2018 Nissan SENTRA

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2018 Nissan SENTRA has 285 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 3.6x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is transmission problems (16% of all complaints), specifically: transmission over heats. transmission has a loud noise and drags since 60,000 miles. ⚠️ 4 fire reports filed.

4 fire reports 16 crash reports 5 injuries

285

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

3.6x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

TRANSMISSION

45 complaints

16%

• TRANSMISSION OVER HEATS. TRANSMISSION HAS A LOUD NOISE AND DRAGS SINCE 60,000 MILES
• THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT I WAS ONLY ABLE TO USE REVERSE, MY CAR HAS 46000 MILES I HAVE NEVER BEEN LATE ON CHANGING MY OIL AND GETTING THE CAR SERVICED, WOULD NOT RECOMMEND BUYING A SENTRA
• STOPPED GOING FORWARD WHEN AT TRAFFIC LIGHT WILL ONLY GO IN REVERSE. DEALERSHIP SAYS WARRANTY IS UP AND IT WILL COST 4000$ TO FIX. I AM CONFUSED AS TO HOW A CAR THAT WAS BOUGHT 4/20/2018 HAS THE NEED FOR THE TRANSMISSIOM TO BE REPLACED. THIS CAR HAS HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND I DO NOT BELIEVE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“TRANSMISSION OVER HEATS. TRANSMISSION HAS A LOUD NOISE AND DRAGS SINCE 60,000 MILES”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

40 complaints

14%

• WITHIN ONE WEEK OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT STALLED AS I ENTER ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE ALSO FEELS AS IF IT'S OUT OF BALANCE AND SHAKES AT SPEED OF 65 TO 70 MPH. AND THE FORWARD EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT DISPLAY/ UNAVAILABLE FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION WARNING LIGHT ALSO DISPLAY AT A
• FRONT RADAR SYSTEM TURNS OFF AND THEN RESETS FOR NO APPARENT REASON. DASH MESSAGE IS 'FRONT RADAR UNAVAILABLE DUE TO OBSTRUCTION'. IT IS TIED INTO THE AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM AND INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL. HAPPENS WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ON VARIED ROADWAYS. THERE IS NO OBSTRUCTION
• CAR HAS 14,000 MILES ON IT AND IS UNDER WARRANTY. THE FRONT RADAR CAMERA IS CONSTANTLY ACTING LIKE THE CAR IS IN A WRECK AND IT LIGHTS UP THE DASH WITH VARIOUS CRASH EMBLEMS.. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND THEY PUT IN A NEW RADAR CAMERA AND IT CONTINUES TO DO THE SAME EXACT THING 2 D

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“WITHIN ONE WEEK OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT STALLED AS I ENTER ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE ALSO FEELS AS IF IT'S OUT OF BALANCE AND SHAKES AT SPEED OF 65 TO 70 MPH. AND THE FORWARD EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT DISPLAY/ UNAVAILABLE FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION WARNING LIGHT ALSO DISPLAY AT A”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

38 complaints

13%

• WHILE DRIVING SLIGHTLY OVER 80 MPH IN UTAH WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS 80 MPH, THE GASKET HOLDING DOWN THE WINDSHIELD STARTED TO COME OFF AND HAD TO BE HELD IN PLACE BY CLOSING THE WINDOW ON IT. THIS HAPPENED TO THE GASKET ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS WAS A RENTAL CAR. FOR FUTURE DRIVING I
• I WORK IN A SHOP AND OVER THE LAST MONTH, WE'VE SEEN 10 SENTRAS UNDER 15000MILES COME IN WITH SNAPPED DRIVE BELTS. ALL OF THEM HAVE PULLEYS THAT SPIN FREELY SO THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE. THE BELTS SEEM TO BE COMING APART AT THE SEAMS
• MY DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN AXSINGKE CAR ACCIDENT THAT COST HER LIFE. THE FRONT END COLLISION SENSORS WERE NOT WORKING AT THE TIME OVATE ACCIDENT. LAST YEAR WHEN THE SENSOR LIGHT WENT ON, WE MADE AN ATTEMPT TO GET IT REPAIRED. WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALER M'LADY NISSAN IN CRYSTAL LAKE IL THAT THERE WA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 4 crashes

“WHILE DRIVING SLIGHTLY OVER 80 MPH IN UTAH WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS 80 MPH, THE GASKET HOLDING DOWN THE WINDSHIELD STARTED TO COME OFF AND HAD TO BE HELD IN PLACE BY CLOSING THE WINDOW ON IT. THIS HAPPENED TO THE GASKET ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS WAS A RENTAL CAR. FOR FUTURE DRIVING I ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

