2008 NISSAN SENTRA

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    airbag system

    42 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    43
    incidents
    Typical range: 65,500–137,500 mi

    Median 110,000 mi, based on 48 reports (27% had no usable mileage)

    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH IN FOGGY WEATHER CONDITIONS, HE CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE SEAT BELT ALSO CONSTRICTED HIS ABILITY TO MOVE AND EVENTUALLY…"~16,000 mi, complaint #735137
    • "THE DRIVER OF A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA WAS STATIONARY IN A LEVEL PARKING LOT. WHEN SHIFTING THE VEHICLE FROM DRIVE TO PARK, THE PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG AND PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE ONLY OCCUPANT IN THE VEHICLE WAS THE DRIVER AND NO INJURIES WERE…"~67,375 mi, complaint #1069992
    • "AIR BAG SAFETY ISSUE. ON OCTOBER 14, 2015 I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE AT MCGRATH NISSAN BECAUSE THE "CS AIR BAG LIGHT IS FLASHING" MORE SPICIFLY THE CODE READOUT WAS B1134 FOR SENSOR FOR AIR BAG FRONT LEFT SIDE. THEIR DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE ENTIRE […"~103,971 mi, complaint #1285955
    • "HAVING ISSUES WITH MY PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR. THE ONLY CORRECTION THE DEALER ISSUED WAS TO REPLACE THE SEAT WITH A NEW OR USED SEAT. A NEW SEAT WOULD BE OVER $3,000 AND A USED ONE WELL OVER $700 PLUS LABOR TO CHANGE SEAT COVERS. ERROR CODE B1018. THE…"~120,000 mi, complaint #1406445
    • "VEHICLE AIR BAG BEGAN FLASHING AND HORN STOPPED WORKING WHEN PRESSED."~215,000 mi, complaint #1633024
  2. #2

    brake hydraulics

    12 unsafe

    12
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=11, median 24,500 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AT 5 MPH, THE CONTACT COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. IT ACCELERATED BACKWARDS AND CAUSED HER TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CO…"~10,000 mi, complaint #667834
    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. ON NOVEMBER 3, 2008, WHILE SLOWING DOWN FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT 25 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. THE DRIVER CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DRIVER RECE…"~16,000 mi, complaint #698496
    • "I HAVE NOTICED THE MY BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. I ADDED A BRAKE FLUID AND THE LIGHT WENT OFF. MY MECHANIC HAS EXAMINED THE CAR AND DETERMINED THAT MY BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER IS LEAKING. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I NOTICED THAT MY BRAKE CYLINDER IS UNDER RECALL. I CON…"~24,000 mi, complaint #1113220
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT CALLED ORR NISSAN (3131 E BEEBE CAPPS EXPY, SEARCY, AR 72143, [REDACTED PHONE]) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE…"~153,000 mi, complaint #1472685
    • "I WAS COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THE BREAKS DID NOT STOP THE CAR FORCING ME TO HIT SOMEONE. I ALWAYS HAD TROUBLE WITH THE BREAKS WITH FORCED ME TO CHANGE THEM EVERY SO OFTEN. THIS TIME WAS TOUGH."~155,000 mi, complaint #1318776
  3. #3

    alignment and pull

    11 unsafe

    11
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=9)

