AI Damage2017 Nissan Sentra: common problems
Owners of the 2017 Nissan Sentra filed 231 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine. The maker issued 117 service bulletins for this year. We found 2 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 231
- involving a crash
- 29
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 117
- YouTube repair videos
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 33% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 21% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 14% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 11% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 6% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 6% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 76 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 25.
- Engine: 48 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
- Electrical system: 33 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 39.
- Vehicle speed control: 32 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Air bags: 26 complaints (11% of all), 18 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 1.8 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- CVTnamed in 29 complaints
- manual, 6-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 231 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 76 | 1 | 25 |
| Engine | 48 | 1 | 3 |
| Electrical system | 33 | 2 | 39 |
| Vehicle speed control | 32 | 2 | 2 |
| Air bags | 26 | 18 | 4 |
| Service brakes | 22 | 3 | 4 |
| Exterior lighting | 15 | 1 | 2 |
| Steering | 14 | 4 | 2 |
| Structure | 9 | 4 | 5 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Electronic stability control | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 6 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bag lights were working and on too. I no longer have the car since it has been towed away to a salvage yard. I only have pictures and videos of the damage with no airbag in sight.
The seat belt failed to function as intended; the contact struck the driver’s side air bag several times that by the time the vehicle came to a stop, the air bag had deflated. The contact stated that the side curtain air bags deployed, preventing his head from striking the window and exiting the vehicle.
It will be investigated by my insurance company, but this is what happened. I was taking a leisurely drive on a country road. Not much for shoulders and the trees aren't cut back far enough. I was going straight. The vehicle decided to take a 45 degree turn the right.
This car has terrible blind spots and rear drum breaks. I didn't notice that before it or I wouldn't have bought it. I feel unsafe also because it is terrible going up hills and accelerating. I test drove it on flat roads. I think these cars should be remove from the road and discontinued.
The brake pedal was depressed however the contact crashed into a curb and then a fire hydrant causing the vehicle to flip. There was smoke and a burning odor present. The contact was unable to exit the vehicle. A police report was filed and the fire department was present.
i got thiz note couple weeks late you guys dinr warn me its was defective i crashed for this recal reason the lights war having problems when iwas driving and of and on and the emgine started to rev and the saftey to turn steering wheel locked and i crashed veichle turn of while that happen then slamed into side walk…
When I went to claim my property from the car, the airbags had not yet deployed which was surprising because the fire rescue squad captain warned me to stay out of the front seat because based on the damage to the front of the car, he was shocked that they had not deployed and warned me that the could go off at any…
I was driving my vehicle and it was locked into gear I want to press on my brakes it would not slow down I rear-ended a vehicle, and the airbags did not deploy
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 279 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sentra has 129 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 231, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other…
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
- INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED…
INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH DTC C1A16 OR C2582 IF YOU CONFIRM IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (on the next page) is to give you a…
- DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed…
- VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CVT/TCM CALIBRATION DATA “WRITE” PROCEDURE This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR INFOTAINMENT ISSUES This bulletin is no longer active
To access infotainment software updates via the Infotainment Software Update Utility: Select SPECIALTY TOOLS, and then select Infotainment Software Updates on the left side of ASIST. Please discard previous versions of…
- SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR INFOTAINMENT ISSUES This bulletin is no longer active
To access infotainment software updates via the Infotainment Software Update Utility: Select SPECIALTY TOOLS, and then select Infotainment Software Updates on the left side of ASIST. HINT: Initially, the Infotainment…
NHTSA lists 117 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Nissan Sentra?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine, electrical system. Total complaints: 231. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (19%), jerking, harsh shifts (8%), won't start (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2017 Nissan Sentra?
NHTSA lists 117 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2017 Nissan Sentra from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2017 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.