32 complaints

11%

• MY 2018 NISSAN SENTRA STARTED HAVING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM/WIRE PROBLEMS AFTER HITTING A SMALL PUDDLE GOING UP TO MY TIRES. DAYS LATER THE CAR GOT IT OIL CHANGE HAVE FAMILY OIL COMPANY ON RIDGE AVENUE IN NORRISTOWN PENNSYLVANIA VERY NEXT DAY HAVE TO WORK MY CAR STOP MOVING I JUST STILL RAN I TOOK IT TO
• 2018 NISSAN SENTRA 22K MILES. FRONT RADAR WARNING MALFUNCTION LIGHT ON. DEALER STATED THERE IS NO FIX FROM NISSAN AT THIS TIME AND WE SHOULD CONTINUE DRIVING THE CAR UNTIL THEY CALL US BACK. DEALER STATED IT COULD BE TWO DAYS OR TWO MONTHS. OWNERS MANUAL STATES THE CAR SHOULD NOT BE OPERATED AND TOO
• CAR HAS 14,000 MILES ON IT AND IS UNDER WARRANTY. THE FRONT RADAR CAMERA IS CONSTANTLY ACTING LIKE THE CAR IS IN A WRECK AND IT LIGHTS UP THE DASH WITH VARIOUS CRASH EMBLEMS.. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND THEY PUT IN A NEW RADAR CAMERA AND IT CONTINUES TO DO THE SAME EXACT THING 2 D

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“MY 2018 NISSAN SENTRA STARTED HAVING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM/WIRE PROBLEMS AFTER HITTING A SMALL PUDDLE GOING UP TO MY TIRES. DAYS LATER THE CAR GOT IT OIL CHANGE HAVE FAMILY OIL COMPANY ON RIDGE AVENUE IN NORRISTOWN PENNSYLVANIA VERY NEXT DAY HAVE TO WORK MY CAR STOP MOVING I JUST STILL RAN I TOOK IT TO”

— NHTSA complaint filing

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

28 complaints

10%

• THE FRONT SENSOR KEEP SHOWING THE "FRONT SENSOR UNAVAILABLE" FOLLOWED BY THE CRASH ICON AT ALL TIMES OF THE DAY, AND ALL SPEEDS INCLUDING IN THE STOPPED POSITION. THE SENSOR GOES OUT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE OTHER VEHICLES NEAR THE CAR.
• JUST BEFORE I HIT 1000 MILES, THE FRONT COLLISION SENSOR STARTED BEEPING AT RANDOM TIMES WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED OR IN MOTION AND ULTIMATELY, IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THEY HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN A LOT ON THE 2018 MODEL SENTRAS. ALSO, THE GUARD IN THE INSIDE TRACK OF THE DRIVE
• EMERGENCY BRAKE ASSIST HAS BEEN ACTING FROM.THE DAY I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE...THEN I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT THEN IT GOT WORSE, THEY REPLACED THE BRACKET AND SENSOR AND THEY PROBLEM STILL REMAINS... ACTUALLY I WORSE THEN BEFORE EVERYTIME I USE MY SIGNAL OT GOES OFF WHEN I'M APPROACHING A HILL IT GOES

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“THE FRONT SENSOR KEEP SHOWING THE "FRONT SENSOR UNAVAILABLE" FOLLOWED BY THE CRASH ICON AT ALL TIMES OF THE DAY, AND ALL SPEEDS INCLUDING IN THE STOPPED POSITION. THE SENSOR GOES OUT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE OTHER VEHICLES NEAR THE CAR.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 285 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
TRANSMISSION: TRANSMISSION OVER HEATS. TRANSMISSION HAS A LOUD NOISE AND DRAGS SINCE 60,000 MILES
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: WITHIN ONE WEEK OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT STALLED AS I ENTER ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE ALSO FEELS AS IF IT'S OUT OF BALANCE AND SHAKES AT SPEED OF 65 TO 70 MPH. AND THE FORWARD EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT DISPLAY/ UNAVAILABLE FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION WARNING LIGHT ALSO DISPLAY AT A
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: WHILE DRIVING SLIGHTLY OVER 80 MPH IN UTAH WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS 80 MPH, THE GASKET HOLDING DOWN THE WINDSHIELD STARTED TO COME OFF AND HAD TO BE HELD IN PLACE BY CLOSING THE WINDOW ON IT. THIS HAPPENED TO THE GASKET ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WINDSHIELD. THIS WAS A RENTAL CAR. FOR FUTURE DRIVING I
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: MY 2018 NISSAN SENTRA STARTED HAVING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM/WIRE PROBLEMS AFTER HITTING A SMALL PUDDLE GOING UP TO MY TIRES. DAYS LATER THE CAR GOT IT OIL CHANGE HAVE FAMILY OIL COMPANY ON RIDGE AVENUE IN NORRISTOWN PENNSYLVANIA VERY NEXT DAY HAVE TO WORK MY CAR STOP MOVING I JUST STILL RAN I TOOK IT TO
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)