    • "I CURRENTLY OWN A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE REAR OF MY CAR SEEMS TO SLIDE OUT DURING WINTER WEATHER. MY TIRES ALSO SEEM TO WEAR QUICKER AND MY GAS MILEAGE IS WAY BELOW THE MILEAGE I SHOULD BE GETTING. I HAD THE ALIGNMENT DONE TWICE WHEN I…"~12,000 mi, complaint #868771
    • "2008 SENTRA, 23,000 MILES WITH NEW TIRES AND YOU ARE ALWAYS FIGHTING THE STEERING. AROUND TOWN IT IS EXTREMELY AGGRAVATING TO CONTINUALLY FEEL BACK PRESSURE AND BOUNCING IN RESPONSE TO YOUR EVERY MOVE. GENERALLY IT WANTS TO FIGHT TOWARDS CENTER BUT IS CONFUSED…"~20,000 mi, complaint #780843
    • "THE STEERING OF THIS CAR NEEDS CONSTANT CORRECTION. IT'S LIKE IT CANNOT DRIVE A STRAIGHT 1 MILE LINE. IF THE CAR DRIFTS TO THE LEFT, I TURN BRIEFLY AND SLIGHTLY RIGHT BUT THE CAR WILL THEN GO RIGHT. I THEN TURN SLIGHTLY LEFT BUT THE CAR WILL CONTINUE TO GO LEF…"~26,000 mi, complaint #773693
    • "2008 NISSAN SENTRA REAREND TOE OUT AND CAN NOT BE ADJUSTED BY DEALERSHIP. THIS CAUSES THE REAREND TO BE UNSTABLE ON WET OR SLICK ROADS ALSO WEARS OUT TIRES IN LESS THAN 12,000 MILES. *TR "~36,000 mi, complaint #742242
    • "RIGHT REAR WHEEL IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT, REAR WHEEL ALIGNMENT CAN NOT BE ADJUSTED. WHIRRING NOISE IS HEARD DURING DRIVING, WHIRRING GETS LOUDER, MORE RAPID AS VEHICLE SPEED INCREASES. NOISE, FREQUENCY GETS QUIETER, LESS FREQUENT AS VEHICLE SPEED DECREASES. RR TI…"~50,000 mi, complaint #1035853
  4. #4

    tpms

    4 unsafe, 5 annoyance

    9
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=12, median 8,500 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "ON AUGUST 30TH 2008 I PURCHASED A NEW NISSAN SENTRA. ON SEPTEMBER 4TH 2008 I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO RESET THE TIRE SENSOR. ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2008. I TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN FOR THE TIRE PRESSURE THEY AGAIN RESET THE SENSOR. I WAS TOLD "THEY WER…"~500 mi, complaint #819809
    • "TIRE MONITORING SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON AND TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. *TR"~8,500 mi, complaint #697356
    • "I BOUGHT MY 2008 NISSAN SENTRA BRAND NEW IN SEPT 08. IN NOV 08 THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. I HAD THE CAR SERVICED TO RESET THE INDICATOR. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS OCCURS ALL THE TIME AND THERE IS NO WAY TO FIX IT. MY INDICATOR HAS…"~9,400 mi, complaint #705903
    • "TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE HAS BEEN SERVICED NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE PURCHASE. NISSAN CAN'T SEEM TO FIX IT. NISSAN WORKED ON WARNING LIGHT SERVICED JUNE 20, 2012, JUNE 28, 2012, JUNE 30, 2012, AND LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN EVENING OF JUNE 30, 2012, THE SAME DAY IT WAS WORKE…"~69,911 mi, complaint #925792
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS ABLE TO SHUT THE TIRE PRESSURE…"~79,000 mi, complaint #953088
  5. #5

    engine internal

    7 unsafe

    7
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=13, median 54,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "ENGINE KNOCK, MY CAR HAS A PISTON SLAPPING AROUND IN THE ENGINE. I WAS TOLD BY DEALER "SIMS NISSAN IN WARREN, OHIO" TO DRIVE MY CAR WITH THE BAD ENGINE UNTIL THEY GET A NEW ENGINE WHICH WOULD BE AROUND 3-5 DAYS TO RECEIVE. THEY WOULD THEN GET ME A RENTAL CAR…"~12,926 mi, complaint #691462
    • "WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ENGINE LOST POWER AND VEHICLE SLOWED. WHEN AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE POWER LOSS HEAVY BLACK SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE OBSERVED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE BECAME FULLY INVOLVED WITHIN 3 MINUTES. LOCAL FIRE DEP…"~47,751 mi, complaint #906542
    • "AT 50,000 MILES, I HAD A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WITH MY 2008 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0. WHEN I PULLED INTO THE GAS STATION, MY CAR HAD NO COOLANT AND NO OIL AT ALL. THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE AND THE COOLANT GAUGE APPEARED NORMAL. THE DEALERSHIP…"~50,100 mi, complaint #746671
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALE…"~54,000 mi, complaint #1069634
    • "IT STARTED WITH A SMALL CLUNK NOISE THAT WILL GO AWAY AFTER A WHILE OF DRIVING THE CAR, SIX MONTHS LATER THE CLUNKING NOISE DOESN'T STOP,MOVE FROM REGULAR OIL TO FULL SYNTHETIC OIL, NEW SPARK PLUGS, BUT NOTHING SEEMS TO WORK, NOW THE NOISE IS SO LOUD I AM AFRA…"~90,000 mi, complaint #1006369
  6. #6

