Home · 2018 Nissan Sentra · Complaints

What 183 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Sentra

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (183)Crash / fire / injury (20)Transmission & drivetrain (45)Brakes (40)Electrical system (32)Driver assistance (24)Engine (22)Speed control (19)Lights (14)Airbags (9)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (7)Fuel system (7)

Newest first · 183 complaints · page 6 of 8

Sep 12, 2020Seat beltsSpeed controlFuel system

CAR LOOSES POWER MID DRIVING....SEATBELT ON BACK PASSENGER SIDE DOES NOT ALWAYS CLICK IN SAFELY....WHEN PRESSING ON GAS THERE IS A CLICKING SOUND AND CAR DOES NOT ALWAYS GO FORWARD WHEN GOING FROM IDLE TO MOVING ON THE ROAD...TWICE THE CAR WENT FORWARD FAST AND SOMETIMES IT HAS TOO MUCH POWER WHEN I AM NOT PRESSING THE GAS

NHTSA ODI 11354592

Sep 5, 2020

RECIB LA NOTIFICACIN ESTANDO PARQUEADO EN MI CASA.NO HA PASADO NADA.

NHTSA ODI 11353327

Aug 25, 2020Engine

STARTER APPEARS TO BE OUT. ELECTRONICS ARE TURNING ON, BUT ENGINE WILL NOT TURN OVER. I CURRENTLY HAVE 50078 MILES ON MY 2018 NISSAN SENTRA.

NHTSA ODI 11351070

Aug 20, 2020Brakes

MY CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND I HAVE HAD TO TAKE IN IN TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES BECAUSE THE AEB SENSOR LIGHT COMES ON. THEY HAVE REPLACED IT ALL THREE TIMES AND I BRING IT HOME AND ONCE I START DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THE SENSOR COMES ON AGAIN. AS I'M DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN EVEN THOUGH I'M PRESSING ON THE GAS. I HAVE TO LET MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND THEN PRESS THE GAS PEDAL HARD TO KICK IT BACK INTO RUNNING CORRECTLY. I HAVE A 2018 NISSAN SENTRA AND IT HAS 30,000 MILES. THE WARRANTY EXPIRES AT 36,000 MILES AND I'M AFRAID THAT I WILL HAVE TO TAKE IT IN AND PAY FOR THE REPAIRS IF THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG. I'VE OWNED SENTRAS BEFORE AND NEVER HAD THIS MUCH PROBLEM!

NHTSA ODI 11350499

Aug 18, 2020Electrical system

KEYLESS IGNITION NOT STARTING AFTER KEY FOB BATTERY HAS BEEN CHANGED AND CAR BATTERY CHANGED, APPEARED TO BE OKAY THEN PROBLEM RETURNED WITHIN A FEW DAYS. KEYLESS IGNITION AGAIN NOT STARTING. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY STATIONARY IN MY DRIVEWAY.

NHTSA ODI 11349993

Aug 17, 2020Speed controlCrash

COLLISION AVOIDANCE FAILED AND ACCERATOR APPEARED TO STICK RESULTING IN ACCIDENT.IN MOTION APPROACHING LOVERS LANE ON NOBLE AVENUE WHEN DRIVER PASSED OUT RESULTING IN MULTIPLE REAREND STATIONARY OBJECT AND SIDE COLLISION.

NHTSA ODI 11349914

Aug 17, 2020Transmission & drivetrain

RPMS ARE GOING UP AND DOWN WHEN MAINTAINING THE SAME SPEED . WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AT 9000 MILES AND THEY TOLD US IT'S A SPECIAL TRANSMISSION.BELT DRIVEN NOT GEAR DRIVEN. WE TOOK IT BACK A FEW MORE TIMES AND FINALLY WE TOOK IT TO MIDAS AND THEY TOLD US TO TAKE IT TO DEALERSHIP FOR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AFTER THEY DROVE IT AND NOTICED RPMS GOING UP AND DOWN .

NHTSA ODI 11349933

Aug 10, 2020Electrical systemEngine

ATTEMPTED TO START VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT AND ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. ELECTRICALLY EVERYTHING TURNED ON BUT ENGINE WOULD NOT START. HAD TO ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR A FEW TIMES BEFORE THE ENGINE WOULD ACTUALLY TURN OVER. PURCHASED MY CAR A FEW DAYS AGO FROM HERTZ CAR SALES AND THIS STARTED HAPPENING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY EVERY TIME I ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR. I READ ALL THE POSTS RELATED TO THIS TYPE OF 2018, AND APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, LOOKS LIKE IT SHOULD BE RECALLED.

