Nissan Sentra Reliability: Best and Worst Years

The Nissan Sentra is a compact sedan that Nissan has sold in the United States since 1982. It uses front-wheel drive and four-cylinder engines, and for several generations it was offered in sporty SE-R versions. U.S. Sentras have been built in Mexico and, starting in December 2012, also at Nissan's plant in Canton, Mississippi. We put all 15 Nissan Sentra model years from 2010 to 2024 side by side, using the same rule for every year.

Why these years stand out

2013: most complaints. The 2013 Nissan Sentra scored 494 complaints per 100,000 sold, 3.4 times the model average. Of its 638 complaints, 402 involve the engine or transmission, and the parts named most often are power train (308), air bags (96) and service brakes (95). NHTSA lists 6 recalls for this model year and 3 defect investigations.

2018, 2021 and 2023: fewest complaints. The 2018 drew 185 complaints, or 87 per 100,000 sold; The 2021 drew 133 complaints, or 104 per 100,000 sold; The 2023 drew 20 complaints, or 18 per 100,000 sold. These years have been on the road at least three years, which gives owners time to report problems, so a low count means something.

What Nissan Sentra owners report most

Transmission complaints lead for the Nissan Sentra, at 34% of all complaints for 2010-2024. Engine and transmission reports together make up 50%. One complaint can name more than one system, so the bars can add up to more than the total.

When problems are reported: mileage

1,844 Nissan Sentra complaints list the odometer reading at the time of the problem. 45% were reported before 50,000 miles and 16% after 100,000. The reports are spread across the mileage range rather than bunched at one point.

Nissan Sentra compared with other small cars

In 11 of 15 model years the Nissan Sentra drew fewer complaints per 100,000 sold than the average small car we track for the same year. For 2024, the Nissan Sentra scored 27 against a class average of 48. The class average only uses models with clean, published sales figures.

Nissan Sentra generations

• 2005-2006
  Fifth generation (B15)

  1.8L four; 2.5L four (SE-R) · 5-speed manual; 4-speed automatic; 6-speed manual (SE-R Spec V)

  These final B15 years followed a 2004 facelift that updated the lights, bumpers and grille.

• 2007-2012
  Sixth generation (B16)

  2.0L four; 2.5L four (SE-R) · 6-speed manual; CVT

  The redesign was larger in every dimension and was built only in Mexico.

• 2013-2019
  Seventh generation (B17)

  1.8L four; 1.6L turbo four · 6-speed manual; CVT

  This generation had no SE-R version and received a facelift for 2016.

• 2020-2024
  Eighth generation (B18)

  2.0L four · CVT

  The redesign replaced the torsion-beam rear axle with independent rear suspension.

No manual transmission was offered on the 2020 to 2024 Sentra in the U.S. A facelift for the 2024 model year revised the front and rear styling and added engine start-stop. The SE-R and SE-R Spec V versions of the fifth and sixth generations used a 2.5L engine.

Nissan Sentra fuel economy

The 2026 Nissan Sentra is rated at 32 to 33 MPG combined by the EPA, depending on the version. Every year and engine will be on its own MPG page.

Crash test stars

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave the Nissan Sentra these overall ratings (out of 5) for the model years it tested: 2011: 4, 2012: 4, 2013: 4, 2014: 4, 2015: 4, 2016: 4, 2017: 4, 2018: 4, 2019: 4, 2020: 5, 2021: 5, 2022: 5, 2023: 5, 2024: 5. Ratings can differ between body styles and drive types of the same year.

Questions