Nissan Sentra problems by model year
NHTSA data checked October 31, 2026
Summary
Across model years 2010–2020, NHTSA's public databases list 2,952 owner complaints and 20 distinct recall campaigns for the Nissan Sentra.
The year with the most complaints is 2013 (638; owners name power train most). The year with the fewest is 2011 (142). The median year has 223.
These are raw counts. They are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints.
Every model year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash | Fire | Most-named component |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 144 | 3 | 11 | 4 | Electrical System (35%) |
| 2011 | 142 | 2 | 19 | 6 | Electrical System (24%) |
| 2012 | 180 | 0 | 10 | 4 | Power Train (38%) |
| 2013 | 638 | 6 | 24 | 4 | Power Train (49%) |
| 2014 | 380 | 5 | 27 | 6 | Power Train (48%) |
| 2015 | 352 | 3 | 23 | 3 | Power Train (49%) |
| 2016 | 270 | 6 | 18 | 2 | Power Train (47%) |
| 2017 | 231 | 3 | 29 | 6 | Power Train (33%) |
| 2018 | 185 | 2 | 17 | 3 | Power Train (25%) |
| 2019 | 223 | 2 | 16 | 1 | Electrical System (29%) |
| 2020 | 207 | 4 | 8 | 0 | Forward Collision Avoidance (29%) |
Linked years have a full page with every component and recall. Other years get pages over time; the counts above are already live.
Quick answers
What is the worst year for the Nissan Sentra?
By NHTSA owner complaints, 2013 (638 complaints; top component power train). That is a raw count, not adjusted for sales or age.
Which Nissan Sentra year has the fewest complaints?
2011, with 142 complaints in NHTSA's data, among model years 2010–2020.
Which Nissan Sentra year has the most recalls?
2013, with 6 recall campaigns in NHTSA's recall database.
Sources
Each count comes from NHTSA's Complaints API (complaintsByVehicle) and Recalls API (recallsByVehicle) for make NISSAN, model SENTRA, one request per model year, for example https://api.nhtsa.gov/complaints/complaintsByVehicle?make=NISSAN&model=SENTRA&modelYear=2013. Checked 2026-10-31. See method.