2021 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

    adas collision warning

    29 unsafe

    29
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the instrument panel went black. An unknown warning light then displayed and the vehicle abruptly stopped in the middle of the road. Immediately after the failur…"~5,800 mi, complaint #1800185
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. Th…"~11,382 mi, complaint #1908802
    • "The contact owned a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in cruise control mode, the brakes applied independently without being depressed. The check engine and ABS warning lights were illuminated, and the cruise con…"~17,000 mi, complaint #1860256
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving in a car wash drive-thru line, the brakes applied independently. The contact stated that the brake warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated an unknown yellow and black warnin…"~20,765 mi, complaint #1879778
  2. #2

    power windows and locks

    8 unsafe, 4 broken, 4 annoyance

    16
    incidents

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

    • "The windows will not go down only the driver front side goes down and I bought this car brand new with only 6 miles on it "complaint #1849565
    • "My window on the passanger side does not roll back up. It is stuck in the down position. All my windows do not function with the exception of the driver window. "complaint #1871771
    • "Only the driver side window goes up and down. Took it to Nissan dealer and they made it work for that minute and said they were ordering parts, it’s been 3 weeks and haven’t heard of them."complaint #1882953
    • "I bought this car and have had issues with the heat not working. The air not working and now the latest the windows not working. A few months ago the windows stopped working when it was 40-45 degrees or colder out. Now today I went to open the windows and at…"complaint #1898754
    • "Front passenger and all rear windows intermittent will not operate. "complaint #1938274
  3. #3

    steering rack mechanical

    15 unsafe

    15
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving in a parking lot and turning the steering wheel, there was a popping sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the tie rod had fractured. There were no w…"~23,000 mi, complaint #1843007
  4. #4

    battery and charging

    6 stranded, 5 unsafe

    11
    incidents

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

    • "Only happens when driving at night. When driving and keeping your foot on the gas pedal the lights go dim and when you remove your foot of the gas pedal the lights go back to bright. Also the engine is making a rattling noise. Was seen a couple times at the de…"complaint #1754403
    • "Suddenly the battery ran out on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, 18 days after I bought the car. The car did not want to start from the beeper. When I got into the car to start it, my battery was completely drained. A roadside service technician starts the car with a…"complaint #1756563
    • "The vehicle inexplicably drained the battery again. Monday July 12, 2021, the vehicle does not start. I take it to the dealer's service center and they tell me there is no problem with the car or the charging system."complaint #1757098
    • "Car battery has died 3 times since purchase. Dealership says battery is fine. Have only owned the brand new vehicle about 8 weeks! "complaint #1759984
    • "Every since I bought my car there has been times were my car refused to start. Every time it happened my car was sitting in park for about 10-15 minutes and I would turn off my car but when the time to turn on came it started to seem like my battery was dying…"complaint #1869222
  5. #5

    other

    5 unsafe, 3 annoyance

    8
    incidents

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

    • " The contact owned a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated their daughter was driving at 30 mph, when the driver was merging into a lane when the driver heard an unidentified noise and lost control of the vehicle, and crashed into a telephone pole. The air ba…"complaint #1765315
    • "Car emergency stops with no reason. Dangerous. Will cause accident. Needs recalled. "complaint #1904767
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer ha…"complaint #1923652
    • "I am writing to file a formal complaint against Koeppel Nissan regarding their refusal to service my vehicle for a factory safety recall (tie rod replacement) and additional services upon request such as; clogged drain(water inside car doors), wheel alignment…"complaint #1928698
    • "I am simply writing this complaint because the recall says I should if I feel the manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy the recall in a timely manner. This recall is over 6 months old with no current remedy available. After 6 months, I would expect a…"complaint #1972258
  6. #6

    brake hydraulics

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

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

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the emergency brake warning light had illuminated. In addition, the contact stated while depressing the brake pedal the vehicle did not come to a complete stop and…"~25,000 mi, complaint #1992274
  7. #7

    steering electric assist

    4 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    5
    incidents

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

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the contact heard a noise coming from underneath the steering wheel. The contact then lost control of the vehicle momentarily during a rainstorm. The contact was able…"~4,000 mi, complaint #1768514
  8. #8

    wiring harness

    2 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    3
    incidents

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

    • "I have 2021 Nissan Sentra SR. The automatic engine start does not work all of the time. Contact my dealer and they said there have been a lot of complains about this, did contact Nissan corporation they said brig it to the dealer. I did they do not know what i…"complaint #1792145
    • "the car continues to turn off and draining the battery, on the audio there is a constant static, and lights keep shorting out. "complaint #1876498
    • "Rattling noise coming from the belt assembly. Tensioner pulley is shaky and alternator had a piece brake off causing metal shavings to fly around."complaint #2165073
  9. #9

    ac compressor and refrigerant

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

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

    • "The air conditioning turns off by itself and the high beams don't work"complaint #1847635
    • "purchased my 2021 Nissan Sentra brand new with no prior owner. Around 2023, the air conditioning system stopped working. The AC will not turn on at all the switch or control that activates the system is completely unresponsive. I brought the vehicle to a Nissa…"complaint #2147853
  10. #10

    door latch and hinge

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

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

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while approaching a stop light and depressing the brake pedal, the contact heard a sound of water in the rear of the vehicle. Once the contact arrived at the residence, the contact examined the rear pas…"~14,000 mi, complaint #1892364
  11. #11

