Nissan Sentra 2007–2012 problems by year and mileage
6th generation (B16)
NHTSA data through 24 September 2026842 complaints, 641 with mileageMethod
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2007 Nissan Sentra
Close- Median failure report
- 60,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 154
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2007
- Airbag system41 reports · median 99,000 mi
- Steering30 reports
- Transmission and driveline17 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2007: Service brakes, hydraulic — foundation components. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2008 Nissan Sentra
Close- Median failure report
- 67,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 167
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
Most reported on the 2008
- Airbag system53 reports · median 104,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline20 reports
- Engine15 reports
3 recall campaigns name the 2008: Equipment — electrical; Service brakes, hydraulic — foundation components. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2009 Nissan Sentra
Close- Median failure report
- 57,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 55
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2009
- Airbag system15 reports
- Steering11 reports
- Brakes7 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2009: Equipment — electrical. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2010 Nissan Sentra
Close- Median failure report
- 69,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 144
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
Most reported on the 2010
- Electrical system50 reports · median 83,000 mi
- Engine35 reports
- Airbag system31 reports
3 recall campaigns name the 2010: Electrical system — 12v/24v/48v battery; Equipment — electrical. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2011 Nissan Sentra
Close- Median failure report
- 71,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 142
- Recalls naming this year
- 2
Most reported on the 2011
- Electrical system34 reports · median 81,000 mi
- Engine30 reports
- Airbag system20 reports
2 recall campaigns name the 2011: Electrical system — 12v/24v/48v battery. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2012 Nissan Sentra
Close- Median failure report
- 64,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 180
- Recalls naming this year
- 0
Most reported on the 2012
- Transmission and driveline68 reports · median 71,000 mi
- Engine39 reports
- Throttle and speed control22 reports
Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. The 2011 reports latest and the 2009 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 2009 has had 2 more years on the road to accumulate mileage.
The short answer
“Is the 2007–2012 Nissan Sentra reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 65,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 130,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 641
- Recalls
- 5
Most reported
- Airbag system21.4% of complaints · median 82,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline17.1% of complaints · median 74,000 mi
- Engine15.9% of complaints · median 80,000 mi
Owners filed 842 complaints with NHTSA about the 2007–2012 Nissan Sentra; the airbag system leads with 21.4% of them, and half of the 641 that record an odometer reading came by 65,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 22,000 and 99,000 miles.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2007–2012 Nissan Sentra last?
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 2007–2012 Nissan Sentra, half of the 641 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 65,000 miles and 90% by 130,000 miles.
38 reports came in past 150,000 miles and 5 past 200,000 — each one proof that a Sentra reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Nissan Sentra 2007–2012 · 641 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 108 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 5 complaints (0.8%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 2,850
- 25%
- 22,500
- Median
- 65,000
- 75%
- 99,000
- 90%
- 130,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 108 | 16.8% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 39 | 6.1% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 32 | 5.0% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 39 | 6.1% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 32 | 5.0% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 42 | 6.6% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 53 | 8.3% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 51 | 8.0% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 41 | 6.4% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 47 | 7.3% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 39 | 6.1% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 27 | 4.2% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 25 | 3.9% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 15 | 2.3% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 13 | 2.0% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 16 | 2.5% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 11 | 1.7% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 2 | 0.3% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 3 | 0.5% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 1 | 0.2% |
| 200,000+ | 5 | 0.8% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Common Sentra problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Nissan Sentra 2007–2012
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Steering82 reports51,00020,000–84,000Steering: 82 reports, median 51,000 miles, middle half 20,000 to 84,000 miles.
- Throttle and speed control61 reports62,00010,000–107,000Throttle and speed control: 61 reports, median 62,000 miles, middle half 10,000 to 107,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline144 reports74,00050,000–103,000Transmission and driveline: 144 reports, median 74,000 miles, middle half 50,000 to 103,000 miles.
- Electrical system125 reports79,00045,000–106,000Electrical system: 125 reports, median 79,000 miles, middle half 45,000 to 106,000 miles.
