Nissan Sentra 2020–2025
8th generation (B18)
NHTSA data through 12 August 2026810 complaints, 139 with mileageMethod
On this generation, 34% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 3 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.
- First 12,000 miles — 34% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 10%
- 1,500
- 25%
- 6,000
- Median
- 25,000
- 75%
- 43,177
- 90%
- 75,094
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20,000 | 60 | 43.2% |
| 20,000–40,000 | 36 | 25.9% |
| 40,000–60,000 | 22 | 15.8% |
| 60,000–80,000 | 11 | 7.9% |
| 80,000–100,000 | 6 | 4.3% |
| 100,000–120,000 | 3 | 2.2% |
| 140,000–160,000 | 1 | 0.7% |
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.
Owners filed 810 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020–2025 Nissan Sentra, and 139 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
34% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 3 times higher than during the rest of the car's life. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
The most-reported areas are forward collision avoidance (18.1% of complaints, typically around 6,000 miles), the steering (17.5% of complaints, typically around 40,000 miles), the electrical system (15.4% of complaints, typically around 28,000 miles).
12 recall campaigns cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Forward collision avoidance6,000median 6,000 miles, middle half 1,500 to 19,000
- Steering40,000median 40,000 miles, middle half 25,000 to 57,000
- Electrical system28,000median 28,350 miles, middle half 5,000 to 47,000
- Brakes6,000median 6,000 miles, middle half 3,000 to 21,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 147 | 18.1% | 6,000 | 1,500–19,000 |
| Steering | 142 | 17.5% | 40,000 | 25,000–57,000 |
| Electrical system | 125 | 15.4% | 28,000 | 5,000–47,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 96 | 11.9% | — | — |
| Brakes | 59 | 7.3% | 6,000 | 3,000–21,000 |
| Engine | 33 | 4.1% | — | — |
| Transmission and driveline | 32 | 4.0% | — | — |
| Suspension | 29 | 3.6% | — | — |
| Wheels | 25 | 3.1% | — | — |
| Reversing camera and sensors | 23 | 2.8% | — | — |
Which systems, and when
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 25,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
Forward collision avoidance accounts for 18.1% of complaints (147 reports, 19 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 6,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,500 and 19,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 17.5% of complaints (142 reports, 40 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 40,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 25,000 and 57,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 15.4% of complaints (125 reports, 14 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 28,350 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 5,010 and 47,000 miles.
The brakes account for 7.3% of complaints (59 reports, 13 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail early — a median of 6,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,000 and 20,765 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2020 model year drew the most — 320 complaints — while 2023 drew the fewest at 34. The median year sits at 99.
That makes 2020 an outlier: roughly 3.2 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 12 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 visibility equipment (2), the steering (2), the transmission and driveline (2). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
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.
Reported severity
Of the 810 complaints filed against this generation, 68 reported a crash; 3 reported a fire; 59 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 8.4% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 34% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.
On inspection, forward collision avoidance and the steering are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Forward collision avoidance in particular shows a median failure mileage of 6,000, 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.
Documented problems
General 2020–2025
No widely documented systemic powertrain defect as of MY2025; the CVT and engine complaint rates fall sharply relative to the B17, and this generation is a deliberate reset of the Sentra's CVT reputation.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 320 | 77 |
| 2021 | 214 | 27 |
| 2022 | 141 | 16 |
| 2023 | 34 | 4 |
| 2024 | 58 | 10 |
| 2025 | 43 | 5 |
Recalls (12)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 26V023000 | 2026-03-13 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:doors:latch |
| 25V807000 | 2026-01-14 | Visibility:windshield |
| 25V153000 | 2025-05-01 | Seats |
| 23V581000 | 2024-11-27 | Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly |
| 24V498000 | 2024-08-29 | Visibility:windshield |
| 24V304000 | 2024-06-26 | Power Train:driveline:driveshaft |
| 24V154000 | 2024-04-10 | Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module |
| 23V628000 | 2023-10-19 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera |
| 23V421000 | 2023-07-31 | Structure:body |
| 22V244000 | 2022-06-10 | Exterior Lighting:headlights |
| 21V461000 | 2021-08-05 | Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly |
| 26V410000 | — | Power Train:driveline:driveshaft |
What owners reported
After returning on 12/12/20 a Sentra purchased on 12/8/20 - i swapped out with another Sentra. Reason for return - aeb pedestrian light kept going on every morning despite varying weather conditions (warm vs. Cold). Received this car (gun metallic color) and on 12/13/20 - same thing happened! Will be contacting the…
2020 · 150 miles · Forward collision avoidance
After purchasing the 2020 Nissan Sentra. I noticed the LED headlights were not bright at projecting on the road correctly. Compared to traditional bulbs and other sedans of year 2020 models. I complained to Nissan was told that it was a recall for the left headlight due to misalignment. After they replaced it, they…
2020 · 1,500 miles · Exterior lighting
Purchased car in october 2020. Car started braking involuntary while driving 10-25 MPH. No objects were in front of the car. This has happened 4 times. This happened on my last vehicle and Nissan had a major recall to change the sensors/camera. At this time there is no fix. I have taken my car in 5 times…
2020 · 1,500 miles · Problems owners could not categorise
The front radar (obstruction detector) is not working properly. The car will randomly break even when there is no obstruction in front of the car. This happened 3 times in february 2021. Each time i took the car to the dealership. They initially brushed me off and blamed snow, rain and soot. I called nisan corporate…
2020 · 3,000 miles · Brakes
Built from 139 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page