    engine stall or no start

    1 stranded, 6 unsafe

    7
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=12, median 60,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "CAME TO A STOP LIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF A HILL IN A 25MPH ZONE AND THE CAR STAYED AT 2,000RPM'S. HAD TO TURN OFF CAR TO STOP IT, NEVER WENT DOWN TO IDLE SPEED. DEALER RESET PARAMETERS ON COMPUTER AND RESET IDLE LEARN. *TR"~811 mi, complaint #678973
    • "AT 700 MILES, CAR WOULDN'T START. HAD TOWED TO DEALERSHIP-CAR STARTED-COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. AT 1700 MILES, CAR WOULDN'T START-HAD TOWED--COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM. 9/15/08 (2480 MILES) CAR STALLED IN TRAFFIC, WOULDN'T START. POLICE PUSHED ME TO A SAFE AR…"~2,480 mi, complaint #688464
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE RPMS INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT POWERED OFF THE ENGINE. ONCE RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO…"~34,481 mi, complaint #1520623
    • "WHEN MY CAR WAS COMING TO A STOP, MY KNEE HIT THE IGNITION KEY. THE ENGINE TURNED OFF THOUGH THE CAR GEAR SELECTOR WAS IN "D". THE STEERING ALSO WAS LOCKED. FORTUNATELY I WAS STOPPING THE CAR AT THE SIGNAL. IF THIS HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY, MY FAMILY WOULD HAV…"~70,000 mi, complaint #1108107
    • "SLOWING APPROACHING STOPS ENGINE WOULD CUT OFF, IT HAS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES."~96,000 mi, complaint #1215219
  7. #7

    transmission automatic

    7 unsafe

    7
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=9)

    • "WHEN STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE, THE ENGINE REVS UP BUT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT MOVE THE CAR. IF YOU KEEP YOUR FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR IN A COUPLE OF SECONDS, THE CAR WILL SLAM INTO GEAR AND MOVE WITH A LOAD BANG. THIS IS AN…"~30,000 mi, complaint #738533
    • "THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION THAT HAS BEEN REPLACED ON THE VEHICLE AND IT ONLY HAS 56,354 MILES ON IT. IT'S NOT BEING ABUSED IN ANY WAY, I ONLY GOT THIS VEHICLES BECAUSE IT'S ECONOMIC ON GAS AND I ONLY DRIVE IT ABOUT 5-15 MILES A DAY DURING THE WEEK. MY FEA…"~56,354 mi, complaint #974258
    • "THIS IS THE THIRD TRANSMISSION ON THE VEHICLE, LAST ONE WAS ONE YEAR AGO. THE AIRBAGS SENSOR CAME ON ALL OF SUDDEN FOR NO REASON AND THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME A BUNCH OF MONEY JUST TO CHECK IT (NOT TO REPAIR IT, JUST LOOK AT IT FIRST). AFTER THEY CHANGED OUT TH…"~67,318 mi, complaint #1004205
    • "IN 2008 I PURCHASED A NEW 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. FOLLOWING THE PURCHASE I HAVE INCURRED NUMEROUS ISSUES AND SAFETY HAZARDS. THE VEHICLE BEGAN JERKING DURING ACCELERATION 3 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, I INFORMED DEALERSHIP OF ISSUE AND WAS INFORMED THAT NOTHING WAS DEF…"~73,000 mi, complaint #838390
    • "TAKATA RECALL. THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2008 NISSAN SENTRA HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY. IT'S A AUTOMATIC AND SOMETIMES IT DONT WANT TO SHIFT GEARS WHEN I GET AROUND 30 MPH. THEN I HAVE TO STOP AND PUT IT IN PARK AND THEN PUT IT IN DRIVE AGAIN AND IT WILL START…"~152,000 mi, complaint #1560435
  8. #8

    transmission cvt

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=6)

