is in motion and it may not be possible to restart the engine after it stopped, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Nissan will notify owners and dealers will replace the positive battery terminal and cover, free of charge. The recallbegan on january 23, 2012. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #10V555000November 12, 201013,737 vehicles affected
electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery: cables
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Sentra vehicles, manufactured from may 22, 2010, through july 8, 2010. Due to a machining irregularity, the bolt/washer surface on the positive battery terminal cable end may allow for a gap to occur in the contact area of the terminal. This Can result in a voltage drop that may cause difficulty starting the vehicle and could cause damage to the engine control module.
This issue Can cause the engine to stop running while the vehicle is in motion at low speed with a difficult or no start increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the positive battery terminal cable end with a new one free of charge. The safety recall began pn november 29, 2010. 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 2011 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