Your vehicle report
2017 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
- 231
- Received Jun 2017 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips24 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2CVT transmission fails or loses power20 complaints · 8.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes18 complaints · 7.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #21V135000Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Nissan Sentra vehicles. The brake light switch may become contaminated, preventing the circuit from closing and the brake lights from illuminating.
- Recall #18V551000Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2018 Frontier, Versa Note, and Versa Sedan vehicles that have a mechanical (physical) key ignition system. In these models, over time, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slipsFirst signal: Feb 2020
- CVT transmission fails or loses powerFirst signal: Apr 2022
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 29 crashes, 6 fires, 21 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 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
- Engine won't start or cranks intermittently
- Ignition key sticks or will not turn
- Vehicle catches fire from wiring
1 more problem
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 |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 23 |
| 2019 | 31 |
| 2020 | 22 |
| 2021 | 33 |
| 2022 | 33 |
| 2023 | 28 |
| 2024 | 21 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 14 |
| Total | 231 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 24 | 10% | 4.8× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Feb 2020 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.9% |
| CVT transmission fails or loses power | 20 | 8.7% | 99.3× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Apr 2022 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.3% |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 18 | 7.8% | 7.9× | NHTSA recall #17V253000 |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 13 | 5.6% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 10 | 4.3% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 9 | 3.9% | 3.9× | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 6 | 2.6% | – | NHTSA recall #18V551000 |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 3 | 1.3% | – | NHTSA recall #21V135000 |
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 #21V135000March 3, 2021807,376 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Nissan Sentra vehicles. The brake light switch may become contaminated, preventing the circuit from closing and the brake lights from illuminating.
The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the brake light switch and install a protective grommet, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 1, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PM971.
NHTSA recall #18V551000August 21, 2018153,047 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2018 Frontier, Versa Note, and Versa Sedan vehicles that have a mechanical (physical) key ignition system. In these models, over time, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
If the vehicle stalls, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the production information on the ignition switch, and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.
NHTSA recall #17V253000April 13, 201730,038 vehicles affected
air bags
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error within the air bag inflators, the passenger frontal air bag may not properly deploy in the event of a crash.
In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag doesn't deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury to passengers.
Remedy
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service 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 2017 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