    • "AT 26K MILES A VERY LOUD, GRUMBLING, DRONING NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION. APPARENT AT 25MPH. THE CVT TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER BUT THE NOISE IS STILL PRESENT . IT IS WORSE THAN BEFORE. THE NOISE INSIDE THE PASSENGER…"~26,000 mi, complaint #753748
    • "THIS IS THE THIRD TRANSMISSION INSTALLED ON THIS VEHICLE. AFTER 67,672 MILES THE FIRST ONE BROKE DOWN WHERE THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED 95 MILES TO THE NISSAN DEALER. THE SECOND ONE BROKE DOWN AT 68,845, ONLY 2 WEEKS AFTER GETTING IT BACK, 173 MILES. NISSAN EXTEN…"~67,672 mi, complaint #942345
    • "ON VACATION LEFT ROANOKE, VA HEADED TO GATLINBURG, TN ON THE INTERSTATE JUST BEFORE GETTING OFF AT THE TN EXIT THE TRANSMISSION STARTS SLIPPING, THEN STOPS WORKING COMPLETELY. CONTACTED THE LOCAL TN NISSAN DEALERSHIP. CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY, ALL SERVICING DOC…"~90,000 mi, complaint #1220218
    • "THERE THE CODE OF P1778 THAT KEEPS COMING UP ON ABOUT A CVT AND IFS AFFECTING THE DRIVE AND STRAIN THE TRANSMISSION I DONT UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE IS RECURRING.AND THIS HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. YOU CAN FEEL THE CAR HESITANT"~166,000 mi, complaint #1709241
    • "ON JUNE 20, 2016, I TOOK MY CAR INTO A NISSAN CERTIFIED DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REDONE UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT NISSAN DID FOR THE CVT ENGINE. THE CAR DROVE FINE AND THEN IN THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST 2019 JUST 3 YRS LATER AND 40,00 MILES ON T…"~1,620,000 mi, complaint #1591549
  9. #9

    tire failure

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "RE: REAR TIRE - 2008 NISSAN SENTRA THE REAR TIRES ON THE VEHICLE HAVE BEEN GOING FLAT OR BLOWN OUT MORE THAN 6 TIMES OVER THE LAST 67,000 MILES. THE FRONT TIRES ON THE VEHICLE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. A FEW TIMES THE TIRES HAVE SLOWLY DEFLATED AND I W…"~67,000 mi, complaint #827197
  10. #10

    unintended acceleration

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "A LEASED 2008 NISSAN SENTRA HAS GOTTEN STUCK IN ACCELERATION GEAR WHILE I AM ATTEMPTING TO SLOW TO A STOP. I HAVE TO PRESS HARD ON THE BRAKES AND SHIFT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL TO STOP THE ENGINE FROM RACING. THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE AROUND 18,000 MILES AND I NOW…"~18,000 mi, complaint #736792
    • "I WAS PARKING MY 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. I HAD ALREADY PULLED INTO THE PARKING SPACE AND SUDDENLY THE CAR ACCELERATED (MUCH FASTER THAN IT NORMALLY ACCELERATES AT SUCH A SLOW SPEED). PRIOR TO THE ACCELERATION, I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DRIVING MORE THAN FIVE MILES A…"~21,000 mi, complaint #802694
  11. #11