    engine internal

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

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

    • "My engine has been having problems since I have bought it. I’ve stated it many of times to the dealership and they just blew it off saying there was nothing wrong. To find out there’s a slude in my engine."complaint #1976251
    • "While driving down the highway along with other traffic the car went into limp mode and lost power instantly almost causing an accident. Come to find out the engine bearings caused the engine to go on it without any warning signs. This car has been maintenance…"complaint #2149540
  12. #12

    lighting exterior

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

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

    • "Headlights turn off at night while driving and in most cases will still not work after moving the headlight switch or power cycling the switch. Have to shut down and restart multiple times for headlights to work. This problem affects the low beam lights and n…"complaint #1768205
    • "When the sun is out and there is no clouds obscuring the sunlight my vehicle has night time lights running, dimming the interior of my car making it difficult to see the speed and other dashboard requirements while perfectly bright and sunny outside and 0800AM…"complaint #1954946
  13. #13

    starter

    2 stranded

    2
    incidents

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

    • "Car will not start. Unexplained battery depletion. Trunk will not close when car is not on. Awful customer service at ORR Nissan in Shreveport Louisiana Address: 1240 E Bert Kouns, Shreveport Louisiana, 71105 Their entire operations need to be shut down. Bun…"complaint #1754232
    • "Break Switch Malfunctions that leaves the car unable to start. "complaint #2023235
  14. #14

    suspension arms and bushings

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

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

    • "Tie rods have no remedy, I have my car parked because its unsafe to drive and have called dealer hundreds of time and all they say is they're working on it. How long do I have to wait on a car I am making payments, this is awful"complaint #1981933
    • "Vehicle: 2021 Nissan Sentra VIN: [XXX] Incident Date: [XXX] Description: On [XXX], the front tie rod on my 2021 Nissan Sentra suddenly failed while I was driving, causing me to lose control of the vehicle and sideswipe a parked car. This mechanical failure l…"complaint #2096849
  15. #15

    abs module

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

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

    • "My ABS light randomly come on along side of traction control, front and rear collision assistance lights. Car has had electrical problems since I got it such as sometimes bright headlights won’t come on( they just stay on the dim regardless of what you do) the…"complaint #2008569
  16. #16

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

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

    • "The check engine light comes on with a malfunction symbol. The car has delay acceleration, jerks, hard shifts. "complaint #2137394
  17. #17

    control module

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

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

    • "While driving all lights come on dash and flash on and off and says system malfunction while doing 50mph. Suddenly car shuts off while driving with my toddler I then have to push my car off the highway without getting hit This has happen 5 times now"complaint #1994531
  18. #18

    driveshaft axle cv

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

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

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality without warning, causing the steering wheel to become stiff. The vehicle then crashed into another vehicle. No one was injured. A poli…"~25,000 mi, complaint #1868145
  19. #19

    engine stall or no start

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

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

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, his aunt entered the vehicle and attempted to start the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. Neither a dealer nor an independent mechanic was con…"~75,094 mi, complaint #2059324
  20. #20

    infotainment head unit

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

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

    • "The infotainment/radio system in my 2021 Nissan Sentra intermittently reboots and produces static. When this happens, the backup camera freezes or shuts off completely. This has occurred while I was actively reversing, causing a sudden loss of rear visibility.…"complaint #2200734
  21. #21

    parking brake

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

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

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, the parking braking independently activated. The failure occurred a second time, and the parking brake unintendedly activated. There was no warning light illumin…"~13,414 mi, complaint #2201325
  22. #22

    seatbelt and pretensioner

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

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

    • "The contact owned a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle began to slide, hydroplane, and crash into a cement ditch drain.  There were no warning lights illuminated. The passenger side seat…"~43,177 mi, complaint #1931446
  23. #23

    steering column

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

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

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel in either direction, a crackling type noise was present coming from the steering column and the wheel would not immediately turn. The vehicle was taken to the local…"~33,000 mi, complaint #1834215
  24. #24

    tire failure

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

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

    • "ALL 4 TIRES HANKOOK 215/45R18 89V ARE SHOWING INNER SIDEWALL IRREGULAR TIRE WEAR AND BALDING ON EDGES. THERE ARE RECALLS ON TIE ROD ASSEMBLY FROM 6-16-2021 AND 8-14-2023 I PURCHASED THE CAR 4-2024 AND THE RECALL WAS NOT FIXED TILL 10-2024 TO MY KNOWLEDGE FOR T…"complaint #2052402
  25. #25

    transmission automatic

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

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

    • "The first week of October my car making a terrible sound. My husband took it to South point Nissan Austin Tx. My brand new car needs a transmission It has trouble shifting gears, Making a loud “jet engine” sound. The dealer promised a loaner and never came thr…"complaint #1936075
  26. #26

    transmission cvt

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

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

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while her husband was driving from a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at various spee…"~118,000 mi, complaint #2019492
  27. #27

    wiper and washer

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

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

    • "Wiper will not function. Turning car on/off multiple times will not cause wipers to function. Turned off car and removed all plugs, wipers still will not function. I have a video trying to fix the problem and issue is not resolved. This has happened 5 times al…"complaint #1889278

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