NHTSA ODI 11348378

Aug 6, 2020AirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN OUT OF A GAS STATION, HER VEHICLE WAS HIT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS HAVING PAIN IN HER SHOULDERS, BACK AND STOMACH. SHE ALSO HIT HER HEAD BUT DID NOT INITIALLY GO TO THE HOSPITAL UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW IF THE OTHER DRIVER WAS INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NONE OF THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOWING COMPANY LOT. THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY WILL DETERMINE IF THE VEHICLE WILL BE TOTALED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.*DT*LN*JB *BF*JB

NHTSA ODI 11343613

Jul 31, 2020Speed controlBrakes

VEHICLE'S AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING (AEB) SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS AND APPLIES VEHICLE BRAKES IN RANDOM INSTANCES. THIS POSES A SAFETY HAZARD AS THE VEHICLE COULD BRAKE SUDDENLY WHEN IN TRAFFIC AND CAUSE A CRASH.

NHTSA ODI 11342462

Jul 24, 2020Airbags

THE 'OCCUPANT AIRBAG SENSOR' IS MALFUNCTIONING AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. NO MATTER THE SIZE OR WEIGHT OF THE PASSENGER, THE OCCUPANT AIRBAG REMAINS OFF AS INDICATED BY THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT. THIS MALFUNCTION HAS BEEN PROVEN BY COMPUTER ERROR CODE AT OUR LOCAL NISSAN DEALER (CANNON NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT 662-236-3300).

NHTSA ODI 11341253

Jul 17, 2020Brakes

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A STREET PREPARING TO GET ON THE FREEWAY THE MALFUNCTION AND COLLISION SIGN POPPED UP IN THE DASH BOARD..AFTER SO LONG A CONTINUOUS DING SOUND CAN BE HEARD. PULLED OVER TURNED THE CAR OFF CAR WOULDN'T START. HAD TO TAP THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE CAR WOULD EVEN START..ONLY HAVE 30,000 MILES AND I JUST GOT THIS CAR IN APRIL AND ALREADY HAVING ISSUE..

NHTSA ODI 11340009

May 25, 2020Electrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Brakes

MY 2018 NISSAN SENTRA HAS ISSUES WITH NOT STARTING AND THE BRAKE SENSOR FAILING AND COMING ON WITH NOTHING AROUND. THE BACK UP CAMERA GOES OUT AND THE RADIO AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL LIGHTS GO OUT. THERE ARE SEVERAL ONGOING DANGEROUS ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS, CORP AND MANAGERS AT SUTHERLIN NISSAN TO NO AVAIL.*DT*JB*DT*JB

NHTSA ODI 11325841

Apr 18, 2020Brakes

EVERYTIME I DRIVE IN THE RAIN OR SNOW OR ANY WET CONDITIONS MY FRONT SENSOR FOR THE BRAKES SAYS SENSOR UNDETECTED ERROR MESSAGE AND ALSO MY BRAKES LOOK BRAND NEW AND THEY SQUEAK

NHTSA ODI 11321523

Mar 29, 2020Speed controlBrakes

FORWARD COLLISION SENSOR CAUSING VEHICLE TO BRAKE WHEN NOTHING IS FRONT OF ME WHILE I DRIVE. IT HAS HAPPENED ON 5 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. NISSAN DEALERSHIP STATED THAT NISSAN IS AWARE OF ISSUES BUT IS CHARGING ME $1300 TO FIX BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY

NHTSA ODI 11319631

Mar 18, 2020Electrical systemSpeed control

03/11/2020 I DROVE THE 2018 NISSAN SENTRA ON HWY 26 W TO PORTLAND OREGON. WHILE DRIVING THE AEB SENSOR LIGHT TURNS ON, MALFUNCTION FROM MANUFACTORY LIGHT ON WITH THE PIPING SOUND CAME ON THAT WAS THE EFFECTED THE SPEED CONTROL BY THE BRAKING. NEXT DAY 3/12/20. I DROVE TO CARR NISSAN DEALER FOR REPAIR AEB(AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKE) CENSOR. THE DEALER SAID THAT MY CAR HAS NO WARRANTY AND CHARGED FOR REPAIR IS $5,754.42 DUE ON 03/18/2020. I THINK THE NISSAN DEALER WAS OVERCHARGED. I THINK THIS IS SAFETY ISSUES AND 2018 NISSAN SENTRA NEEDS TO RECALL THE AEB SENSOR.ON THE HWY26 HAVE MY KID 16 YEARS OLD AND MY WIFE IN THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11318618

