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Nissan · NHTSA safety record

2018 Nissan Sentra

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 185 safety complaints about the 2018 Nissan Sentra with the US government. Of those, 17 describe a crash, 3 mention a fire, 10 people were injured and 1 death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the exterior lighting and back-over prevention.

The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 46 complaints, 25% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 40,000 miles, the median across the 97 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers May 2018 to August 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

185 complaints on file

185

Complaints

17

Describe a crash

3

Mention fire

10

People injured

1

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints fell 31% year on year: 11 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 16 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
POWER TRAIN 46 · 25%
SERVICE BRAKES 38 · 21%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 38 · 21%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 32 · 17%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 24 · 13%
ENGINE 22 · 12%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 19 · 10%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 15 · 8%
AIR BAGS 9 · 5%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 7 · 4%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 7 · 4%
STEERING 6 · 3%
0 19 38

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 185.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2020 at 38.

40 30 20 10
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2018 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2018 Nissan SENTRA, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test 4 DR FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 11.8%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

2 on file

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

21V135000 · March 3, 2021

The defect
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 risk
The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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.

Nissan North America, Inc. · up to 807,376 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

19V654000 · September 12, 2019

The defect
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.

Nissan North America, Inc. · up to 1,228,830 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed · 13,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, A SECOND VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH CRASHED INTO THE FRONT OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. ALL THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED EXCEPT THE DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS DID NOT RESTRAIN PROPERLY AND CAUSED THE FRONT PASSENGER TO STRIKE THE WINDSHIELD. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED AN INJURED TORSO AND RIBS, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED A FRACTURED NECK AND LACERATIONS TO THE LEFT ARM, WHICH ALSO REQUIRED MEDICAL TREATMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION. THE CAUSE OF THE

NHTSA complaint 11123272, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

1 injured · fire · towed · 40,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED SHE MAY HAVE SEEN SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD NEAR THE WINDSHIELD WIPER. THE CONTACT STATED SHE KEPT DRIVING UNTIL SHE SAW FLAMES AND ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATING AS WELL AS THE DOOR LOCKS UNLOCKING AND LOCKING AUTOMATICALLY. THE CONTACT STATED HAD TO KICK THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR SEVERAL TIMES TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SEVERAL DAYS LATER SHE SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR HER EAR AND DISCOVERED THAT A PART OF THE AIR

NHTSA complaint 11310332, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured · crash · towed · 5,887 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEEDS AND GOING OVER RAILROAD TRACKS, THE VEHICLE IN FRONT WAS REAR ENDED AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND TWO PEDESTRIANS ASSISTED THE CONTACT IN EXITING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THEIR BACK AND RIGHT CHEST AREA THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE OTHER DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. IT WAS UNKNOWN IF A DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC DEEMED THE VEHICLE TOTALED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,887. *DT *DT

NHTSA complaint 11207336, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS

1 injured · crash · towed · 19,000 miles

I HIT A DEER HEAD ON. MY PASSENGER 16YR OLD. HAD HER SEATBELT ON. IT DIDNT LATCH AND KEEP HER FROM HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. THE AIRBAG WENT OFF AND IT DIDN'T STOP HER FROM HITTING THE WINDSHIELD EITHER. WE WAS ON AN INTERSTATE DOING 70MPH. IN A 70MPH ZONE. SHE HAS ENDED UP WITH A CONCUSSION AND I FEEL LIKE BOTH THESE SAFETY FEATURES SHOULD HAVE STOPPED HER FROM HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS.

NHTSA complaint 11270487. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

75,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start one day after several attempts and was accompanied by the AEB (Automatic Emergency Braking) sensor and check engine warning lights. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who replaced the battery and brake light switch due to a suspected battery drain caused by a faulty switch. Despite the repair, the failure reoccurred shortly after the repair. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting) and linked the recall to the failure. The manufacturer had not yet been notified of the specific failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure

NHTSA complaint 11759395, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
On Wednesday July 8, 2026 at approx 7:45 AM The powertrain system failed entirely due to a catastrophic malfunction of the Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), which completely and instantly failed with absolutely no prior dashboard warning lamps, check engine lights, or symptoms. While traveling at approximately 40 MPH on a public road, this unexpected defect caused an immediate and total loss of vehicle propulsion in active traffic, forcing following vehicles to brake aggressively to avoid a high-speed rear-end collision. With zero throttle response or engine acceleration, my safety was severely compromised as I was forced to blindly coast across active lanes of traffic to

NHTSA complaint 11749670, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
At right under 67,000 miles, the car made a loud pop when I went to accelerate from a stop light. The car would only work in reverse at that point. I'm being told that the CVT needs to be replaced. The car isn't even worth the cost of a new transmission.

NHTSA complaint 11734517. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My vehicle stalled. I had to get someone to help me move it out if a busy traffic thoroughfare. It was making odd noises then was stuck in reverse only. I took it to my mechanic who informed me the transmission had failed and that I needed a new one. I work from home and do not drive my vehicle consistently.

NHTSA complaint 11730705. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
My brake lights suddenly wouldn’t turn on and my car wouldn’t start. We replaced the brake light switch and it worked for a short while, but it stopped working the same day almost causing several collisions as brake lights won’t turn on. There was a recall on this issue with this year and model, but my VIN number was not included regardless of the symptoms all being there. We had a master mechanic look and diagnose it as a brake light switch issue. The vehicle has been brought to a local Nissan center for similar issues a couple months ago, but it failed several times

NHTSA complaint 11716070. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The engine will not crank when pressing the push-button ignition switch and applying the brake pedal. I took it to the Nissan dealership and they told me it needed a new stop lamp switch which is EXACTLY what the recall for other Nissans during this time frame is for: Make: Nissan Number: PM971 Title: Stop Lamp Switch Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign Date: 3/3/2021 Models: 2016-2019 Sentra Summary: Nissan is issuing a Voluntary Safety Recall on specific 2016-2019 Sentra (B17) vehicles identified in Service Comm to address a stop lamp switch concern. The stop lamp switch on the subject vehicles may become contaminated with silicon off-gassing from silicon-based grease used in surrounding

NHTSA complaint 11702193, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Nissan Sentra

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 16 1 —
2025 30 4 —
2024 41 3 —
2023 20 1 —
2022 81 2 —
2021 132 3 —
2020 205 4 —
2019 222 2 —
2017 230 3 —
2016 270 6 —
2015 351 3 —
2014 380 5 —
2013 638 6 1
2012 180 0 —
2011 142 2 —
2010 144 3 —

Other 2018 Nissan models

Rogue 668 Altima 225 Murano 113 Rogue Sport 94 Titan 90 Kicks 85 Pathfinder 77 Armada 75

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Nissan on this site — 205 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst