← New search

2017 Nissan Sentra

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2017 Nissan Sentra do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 116.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

104 reports with mileage · 126 unknown

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.

  • Power Train. Review the 76 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

29 crash reports6 fire reports18 injury reports

Engine complaints

48 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Aug 1, 2024
Engine

To Whom it May Concern, I am writing because there has been transmission issues that my 2017 Nissan Sentra SV has been experiencing since I purchased the car brand new on 04/22/2017. I have documentation of me taking it back to Nissan within the first year due to shaking, overheating and a problem accelerating. Nissan has conti…

Read full complaint

To Whom it May Concern, I am writing because there has been transmission issues that my 2017 Nissan Sentra SV has been experiencing since I purchased the car brand new on 04/22/2017. I have documentation of me taking it back to Nissan within the first year due to shaking, overheating and a problem accelerating. Nissan has continued to put a bandaid on the cause and has not addressed the real issue in which is the transmission. There are many articles and court documentation of the Nissan CVT Transmission giving people problems in which have bought their cars from 2013-2017/2018. I have taken my car to Nissan and they refuse to address the faulty transmission or pay for any of the repairs. I have documentation over the years from accredited mechanics in which report that the transmission needs. They are trying to charge me over $7,000 for a transmission repair when they are the reason in which it went out to begin with. My car continuted to jerk while driving and stopped while driving in which put myself and others at risk. The dealer acknowledged the recall on CVT transmission and their faulty parts but did not fix it. There was NO warning light or lamos that went off prior to this going out and leaving me stranded on the side of the road. My car was looked at in April of 2024 at Nissan and was told there was no Transmission issues then i come in and all of a sudden they state it needs to be replaced.

NHTSA ODI #11605885

Mileage unknown · Jul 1, 2024
Electrical SystemEngineExterior Lighting

I took my car into the dealership for a recall repair and the following day, I started having situations where the I push the pedal down and the car would not initially move but then would "catch" and begin driving again. What is happening now however is that while I am driving, the car appears to shut off (headlights turn off a…

Read full complaint

I took my car into the dealership for a recall repair and the following day, I started having situations where the I push the pedal down and the car would not initially move but then would "catch" and begin driving again. What is happening now however is that while I am driving, the car appears to shut off (headlights turn off and all of the lights come on the dash) and then all of the lights on the dash go off, headlights turn back on, and then the car "restarts" and continues to drive.

NHTSA ODI #11597855

Mileage unknown · Jun 5, 2024
EngineSteeringVehicle Speed Control

My 2017 Nissan Sentra S has a very serious problem whenever my RPM reach 3.5 to 4.It starts jerking and I can't accelerate anymore,in one occasion after the jerking stop I couldn't drive no more than 5 miles per hour.i have checked for any visible issues but none. No warning lights come on, I carry a scanner with me OBD2 but it …

Read full complaint

My 2017 Nissan Sentra S has a very serious problem whenever my RPM reach 3.5 to 4.It starts jerking and I can't accelerate anymore,in one occasion after the jerking stop I couldn't drive no more than 5 miles per hour.i have checked for any visible issues but none. No warning lights come on, I carry a scanner with me OBD2 but it doesn't have any codes. I have gone online to find a solution but I'm coming across hundreds of people with the same issue but no solution.i called the dealer and I was told that since the car is salvaged there is nothing they can do The car still jerking I just to keep it under or at 3rpm but I can never get on the freeway due to this issue

NHTSA ODI #11592567

139,401 miles · May 17, 2024
Engine

The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the instrument panel was displayed properly; however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or …

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the instrument panel was displayed properly; however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was instructed by the mechanic to replace the key fob battery, but the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 139,401.

NHTSA ODI #11589286

90,087 miles · Jan 12, 2024
Engine

The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH coming off the highway and coming to a complete stop at a traffic light, the vehicle was shifted into park to adjust the clock. After shifting to drive and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate …

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH coming off the highway and coming to a complete stop at a traffic light, the vehicle was shifted into park to adjust the clock. After shifting to drive and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate above 35 MPH. The contact stated that the check engine and traction control light warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. However, the contact stated that the fuel pump and accelerator pedal sensor were previously replaced, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,087.

NHTSA ODI #11565062

Mileage unknown · Dec 12, 2023
EnginePower Train

The CVT seems to shudder uncontrollably when accelerating from zero and also when driving at 60mph on the interstate. The RPMs fluctuate erratically and spontaneously when traveling at 60mph or higher. Yes, the car can be inspected upon request-it does the shuddering every time it accelerates from zero. My safety and the pass…

Read full complaint

The CVT seems to shudder uncontrollably when accelerating from zero and also when driving at 60mph on the interstate. The RPMs fluctuate erratically and spontaneously when traveling at 60mph or higher. Yes, the car can be inspected upon request-it does the shuddering every time it accelerates from zero. My safety and the passengers safety is at risk if the car were to stop functioning while driving on interstate. Yes, the problem has been reproduced by a local service center. No, the problem has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representative. Would like to have the car inspected by the above if it were at no cost to me since it's a Nissan CVT issue. No, warning lamps or messages are on the dash. Problems began to appear in 2021.

