MODELYEARINDEX

Which Nissan Sentra years to avoid

Across 12 scored model years, the 2013 model year carries the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Nissan Sentra Full report
D
Grade 2010–2021
2013 vs model median 1.6×
Model median3× median
Brakes 76
Airbags & Restraints 68
Drivetrain 62
Avoid

2013

Best

2011 · 2012

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
0.44× 65 B
2011
0.43× 67 B
2012
0.58× 113 A
2013
1.65× 322 D
2014
1.06× 190 C
2015
1.07× 205 C
2016
1.07× 192 C
2017
0.93× 160 C
2018
0.92× 180 B
2019
1.29× 242 C
2020
1.04× 235 C
2021
0.96× 175 C
2022 P
0.68× 141 B
2023 P
0.16× 33 A
2024 P
0.35× 54 B
2025 P
0.28× 42 B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2013 D 322 reports · median 25,000 mi

  1. Brakes 76

    The passengers seat air bag sensor does not recognize when there is someone sitting and will not activate. I took the car to service and the guy told me that maybe it was because I was too skinny and maybe the sensor… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Airbags & Restraints 68

    Passenger airbag off light staying on regardless of whether or not there is a person over 100lbs in the passenger seat. Air bag indicator light staying on the dashboard, while it is supposed to turn off after 7 seconds. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Drivetrain 62

    I was waiting at a red light to make a left turn. Once the light turned green and I stepped on the accelerator, the car started to jerk and lost power. It did not turn completely off but it would not drive. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

23 crash · 3 fire · 21 injuries

2016 C 192 reports · median 48,000 mi

  1. Drivetrain 42

    The contact owns a 2016 nissan sentra. While driving between 40-60 MPH, there was excessive vibration coming from the front end of the vehicle. The dealer diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Airbags & Restraints 20

    The contact owns a 2016 nissan sentra. When the front seat was occupied by an adult, the front passenger warning indicator illuminated intermittently. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 20

    The contact owns a 2016 nissan sentra. While driving approximately 75 to 90 MPH, a loud roaring noise was heard under the front end of the vehicle and the vehicle shuttered. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

20 crash · 4 fire · 12 injuries

The best year for the Sentra

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2012 is the best-scoring Sentra model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 85.4 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations. On complaint rate alone the lowest is 2011 at 0.43× this model’s median, against 0.58× for 2012.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2012 0.58× 113 A
2011 0.43× 67 B
2010 0.44× 65 B

Recalls

28 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
16V244000 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION 2013–2016 3,296,947
19V654000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2018, 2019 1,228,830
14V138000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE 2013, 2014 989,701
21V135000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH 2016–2019 807,376
16V242000 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION 2013–2016 645,898
23V581000 STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY 2020–2022 236,238
23V628000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2020, 2021 153,376
18V551000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION 2017 153,047
21V461000 STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY 2020, 2021 138,736
13V069000 AIR BAGS 2013 82,038
25V807000 VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD 2025 41,797
11V579000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES 2010, 2011 33,803

+ 16 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2013 were reported at a median of 25,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Nissan Sentra years should you avoid?
2013 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Nissan Sentra model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Nissan Sentra?
2012 is the best-scoring Nissan Sentra model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 85.4 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Nissan Sentra have?
28 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Nissan Sentra model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2013 Sentra
Complaints in window
322
Severity-weighted
474.5
Model median (weighted)
288
vs model median
1.65×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
6
Open investigations
0
Score 43.8 D