- Engine134 reports80,00052,000–110,000Engine: 134 reports, median 80,000 miles, middle half 52,000 to 110,000 miles.
- Airbag system180 reports82,00060,000–115,000Airbag system: 180 reports, median 82,000 miles, middle half 60,000 to 115,000 miles.
- Problems owners could not categorise77 reports90,00042,000–120,000Problems owners could not categorise: 77 reports, median 90,000 miles, middle half 42,000 to 120,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 180 | 21.4% | 82,000 | 60,000–115,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 144 | 17.1% | 74,000 | 50,000–103,000 |
| Engine | 134 | 15.9% | 80,000 | 52,000–110,000 |
| Electrical system | 125 | 14.8% | 79,000 | 45,000–106,000 |
| Steering | 82 | 9.7% | 51,000 | 20,000–84,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 77 | 9.1% | 90,000 | 42,000–120,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 61 | 7.2% | 62,000 | 10,000–107,000 |
| Suspension | 44 | 5.2% | 19,000 | 1,500–64,000 |
| Body structure | 40 | 4.8% | 42,000 | 7,500–92,000 |
| Brakes | 37 | 4.4% | 45,000 | 10,000–98,000 |
System by system, in words
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 65,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The airbag system accounts for 21.4% of complaints (180 reports, 134 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 82,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 60,000 and 115,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 17.1% of complaints (144 reports, 116 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 74,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 50,000 and 103,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 15.9% of complaints (134 reports, 103 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 80,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 52,000 and 110,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 14.8% of complaints (125 reports, 97 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 79,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 45,000 and 106,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 9.7% of complaints (82 reports, 71 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 51,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 20,000 and 84,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 9.1% of complaints (77 reports, 53 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 90,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 42,000 and 120,000 miles.
Known problems with the 2007–2012 Sentra
Transmission (cvt) 2007–2012
CVT fluid-temperature protection logic derates the vehicle after sustained high-speed or uphill operation in hot ambient conditions (documented at roughly 4000+ rpm and 65+ mph above ~96 F), and belt/pulley failures follow overheating. Nissan extended CVT coverage to 10 years / 120,000 miles on affected 2007-2010 vehicles.
Engine (2.0L MR20DE) 2007–2012
Timing chain guide wear and elevated oil consumption at higher mileage.
Before you buy a 2007–2012 Sentra: the 3-minute check
Generated from 641 mileage-tagged complaints, 5 recall campaigns, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 5 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check transmission (CVT) on 2007–2012 cars. CVT fluid-temperature protection logic derates the vehicle after sustained high-speed or uphill operation in hot ambient conditions (documented at roughly 4000+ rpm and 65+ mph above ~96 F), and belt/pulley failures…
- Check engine (2.0L MR20DE) on 2007–2012 cars. Timing chain guide wear and elevated oil consumption at higher mileage.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 22,000 and 99,000 miles, with a median of 65,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the airbag system and the transmission and driveline are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The transmission and driveline in particular shows a median failure mileage of 74,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Sentra problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi46% below | At 90k mi68% below | At 120k mi86% below | At 150k mi94% below | At 200k mi99% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 60,000–115,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Transmission and driveline | 50,000–103,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Engine | 52,000–110,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 45,000–106,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Steering | 20,000–84,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 42,000–120,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Throttle and speed control | 10,000–107,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Nissan Sentra 2007–2012 · 641 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 46% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 68% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 86% of reports below
- 150,000 mi — 94% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 99% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 0.8% of reports (5) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
2007–2012 Nissan Sentra recalls (5)
NHTSA records 5 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the electrical system (2), the hydraulic brake circuit (2), equipment (1). Several campaigns against one area can mean a remedy that did not hold, or separate defects in parts filed under the same heading; the summaries below name each defect.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Dec 2011 · 2010–2011 · Electrical SystemThis issue can cause the engine to stall while the vehicle is in motion and it may not be possible to restart…
The defect. Nissan is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Sentra vehicles equipped with mr20 engines, manufactured from may 11, 2010, to may 22, 2010, and july 8, 2010, to october 25, 2010. The zinc coating applied to the terminal stud bolt was thicker than…
What can happen. This issue can cause the engine to stall while the vehicle is in motion and it may not be possible to restart the engine after it stopped, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Nissan will notify owners and dealers will replace the positive battery terminal and cover, free of charge. The recallbegan on january 23, 2012. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Nov 2010 · 2010–2011 · Electrical SystemThis issue can cause the engine to stop running while the vehicle is in motion at low speed with a difficult…
The defect. Nissan is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Sentra vehicles, manufactured from may 22, 2010, through july 8, 2010. Due to a machining irregularity, the bolt/washer surface on the positive battery terminal cable end may allow for a gap to occur in the…
What can happen. This issue can cause the engine to stop running while the vehicle is in motion at low speed with a difficult or no start increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will replace the positive battery terminal cable end with a new one free of charge. The safety recall began pn november 29, 2010. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Sep 2010 · 2008–2010 · EquipmentOverheated batteries could result in a fire.
