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2021 Nissan Sentra

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2021 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

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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: 21 of 131 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.

  • Steering. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

14 crash reports1 fire reports8 injury reports

What owners actually said

131 reports
Mileage unknown · Oct 16, 2023
Power Train

The first week of October my car making a terrible sound. My husband took it to South point Nissan Austin Tx. My brand new car needs a transmission It has trouble shifting gears, Making a loud “jet engine” sound. The dealer promised a loaner and never came through with it. I’m driving it as little as possible. Bumming rides and …

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The first week of October my car making a terrible sound. My husband took it to South point Nissan Austin Tx. My brand new car needs a transmission It has trouble shifting gears, Making a loud “jet engine” sound. The dealer promised a loaner and never came through with it. I’m driving it as little as possible. Bumming rides and walking while I await a transmission replacement. Yes you are welcome to inspect No prior warning as I stated it’s a new car with 36,700 miles. I have warranty but this transmission is not safe Will replacement be any better?? It’s same transmission.

NHTSA ODI #11550256

Mileage unknown · Oct 9, 2023
Forward Collision AvoidanceService BrakesSteering

Vehicles will slams on brakes as if it is trying to avoid something in front of the vehicle. This has randomly happened several times at different driving speeds. This has been reported to dealership with no resolution because they cannot duplicate. In addition, I have had the same serious recall involving the Tie Rod for my veh…

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Vehicles will slams on brakes as if it is trying to avoid something in front of the vehicle. This has randomly happened several times at different driving speeds. This has been reported to dealership with no resolution because they cannot duplicate. In addition, I have had the same serious recall involving the Tie Rod for my vehicle and there is no resolution. The dealership will tell you how serious the issue is and that there is stop sale on these vehicles to entice you to trade in the vehicle instead of trying to make it right with the consumer.

NHTSA ODI #11548994

43,177 miles · Sep 28, 2023
Seat BeltsSteeringCrashInjury

The contact owned a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle began to slide, hydroplane, and crash into a cement ditch drain.  There were no warning lights illuminated. The passenger side seat belt failed to lock completely, and the occupant was thrown around in …

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The contact owned a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle began to slide, hydroplane, and crash into a cement ditch drain.  There were no warning lights illuminated. The passenger side seat belt failed to lock completely, and the occupant was thrown around in the vehicle. The occupant who was occupying the passenger side front seat was taken to the hospital, and it was confirmed that he sustained right elbow and air bag burns and lower intestines injuries. The air bag was deployed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The contact called the local dealer. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who test-drove the vehicle prior to the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (steering). The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The failure mileage was approximately 43,177.

NHTSA ODI #11547043

Mileage unknown · Sep 26, 2023
Steering

The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and determined that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonab…

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The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and determined that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11546566

Mileage unknown · Sep 22, 2023
Steering

The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manu…

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The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11545989

Mileage unknown · Sep 18, 2023
EngineService BrakesSteering

I am writing to file a formal complaint against Koeppel Nissan regarding their refusal to service my vehicle for a factory safety recall (tie rod replacement) and additional services upon request such as; clogged drain(water inside car doors), wheel alignment, evaporator core leakage( water on back seat floor), tire rotation, w…

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I am writing to file a formal complaint against Koeppel Nissan regarding their refusal to service my vehicle for a factory safety recall (tie rod replacement) and additional services upon request such as; clogged drain(water inside car doors), wheel alignment, evaporator core leakage( water on back seat floor), tire rotation, water in spare wheel well & front door check strap repair. I believe it is imperative to bring this matter to your attention, as it poses a significant risk to public safety and may be in violation of the applicable regulations and guidelines. On September 18, 2023, I visited Koeppel Nissan in Jackson Heights Queens, NY for my scheduled appointment in order to address a safety recall on my vehicle. However, to my astonishment, the dealership's service department declined to service my vehicle, citing reasons that were neither reasonable nor justifiable. Upon explaining that I was being rushed due to time constraints and poorly serviced in the past, the dealership's staff in question displayed a dismissive and unprofessional attitude towards my concerns. Despite my insistence on the urgency of the safety recall, regrettably, the situation escalated to a point where I was asked to leave the premises without having my car serviced. Subsequently, I have preferably decided to no longer do business with this dealership in regards to servicing my vehicle and I wish to seek other alternative solutions at another car dealership location. It is my understanding that as a registered dealership, Koeppel Nissan has an obligation to promptly and adequately address safety recalls on the vehicles they have sold. This obligation is not only a matter of legal compliance but also a moral responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of their customers.

NHTSA ODI #11545214

69,661 miles · Sep 11, 2023
Steering

The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and pulling out of a parking lot on a leveled road surface, the vehicle hit a pothole, and upon attempting to make a turn, the vehicle made a popping sound and the front passenger's side wheel seized. The contact was able to pull to the side of the ro…

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The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and pulling out of a parking lot on a leveled road surface, the vehicle hit a pothole, and upon attempting to make a turn, the vehicle made a popping sound and the front passenger's side wheel seized. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that while a bystander was inspecting the front passenger's side wheel, a piece of the tie rod fell onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the tie rod had fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer and a second dealer, Kraft Nissan (3277 Mahan Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32308) were contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 69,661.

NHTSA ODI #11543835

40,000 miles · Sep 11, 2023
Steering

The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel started to shake. The power steering warning light and the coll…

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The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel started to shake. The power steering warning light and the collision warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the contact had not yet been informed of the diagnostic result. The contact was informed that the parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11543775

Mileage unknown · Aug 30, 2023
Steering

The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manu…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11541710

Mileage unknown · Aug 22, 2023
Forward Collision AvoidanceUnknown Or Other

So while driving my car, no car infront of or anything running out in the road. Going 45 mph my car automatically slammed on brakes by itself. Causing the car behind me to swing around me to avoid hitting me in my rear. A similar situation happened back in May 2023 resulting me to put the car in the shop & was told it was correc…

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So while driving my car, no car infront of or anything running out in the road. Going 45 mph my car automatically slammed on brakes by itself. Causing the car behind me to swing around me to avoid hitting me in my rear. A similar situation happened back in May 2023 resulting me to put the car in the shop & was told it was corrected.

NHTSA ODI #11540158

Official recalls

3

23V628000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Sep 8, 2023

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23C3.

23V581000 · Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly

Aug 15, 2023

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may bend.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A bent tie rod can break and cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Owners are advised to contact their dealer for transport assistance if they are experiencing an off-center steering wheel or vibration. As an interim repair, dealers will inspect and replace any bent or broken tie rods, free of charge. Once newly designed parts are available, dealers will replace both left and right tie rods, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed November 27, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23B3. This recall replaces and expands recall number 21V-461. Vehicles previously repaired under 21V-461 will need to have the new remedy completed.

21V461000 · Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly

Jun 17, 2021

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may be bent.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A bent tie rod can break, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the left and/or right tie rods as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 5, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PM985.

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.