Mar 17, 2020Transmission & drivetrain

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 AFTER PAYING 479.09 A MONTH FOR THE PAST 23 MONTHS I SHOULD BE SPENDING AN ADDITIONAL 4000$

NHTSA ODI 11318508

Mar 5, 2020Electrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN ON AN INTERSTATE THE AEB SYSTEM ERRORS CAUSING THE TCS AND ESP SYSTEMS TO SHUT DOWN. SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATE AND THE VEHICLE MUST BE RESTARTED TO CLEAR THE FAULT.

NHTSA ODI 11316206

Feb 22, 2020

NISSAN 2018 SENTRA AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING (AEB), RELIES ON A RADAR IN THE FRONT GRILLE TO MONITOR A CAR'S PROXIMITY TO THE VEHICLE AHEAD, WARN OF POSSIBLE COLLISIONS, AND HIT THE BRAKES IF THE DRIVER CAN'T. BUT A PROBLEM WITH SOME OF THOSE RADAR MODULES ' A THIRD-PARTY COMPONENT SUPPLIED BY BOSCH ' MAKES THE SENSOR FREQUENTLY DEACTIVATE ITSELF, DISABLING CRUISE CONTROL AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM. A WARNING FLASHES ON THE DASHBOARD TO INDICATE THE PROBLEM: 'FRONT RADAR UNAVAILABLE DUE TO OBSTRUCTION.'

NHTSA ODI 11310795

Feb 20, 2020EngineFire1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED SHE MAY HAVE SEEN SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD NEAR THE WINDSHIELD WIPER. THE CONTACT STATED SHE KEPT DRIVING UNTIL SHE SAW FLAMES AND ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATING AS WELL AS THE DOOR LOCKS UNLOCKING AND LOCKING AUTOMATICALLY. THE CONTACT STATED HAD TO KICK THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR SEVERAL TIMES TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SEVERAL DAYS LATER SHE SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR HER EAR AND DISCOVERED THAT A PART OF THE AIR BAGS WAS FOUND IN HER EAR AS SHE HAS LOST HEARING IN HER LEFT EAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT AND DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11310332

Feb 13, 2020Speed controlBrakes

2018 NISSAN SENTRA RADAR MODULE OR CALLED NISSAN SENSOR ASSYS-DISTANCE WAS A MALFUNCTION AND AFFECT ON THE BRAKE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY OF THE HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ODI 11309065

Jan 31, 2020Electrical system

RANDOM WARNING STATING "FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION," ESSENTIALLY DEACTIVATING THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM FOR FRONT END COLLISION. VEHICLE WILL BRAKE QUICKLY ON ITS OWN WITHOUT ANYTHING AHEAD IN THE ROAD, WHICH CAUSES OTHER VEHICLES TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES TO AVOID COLLISION

NHTSA ODI 11306412

Jan 29, 2020Brakes

FRONT RADAR UNAVAILABLE DUE TO OBSTRUCTION FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD WHILE IN MOTION.

NHTSA ODI 11302727

Jan 28, 2020Transmission & drivetrain

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

NHTSA ODI 11302489

Jan 21, 2020Electrical systemSpeed controlBrakesCrash

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE ABOUT 30 MPH, BEFORE I EVEN APPROACHED ANOTHER VEHICLE MY SENSORS BEGAN BEEPING QUICKER AS IF I WERE ABOUT TO HIT ANOTHER CAR. NO VEHICLE NEAR ME CLOSE ENOUGH FOR SENSOR TO BEGIN ALERTING ME. AS I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN , THEY BEGAN BEEPING VERY FAST AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP, I WENT AROUND A CAR THAT WAS SITTING AT THE STOP SIGN TO AVOID REAR ENDING THEM, AND STILL REAR ENDED A PARKED CAR. POLICE WERE ON THE SCENE AND WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT. MY CAR WAS TOTALED DUE TO A MALFUNCTION

NHTSA ODI 11300743

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Working with the data? Download all 183 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 7, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2018 Nissan Sentra verdict →