The defect. Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected gps units can overheat.
What can happen. Overheated batteries could result in a fire.
The free fix. Nissan will notify owners and the repairs will be performed by garmin technicians by replacing the battery and inserting a spacer on top of the battery free of charge. The safety recall began on…
Nov 2009 · 2008 · Service Brakes, HydraulicIf the warning lamp is continuously ignored, one of the brake circuits on the vehicle may fail increasing…
The defect. Nissan is recalling certain model year 2008 Sentra passenger vehicles equipped with bosch master cylinders. Brake fluid may leak from the master cylinder. If the amount of brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoir decreases to below the minimum level, the…
What can happen. If the warning lamp is continuously ignored, one of the brake circuits on the vehicle may fail increasing stopping distances and increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the master cylinder brake booster assembly free of charge. The recall began on december 14, 2009. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Jul 2008 · 2007–2008 · Service Brakes, HydraulicIf the warning lamp is ignored, one of the brake circuits on the vehicle may not operate as designed…
The defect. Nissan is recalling 169,202 my 2007-2008 Sentra passenger vehicles equipped robert bosch master cylinder. Due to the machining irregularity by the supplier, the internal seal groove in the body of some brake master cylinders may allow for a gap in the groove…
What can happen. If the warning lamp is ignored, one of the brake circuits on the vehicle may not operate as designed increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will inspect the master cylinder/brake booster assembly and if brake fluid leakage is detected, the master cylinder will be replaced with a new one free of charge. The recall began on august…
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 842 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 90 (10.7%)
- Fires
- 27
- Injury reports
- 62
- Fatality reports
- 2
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Sentra problems by model year
The 2012 drew the most complaints of this generation, 180, most of them about the transmission and driveline, and the 2009 the fewest, 55. A typical year drew about 149.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 154 | 119 | 60,000 | Airbag system (41) | 1 |
| 2008 | 167 | 124 | 67,000 | Airbag system (53) | 3 |
| 2009 | 55 | 48 | 57,000 | Airbag system (15) | 1 |
| 2010 | 144 | 105 | 69,000 | Electrical system (50) | 3 |
| 2011 | 142 | 116 | 71,000 | Electrical system (34) | 2 |
| 2012 | 180 | 129 | 64,000 | Transmission and driveline (68) | 0 |
What Sentra owners reported
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the engine seized. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed…
2011 · 107,000 miles · Electrical system
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to turn on the headlights, the air bags deployed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to Special Coverage Adjustment: 23520…
2012 · 174,000 miles · Airbag system
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled with the traction control and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the catalytic converter was replaced; however, the failure persisted. Neither the…
2011 · 160,000 miles · Engine
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the driver's side seat fractured. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer…
2011 · 147,000 miles · Seats
Built from 641 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Sentra generations
- Sentra 2000–2006 898 reports with mileage, most about the engine and its cooling system
- Sentra 2013–2019 1,396 reports with mileage, most about the transmission and driveline
- Sentra 2020–2025 101 reports with mileage, most about the steering