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "DRIVING OVER AN HOUR AND THE CAR STARTS TO STRUGGLE, I CAN FEEL IT LOOSING POWER, IN ORDER TO NOT PRESS DOWN ALL THE WAY, I'M DOING A GIVE N GO PRAYING I DONT STOP ON THE FREEWAY. I WOULD SOMETIMES FEEL JUMPING AND THAT I'M NOT IN FULL CONTROL AND IT HAS STOPP…"~60,000 mi, complaint #1681583
    • "STARTS TO SLOW DOWN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AFTER DRIVING FOR ONE HOUR"~105,000 mi, complaint #1291122
  12. #12

    driveshaft axle cv

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE AXLE HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE AND OFFERED TO P…"~67,000 mi, complaint #943606
    • "BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY MY AXEL AND BALL JOINT. THE CONTROL ARM DISCONNECTED FROM MY TRANSMISSION. THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE SIDE PANELING IN FRONT MY TIRE. THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE EVEN WHEN PUT IN NEUTRAL. WHEN I GO IN REVERSE BEFORE THIS HAPPENED MY CAR WO…"~139,000 mi, complaint #1692139
  13. #13

    fuel tank and lines

    2 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK WOULD NOT HOLD MORE THAN TWO GALLONS AT A TIME BEFORE CLICKING OFF AND REFUSING TO ACCEPT MORE FUEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FUEL TANK…"~1,000 mi, complaint #891893
  14. #14

    other

    1 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "THE WEEK OF DEC 21 2008 I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM NISSAN ABOUT A POSSIBLE DEFECT IN MY BREAKING SYSTEM ON MY 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THIS TO BE HANDLED ON JAN 5, 2009 AT 9:20 AM EST. I WAS TOLD TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN TO CORRECT T…"~6,767 mi, complaint #702511
    • "I WENT TO PURCHASE A VEHICLE & THE MILEAGE READ 87,026. WHEN I DID A CARFAX CHECK THE LAST MILEAGE DOCUMENTED WAS 125,615. IT LOOKS LIKE THE OWNER MAY HAVE ROLLED BACK THE MILES. WHO CAN I REPORT THIS TO? *TR"~87,026 mi, complaint #1119705
  15. #15

    seatbelt and pretensioner

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "SEAT BELTS SNAP BACK QUICKLY AND HAVE HIT MY CHILDREN SEVERAL TIMES IN THE FACE WITH THE BUCKLE, THIS TIME CAUSING INJURY TO MY SEVEN YEAR OLD. WE WERE PARKED SEAT BELT WAS WORN PROPERLY AND BEING TAKEN OFF WHEN THE SEAT BELT SNAPPED BACK QUICKLY CAUSING SWELL…"~32,858 mi, complaint #717356
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING, AND TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT, SHE ENDED UP GOING OVER A CURB. AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LONGER WORK. A CHILD WAS SEATED ON THE…"~82,000 mi, complaint #1023112
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT HARNESS HAD CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. "~98,000 mi, complaint #959575
  16. #16

    throttle and pedal

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE WHEN APPLIED SO THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A WALL. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN…"~22,500 mi, complaint #793615
  17. #17

    brake pads and rotors

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE WHEN SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE FAILURE PROGRESSED AND SHE NOTICED THAT THE PROBLEM OCCURRED VERY OFTEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TIRE CENTER AND THE TIRE MECHA…"~40,000 mi, complaint #811136
  18. #18

    catalytic converter

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND GASOLINE FUMES WERE EMITTED ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE AN…"~90,000 mi, complaint #894104
    • "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. MECHANIC DIAGNOSIS IS DEFECTIVE CATALYTIC CONVERTER SENSORS."~186,000 mi, complaint #1635193
  19. #19

    exhaust system

    1 unsafe, 1 broken

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "THE EXHAUST MUFFLER FLANGE FAILED. IT WAS SEVERELY RUSTED, WHILE THE EXHAUST PIPE AND MUFFLER WERE IN GREAT SHAPE. THE FLANGE APPEARS TO BE MADE OF STEEL WHILE THE REST OF THE EXHAUST APPEARS TO BE STAINLESS STEEL AND NOT AFFECTED BY THE WINTER WEATHER IN WE…"~32,000 mi, complaint #906210
    • "I JUST PICKED MY DAUGHTER UP FROM HER BUS STOP WHEN I WAS LEAVING HER BUS STOP TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO HARBOR NISSAN WHEN I HEARD A LOUD BANG AND UNDER THE HOOD STARTED SMOKING AND CAUSED A FIRE (I HAD ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 8 DAYS)BECAUSE I HAD BEEN HAVING…"~112,000 mi, complaint #1356471
  20. #20

