Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Nissan Sentra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I had an appointment for 10am I called ahead to confirm the estimated amount of time I was told it would take 2-4 hours. When I arrived they refused to service my vehicle they claimed they we're busy and refused to service my recall and treated me like a nuisance and with little respect. I spoke to the Nissan representative of San Leandro on Marina Blvd.
Nissan Dealer locally will not repair my vehicle as per the recall for my air bags. Have driven out of town to a Nissan dealer and they said they did not have the part in stock and could not fix it. I would like to have my car fixed before the passenger air bag EXPLODES.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Nissan Sentra. While driving 65 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal, which failed to engage and caused the contact to rear end another vehicle causing that vehicle to rear end another vehicle. The contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the front driver's side and passenger side air bags failed to deploy as well as the seat belts failed to restrain the occupants. The contact stated that both she and the passenger heads come in contact with the windshield. The contact sustained cuts to the head and back pains. The front seat passenger sustained a cut to the right side of his head, neck and back pains. Medical attention was not sought. The contact was unaware of injuries sustained in the other vehicles. A police report was not filed. …
I was driving this car but had stopped to let traffic by (in a turn lane) when an oncoming truck barrelled toward me & hit me head-on, going about 40 MPH. His truck bent in the whole front of my Sentra but my neither my driver-side or passenger-side airbag went off to protect me & my daughter! There is a recall on the airbags, citing they could erupt & are dangerous, so I don't know if it's good or bad that they didn't deploy?? We were stopped & still in a turn lane on a city street. My car was totalled & wrecker got it. Few weeks later it was sent to salvage/auction company. I am disabled &can't upload pictures etc but can send you email w of my insurance adjuster & police report if you tell where to send it. But I don't know how to upload things, etc. I just think the bags should have deployed but didn't. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Nissan Sentra. The contact's daughter was involved in a crash. The air bags deployed with explosive force. The vehicle was destroyed. The explosions occurred a few minutes after the air bags deployed. The contact's daughter was injured and received medical attention. A police report was filed. The contact discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V287000 (air bags), but was not notified to have the vehicle repaired. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was unavailable. ..updated 06-16-15 updated 8/10/15 updated 10/18/2017
The passenger-side airbag improperly deployed thereby exploding and rupturing which resulted in significant and permanent injuries.....updated 02-03-15......updated 03/31/15 updated 9/19/2017
2005 Nissan Sentra. Consumer writes in regards to airbag recall notice issues recall # 15V287000. The consumer stated two years he was involved in an accident and the air bag did not deploy.
1) I heard that airbags on my car May not function as they are designed to do. There May be a recall. Please advise. 2) for the past 3-4 months, I have noticed a thumping sound/vibration when I press my brakes. It doesn't do it everyday. Some days, after the car is driven a few miles, every single time I use my brakes the first time I noticed it, I was driving and had to put on brakes suddenly and I heard it. Now it still happens, but I hear and feel a thumping underneath the floor on the left back-when there is a passenger sitting behind the driver and this sound occurs, they report to me that they can actually feel the thump under their feet. Other days I don't hear it all. If I have a full load of four people, I hear it and feel it frequently. Sometime it sounds like its under the trunk or in that back seat area. …
I own a 2005 Nissan Sentra which my daughter drives. This car has front airbags as well as side airbags. My daughter had an accident 2 years ago. She hit the back of another car. There was $4,000 worth of damage to the front end. I was concerned because the airbags did not deploy. On Saturday she was driving to ny from va and was traveling 45 MPH and a car stopped suddenly in the middle of the street. She tried to swerve out of the way, but ended up slamming into the back of the other car. The insurance company totaled the car yesterday....again non of the air bags deployed. There was nothing left to the front of the car and it also smashed the drivers side of the car. No air bags deployed, front or side.
Tl* Takata recall the contact owns a 2005 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V008000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated dublin Nissan located at 2046 veterans blvd, dublin, ga 31021 exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2002-2006 Sentra vehicles whose passenger air bags were previously inspected and may have been released without replacing the Takata air bag inflator.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been completed. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will re-inspect the vehicle and, if necessary, replace the air bag inflator, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020.
Air bags
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA investigations
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Airbag complaints in other Sentra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2005 Nissan Sentra?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the air bags of the 2005 Nissan Sentra, 12% of the model year's 170 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2005 Nissan Sentra airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 20V-747 (inflator module, Dec 1, 2020); NHTSA recall 20V-008 (inflator module, Jan 9, 2020); NHTSA recall 15V-287 (air bags, May 15, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Nissan Sentra airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 139,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 1 fire and 7 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.