NHTSA ODI #11559698

Mileage unknown · Nov 9, 2023
EngineSteeringVehicle Speed Control

Steering wheel went unsteady. All warning lights went off. Speedometer failed. Unable to shut off the engine and unable to detect key while having the key in place. My safety and others are at risk each time this happens due to not been able to have control of the vehicle speed while having unsteady steering wheel and not know…

Read full complaint

Steering wheel went unsteady. All warning lights went off. Speedometer failed. Unable to shut off the engine and unable to detect key while having the key in place. My safety and others are at risk each time this happens due to not been able to have control of the vehicle speed while having unsteady steering wheel and not knowing of the possibility of breaks failing while trying to drive to a safe place. This has happen about 5-8 times this year. Nissan replaced the IPDM and has continue to failed multiple times after. They have not been able to detect the cause. I have records of each time it has happen and one of those times was while driving on highway. My life and others have been at risk.

NHTSA ODI #11554450

Mileage unknown · Oct 12, 2023
EngineService Brakes

The car experienced sudden lack of power in the middle gears and was unable to accelerate. At the same time it displayed the sliding car icon indicating a brake issue. It came and went for a couple of weeks and then just would not pick up speed in the middle gears. The car is a 6 speed manual. The code thrown was for a manifold …

Read full complaint

The car experienced sudden lack of power in the middle gears and was unable to accelerate. At the same time it displayed the sliding car icon indicating a brake issue. It came and went for a couple of weeks and then just would not pick up speed in the middle gears. The car is a 6 speed manual. The code thrown was for a manifold control valve failure. We could not get Nissan to schedule a repair so we took it to an independent who had to replace the entire manifold as no service parts were otherwise available. They could find no reason for the sliding car icon to have kept coming on. Even after the manifold replacement it continues to do so at random times. It causes concern over the brakes which is disconcerting at the least. The sudden loss of acceleration while the problem was going on also caused a few scary moments. Nissan was contacted and declined to reimburse us nor did they offer to check the car. This car has been serviced by the dealer exclusively except for the manifold replacement and the service schedule was adhered to. It is a 2017 model and now has under 45,000 miles. It had about 41,000 when the problem occurred. No reason for such an early failure. It is a relatively rare model so no information was available.

NHTSA ODI #11549679

Mileage unknown · Sep 11, 2023
EnginePower Train

The CVT has failed in my car causing multiple issues with jerking, shaking, stuttering. When i was making a left turn, my car hesitated and almost caused an accident because I didnt have the power to pull out when I should have. Now the repair is being quoted over $5k because they are saying I need an all new transmission. N…

Read full complaint

The CVT has failed in my car causing multiple issues with jerking, shaking, stuttering. When i was making a left turn, my car hesitated and almost caused an accident because I didnt have the power to pull out when I should have. Now the repair is being quoted over $5k because they are saying I need an all new transmission. No warning lamps, messages have been indicated on my dash

NHTSA ODI #11543762

Mileage unknown · Aug 10, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineVehicle Speed Control

CONCERN: This is the second time the engine does not shut off. All warning lights go off, unsteady steering wheel and odometer/odograph failed. This is not just a malfunction issue it is a severe safety concern. Back in January of 2023 it happen for the first time and was told Control Unit IPDM, Engine Room needed to be repla…

Read full complaint

CONCERN: This is the second time the engine does not shut off. All warning lights go off, unsteady steering wheel and odometer/odograph failed. This is not just a malfunction issue it is a severe safety concern. Back in January of 2023 it happen for the first time and was told Control Unit IPDM, Engine Room needed to be replaced and it was. But once again while driving the steering wheel went unsteady, all warning lights went off, odometer/odograph failed while on the road. This is an extremely safety concern. I bought the car brand new and as of now it has not been in any car accidents.

NHTSA ODI #11537746

Official recalls

3

21V135000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

Mar 3, 2021

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Nissan Sentra vehicles. The brake light switch may become contaminated, preventing the circuit from closing and the brake lights from illuminating.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake light switch and install a protective grommet, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 1, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PM971.

18V551000 · Electrical System:ignition

Aug 21, 2018

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2018 Frontier, Versa Note, and Versa Sedan vehicles that have a mechanical (physical) key ignition system. In these models, over time, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the vehicle stalls, it can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the production information on the ignition switch, and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

17V253000 · Air Bags

Apr 13, 2017

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error within the air bag inflators, the passenger frontal air bag may not properly deploy in the event of a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag doesn't deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury to passengers.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.