    key fob and immobilizer

    1 stranded, 1 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN PARKING LOT. STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND WHEELS WERE STRAIGHT. CAR WAS ATTEMPTED TO START MORE THEN 10 TIMES. A FLASHING REG CAR WITH A KEY ICON LIGHT WAS ACTIVE ON THE DASH. ACCORDING TO THE OWNERS MANUAL THE IGNITION SYSTEM WAS LO…"~73,000 mi, complaint #981780
  21. #21

    power steering hydraulic

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "I BOUGHT MY DAUGHTER A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA FOR CHRISTMAS (2010). THIS MORNING (11 JUNE 2011) I TOOK MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER OUT TO LEARN HOW TO PARALLEL PARK AT THE DMV. AS SHE WAS BACKING UP TO PARK SHE SAID SHE COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I TRIED TO…"~64,000 mi, complaint #861275
    • "THE POWER STEERING LIGHT WILL REMAIN LIGHT AND THE POWER STEERING WILL NOT WORK. IF THE POWER STEERING LIGHT TURNS OFF, THERE ARE SEVERAL LOUD CLUNKING NOISES AND THE STEERING FEELS AS IF THE WHEELS HAVE HIT SOMETHING WHEN TURNED. THIS IS A PERSISTENT PROBLE…"~70,000 mi, complaint #939374
  22. #22

    seat mechanism

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "NISSAN SENTRA 2008 FRONT SEATS POPPING NOISE AND MOVEMENT. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER 4 TIMES AND ALL THEY SAID THE BOLD ARE LOOSE, BUT ONCE LEAVING THE DEALER THE POPPING AND MOVEMENT CONTINUES. *TR"~1,000 mi, complaint #719962
    • "FRONT SEATS ON 2008 NISSAN SENTRA MOVE AND RATTLE. I HAD A METAL BRACKET THAT FAILED UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT REPAIRED BECAUSE NISSAN DID NOT OFFER A REPLACEMENT PART. THE ENTIRE SEAT BASE HAD TO BE REPLACED. NISSAN HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE ISSUE. I'M…"~90,000 mi, complaint #864978
  23. #23

    steering column

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "ON FRIDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 12, 2010, I STARTED MY 2008 NISSAN SENTRA . WHEN BACKING OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE, MY POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN. I PULLED BACK IN THE PARKING SPACE AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I WAITED A FEW MI…"~43,336 mi, complaint #825587
  24. #24

    steering electric assist

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "POWER STEERING FAILURE. DROVE CAR AND THEN PARKED. RETURNED TO CAR AND UPON STARTING NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILURE LIGHT WAS ON AND HAD NO POWER STEERING WHEN DRIVING. (SYSTEM IS ELECTRIC POWER STEERING) DROVE CAR TO DEALER WITH NO POWER STEERING.…"~7,000 mi, complaint #700676
    • "A FEW MONTHS AGO WHILE TRYING TO PARALLEL PARK INTO A TIGHT SPACE I HAD TO CUT MY STEERING WHEEL ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT AND THE CAR SHUT OFF, WHEN I RELEASED STEERING WHEEL THE CAR TURNED BACK ON, SAME THING HAPPENED WHEN I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL ALL THE W…"~82,000 mi, complaint #1500583
  25. #25

    steering rack mechanical

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "I COULD NOT CONTROLLED THE STEERING WHEEL.IT WAS NOT CORRELATION BETWEEN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE CAR. TRIKING A ROCK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TOTAL LOSS. LUCKLY WAS FINE BECAUSE OF LOW SPEED."~45,000 mi, complaint #1352170
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH OVER A BUMP, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO JERK VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANED, FLIPPED OVER AND LANDED ON THE ROOF. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY ASIDE FROM THE…"~90,000 mi, complaint #1066891
  26. #26

    suspension struts shocks

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=6)

