The Verdict
Worst problem area
Transmission & Drivetrain
Transmission & Drivetrain leads by volume: 127 of 270 complaints (47%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Airbags & Restraints include more reported injuries (8) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed fell from 352 in 2015 to 270 in 2016.
At a glance
- NHTSA complaints
- 270
- Recall campaigns
- 6
- EPA fuel cost per year
- $1,900–$2,100
- Combined MPG
- 30–33
Complaints by model year
Where owners report problems
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Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | vs. 2016 Midsize Cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 1,900–2,100 | 1,900–2,100 | 1,900–2,100 | 1,950–2,850 | 1,950–2,850 | |
| Combined MPG | 30–33 | 30–33 | 30–33 | 27–32 | 27–32 | |
| City / Highway MPG | 27–30 / 35–38 | 27–30 / 35–38 | 27–30 / 35–38 | 25–29 / 30–37 | 25–29 / 30–37 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 265–298 | 268–298 | 268–298 | 278–330 | 279–330 | |
| Complaints filed | 381 | 352 | 270 | 231 | 185 | |
| Recalls issued | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 27 | 23 | 18 | 29 | 17 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 6 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | |
| Injuries reported | 18 | 23 | 13 | 21 | 10 | |
| Deaths reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Configurations compared | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.
Common questions
How many recalls does the 2016 Nissan Sentra have?
6 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Nov 7, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.
What is the most common complaint about the 2016 Nissan Sentra?
Transmission & Drivetrain: 127 of 270 NHTSA complaints (47%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2016 Nissan Sentra get?
EPA rates it 30–33 MPG combined across 3 configurations.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2016 Nissan Sentra?
EPA estimates $1,900–$2,100 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (3)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Manual 6-spd | 4 | 1.8L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Midsize Cars | 27 mpg (low) | 35 mpg (low) | 30 mpg (low) | $2,100 (high) | 298 g/mi (high) |
| Configuration 2 | Automatic (variable gear ratios) | 4 | 1.8L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Midsize Cars | 29 mpg | 37 mpg | 32 mpg | $1,950 | 278 g/mi |
| Configuration 3 | Automatic (variable gear ratios) | 4 | 1.8L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Midsize Cars | 30 mpg (high) | 38 mpg (high) | 33 mpg (high) | $1,900 (low) | 268 g/mi (low) |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 48 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 127 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 45 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Brakes | 30 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 26 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 12 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 43 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.
Recalls (6)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
AIR BAGS
- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error within the air bag inflators, the passenger frontal air bag may not properly deploy in the event of a crash.
- Consequence
- In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag doesn't deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury to passengers.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sentra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2016, through April 26, 2016. The engine room harness may have a terminal pin too large to maintain a connection with the Engine Control Unit (ECU).
- Consequence
- If the engine room harness loses connection to the ECU, the vehicle may not start or the engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the terminal pin on the engine room harness, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING; AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 24, 2016, to March 23, 2016, and Sentra vehicles manufactured February 9, 2016, to March 4, 2016. The wiring harness connector may disconnect from the dual-stage passenger air bag.
- Consequence
- If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiring harness connector for proper engagement and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag module and main body harness, free of charge. The recall began on August 9, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.
- Consequence
- If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
- Defect
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Sentra vehicles manufactured June 4, 2012, to April 9, 2016. The front passenger seat belt bracket may become deformed if it is used to secure a Child Restraint System (CRS). The deformed seat bracket may cause the Occupant Classification System (OCS) to incorrectly classify the installed CRS, resulting in the front passenger air bag to not be turned off as designed when a CRS is in the seat.
- Consequence
- If the frontal passenger air bag deploys in the event of a crash when a child seat is installed in the front passenger seat, there will be an increased risk of injury to the child in the CRS.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reinforce the seat belt bracket as well as reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU), free of charge. The recall began on June 13, 2016. Owners are warned not to install a CRS in the front seat. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.