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2018 Nissan Sentra Sr Turbo
Solid pick. The complaint record is strong for its age. It does carry safety recalls, so confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the VIN before money changes hands.
184 owner complaints · 2 recalls · data verified July 22, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Transmission & drivetrain problems dominate (25% of complaints, typically reported near 60k miles).
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Score breakdown, by factor
Full methodology →#195 of 496Among the 2018 models with a matured record, the 2018 Nissan Sentra Sr Turbo ranks #195, scoring higher than 58% of them. See the 2018 ranking →
Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
4/5 overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2018 Nissan Sentra 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 12%
No open NHTSA defect investigations on file.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2018 Nissan Sentra Sr Turbo, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Driver assistance (24) · Engine (22) · Speed control (19)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Transmission & drivetrain
25%46 complaints · typically near 60k mi · 11 in the last 2 years
“Transmission Replacement - The transmission system requires replacement due to issues identified during inspection, including judder in the CVT and auxiliary gearbox. …”
Brakes
22%40 complaints · typically near 30k mi · 3 in the last 2 years
“Car won't start, stranded in parking lots, on road. Have seen hundreds of complaints about the same thing ,saying it's either a brake switch or ignition switch.Very sc…”
Electrical system
17%32 complaints · typically near 14k mi · 2 in the last 2 years
“Unknown, ICC module is out on Sentra is known issue from Nissan, needs to be recalled as it can cause some cars to brake on there own from what I’ve seen online. Nissa…”
Driver assistance
13%24 complaints · 3 in the last 2 years
“Unknown, ICC module is out on Sentra is known issue from Nissan, needs to be recalled as it can cause some cars to brake on there own from what I’ve seen online. Nissa…”
Check it against this car’s mileage
Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.
We can place 3 of this model's commonly reported problem areas against a mileage. Nothing is stored.
Read all 184 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 20 crash/fire/injury reports →
Recalls (2)
Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.
Exterior Lighting · 21V135000
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.
Risk: The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Back Over Prevention · 19V654000
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."
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Questions to ask the seller
Questions worth asking the seller of this Nissan before you buy, drawn from its public record:
- NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2018 Nissan Sentra Sr Turbo. Can you run this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and confirm each one shows "Remedy Completed"?
- Owners of this model report transmission & drivetrain problems more than anything else (owners tend to report it near 60k miles). Has this car shown any transmission & drivetrain symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Owners of this model report brakes problems more than anything else (owners tend to report it near 30k miles). Has this car shown any brakes symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
- How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
- Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?
Before you hand over money
Verify the recall work was done
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2018 Nissan SENTRA SR TURBO beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2018? See how every Sentra Sr Turbo model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2018 Nissan Sentra Sr Turbo against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.