IllustrationVEHICLE'S BRAKING DISTANCE HAS INCREASED WHEN IT SITS FOR 4 OR 5 DAYS AT A TIME WITHOUT BEING DRIVEN. DEALER SAID HE HAS OTHER MODELS ON HIS LOT THAT DO THE SAME THING. ALSO, DEALER TOLD CONSUMER TO LET VEHICLE RUN FOR 30 SECONDS. THEN, PUMP BRAKE BEFORE DRIVING. NISSAN HAS FILE ON THIS. *AK *SLC
1997 Nissan Sentra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Nissan Sentra do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 116.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sentra years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 24 of 108 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
26 crash reports1 fire reports17 injury reports
What owners actually said
108 reportsA DEER STEPPED IN FRONT OF VEHICLE WHICH WAS TRAVELING 55 MPH. DEER WAS HIT FROM LEFT FRONT, ROLLED ACROSS ROAD UPON IMPACT WITH DEER, NEITHER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. DRIVER SUFFERED A BROKEN TWO BULGING DISCS ONE AGAINST SPINE.*AK THE SEAT BELT ALSO FAILED TO RESTRAIN . THE CONSUMER RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY. *YH
VEHICLE OWNER WAS DRIVING AT 55 MPH ON HIGHWAY WHEN CAR COMPLETELY DIED WITHOUT WARNING. NO INDICATIONS OF PROBLEM IN 4 YRS OF OWNERSHIP. *AK
LIGHTS QUIT WORKING IN DASH CONSOLE. *AK
18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER GOT FLAT TIRE ON THE WAY HOME CHRISTMAS NIGHT. NO JACK IN CAR. WENT TO REPLACE TIRE, 2 FRONT TIRES DOWN TO STEEL ON THE INSIDE. HAD CAR LESS THAN 2 MOS AND LESS THAN 3,000 MILES. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 55 MPH AND ON A 4- WAY HIGHWAY WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY DIED, COMPLETELY STOPPED WITHOUT NO PRIOR WARNING . ONLY REASON CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY WAS BECAUSE CONSUMER HAD JUST GOT INTO THE RIGHT HAND LANE. DEALER REPAIRED THE R&R DISTRIBUTOR ASSEMBLY.*AK
BOUGHT VEHICLE A FEW WEEKS AGO & HORN WOULD CONTINUE TO BLOW. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & MECHANIC WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE REPAIRED IT. PICKED VEHICLE UP AND PROBLEM REAPPEARED AFTER HITTING A CRACK OR BUMP. TOOK BACK TO DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 4 OTHER TIMES AND HORN PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. DEALERSHIP WAS REFUSING TO REPAIR IT AGAIN.…
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BOUGHT VEHICLE A FEW WEEKS AGO & HORN WOULD CONTINUE TO BLOW. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & MECHANIC WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE REPAIRED IT. PICKED VEHICLE UP AND PROBLEM REAPPEARED AFTER HITTING A CRACK OR BUMP. TOOK BACK TO DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 4 OTHER TIMES AND HORN PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. DEALERSHIP WAS REFUSING TO REPAIR IT AGAIN. OWNER REMOVED FUSE & IT NOW HAS TO GO THROUGH INSPECTION.*AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING INSIDE OF PARKING LOT, PUT HER VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND CAR PICKED UP SPEED. THEN, SHE PUT IT IN DRIVE AND VEHICLE SPEEDED UP, AND WENT INTO A BUSINESS CENTER. VEHICLE KNOCKED OVER A MAILBOX, AND CHIPPED THE SIDE OF A CONCRETE BUILDING. THEN, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO TURN VEHICLE OFF, AND THERE WERE NO I…
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CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING INSIDE OF PARKING LOT, PUT HER VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND CAR PICKED UP SPEED. THEN, SHE PUT IT IN DRIVE AND VEHICLE SPEEDED UP, AND WENT INTO A BUSINESS CENTER. VEHICLE KNOCKED OVER A MAILBOX, AND CHIPPED THE SIDE OF A CONCRETE BUILDING. THEN, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO TURN VEHICLE OFF, AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *AK *ML
THROTTLE LINKAGES (FAILURE TO STOP CAR FROM GOING IN STORE WINDOW.) *AK
BOTH DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF THE REAR WINDOW STEEL MOLDING FLEW OFF THE VEHICLE WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSE DAMAGE TO ANOTHER VEHICLE OR CAUSE A CRASH. DEALER SAID THE MOLDING FLEW OFF BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS IN A CAR WASH WHICH MAY HAVE WEAKEN THE MOLDING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
Official recalls
398V093000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages
May 5, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. WATER CAN ENTER AND DISPLACE THE GREASE IN THE WIPER ARM LINKAGE BALL JOINT WHERE THE WIPER LINKAGE ATTACHES TO THE WIPER MOTOR LINKAGE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN GRADUAL WEAR OVER A PERIOD OF TIME INSIDE THE JOINT THAT COULD LEAD TO THE SEPARATION OF THE WIPER LINKAGE ASSEMBLY FROM THE WIPER MOTOR LINKAGE AT THE BALL JOINT. A LOSS OF WINDSHIELD WIPER FUNCTION CAN RESULT IN THIS SEPARATION OCCURS.
Remedy: TO PREVENT GREASE FROM BEING WASHED OUT OF THE JOINT, THE DEALERS WILL MODIFY BY ADDING A WATER DIVERSION SEAL THAT WILL PREVENT WATER FROM ENTERING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE BALL JOINT AREA.
98V008000 · Exterior Lighting:tail Lights
Jan 21, 1998
THESE VEHICLES DO NOT MEET THE ILLUMINATION REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FOLLOWING VEHICLES MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT IS STOPPING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH TWO NEW LIGHT BULBS FOR THE STOP/TAIL LAMPS WHICH ARE BRIGHTER THAN THE ORIGINAL BULBS. A LABEL WITH THE NEW BULB NUMBER WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED FOR INSERTION INTO THE OWNER'S MANUAL. IF AN OWNER SO DESIRES, A DEALERS CAN INSTALL THE LIGHT BULBS FOR THEM.
97V110000 · Structure:body:door
Jul 22, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. ONE OF THREE STYROFOAM PADS LOCATED IN EACH REAR DOOR AS PART OF THE DESIGN FOR ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS NO. 214, "SIDE DOOR STRENGTH," WAS NOT INSTALLED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, AN OCCUPANT WOULD NOT BE PROPERLY PROTECTED INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE MISSING PAD IN EACH REAR DOOR.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.