    • "WITH 12000 KM ON MY 08 SENTRA WAS INFORMED MY REAR TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER MUCH FIGHTING WITH MY SERVICE MANAGER, DEALERSHIP MANAGER, AND DEALERSHIP OWNER THEY AGREED TO INSPECT THE COMPONENTS OF THE REAR SUSPENSION AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS OUT…"~12,000 mi, complaint #703985
    • "I HAVE HAD MANY TRIPS TO THE DEALER AFTER PURCHASING A 08 SENTRA FOR PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT AS WELL AS A POPPING IN THE WHEELS. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TURNED THE PRESSURE LIGHT OFF AND SAID IT WAS FINE. IT HAS HAPPENED MORE THEN 7 TIMES.…"~30,000 mi, complaint #912105
  27. #27

    ac compressor and refrigerant

    1 broken

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "THE AIR COMPRESSOR ON MY 2008 NISSAN SENTRA WENT OUT. WHY THERE'S NOT A RECALL??? *TR"~40,000 mi, complaint #849875
  28. #28

    battery and charging

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "I WAS OPERATING MY VEHICLE ON RIVERSIDE DRIVE IN STUDIO CITY, CALIFORNIA WHEN THE VEHICLE SHOOK ABRUPTLY FOLLOWED A FEW SECONDS LATER WITH A LOUD EXPLOSION. DEBRIS AND OIL SPRAYED ONTO MY HOOD AND I HAD TO NEARLY AVOID AN ACCIDENT AS MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY OUT…"~94,048 mi, complaint #1147079
  29. #29

    engine head gasket

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "2005 SENTRA 1.8 S. HEATER WOULD BE HOT THEN COLD, HAVE REPLACED THERMOSTAT 5 TIMES. CAR NEVER OVERHEATED. GAUGE WOULD GO JUST UNDER 3/[REDACTED ADDRESS] AND THEN SUDDENLY DROP TO NORMAL. 69,000 MILES, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, READING MULTIPLE MISFIRES. BRIN…"~69,000 mi, complaint #676268
  30. #30

    engine oil consumption

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WHILE DRIVING TO FLORIDA FROM DC FOR VACATION, THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A RATTLING NOISE. SINCE WE WERE ON A TRIP, I FIGURED I WOULD TOP OFF THE ENGINE OIL JUST IN CASE. THE ENGINE WAS BONE DRY. THE NOISE SEEMED TO GO AWAY AFTER ADDING OIL AT FIRST, BUT TH…"~35,000 mi, complaint #768529
  31. #31

    glass and windshield

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. THE DRIVER STATED THAT THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS DISTORTED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD WITH A SLIGHTLY LESS DISTORTED WINDSHIELD. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE DISTORTION WAS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTI…"~5,150 mi, complaint #710876
  32. #32

    interior trim

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "FRONT SEAT COVER RETAINING CLIPS COME FREE FROM SEAT FRAME, AND CAUSE CUTS TO OCCUPANTS LEGS. *TR"~4,000 mi, complaint #774280
  33. #33

    mirror

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA WITH A FACTORY INSTALLED OPTIONAL AUTO DIMMING REAR VIEW MIRROR. WHILE EXITING 95 SOUTH ONTO 528 EAST I WAS BLINDED BY THE EARLY MORNING SUN AND AUTOMATICALLY REACHED FOR MY SUNVISOR. WHEN I TRIED TO PULL IT DOWN IT HI…"complaint #693912
  34. #34

    sunroof

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY WITH NEAREST VEHICLE SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET AWAY WHEN THE SUNROOF GLASS APPEARED TO HAVE "EXPLODED". THERE WAS A VERY LOAD NOISE FOLLOWED BY THE SOUND OF SMALL PIECES OF GLASS SLIDING ACROSS THE HOOD AND TRUNK. DID NOT SEE ANY PROJECTILE (…"~84,000 mi, complaint #975768
  35. #35

    torque converter

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION COMING OFF THE HIGHWAY AND ONTO CITY STREET. THE TORQUE CONVERTER GAVE OUT AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN SPUTTERING AT STOP SIGNS AND LIGHT, AND THEN THRUSTING FORWARD JOLTING TOWARD TRAFFIC. I NEARLY HAD TWO OTHER VEHICLES REAR END ME DURING…"~124,040 mi, complaint #1539600

NHTSA investigations

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for NISSAN SENTRA directly.