Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
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 purchased my 2005 Nissan Sentra from a private seller in 2007 with the total mileage of 9,100. After six months of driving the service light came on and I took it to my mechanic whom I have used for all my automobiles. I was told the seal on the vapor hose was loose and he could tighten it, but it would only be a temporary fix. The cost to repair the seal was out of my price range. Since 2007 the service light on my dash would light up intermittently whether the vehicle was in motion or stationary. I would have to wait for the light to switch off before I could go for an inspection sticker. A couple of times the inspectors at the station told me of the vapor leak and were nice enough to tighten the seal to the vapor hose so the car could pass inspection. To date the seal on the vapor hose has not been repaired and I am concerned about a fire hazard. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Nissan Sentra. While operating the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 205,000.
After fueling car (I.e. Pump auto shuts off) and fuel pump is removed, a gurgling sound can be heard from within the car's fuel filler and then gasoline is pushed out and overflows, spilling out dangerously onto the ground. Car is stationary, turned off, at gas station with keys removed. Happens once or twice a year.
While pumping gas after 1.50 or less pump shuts off and gas spills out on to the ground this over and over while trying to put 20.00 in takes so long and so much gas spilling out is dangerous and now my engine light is on which happen at the same time
Vapor canister - fuel is spilling all over the ground when filling up because the vapor canister does not work properly. The company refuses to take any care of it despite the fact it is a recall 05V269000.
My daughter was driving down the freeway and slowed down going so me ral road tracks and the. Car stalled, it scared her a lot being she was on the freeway, she was abel to pull over half scared to death because the steering wheel got stiff not knowing the car had stalled and as you know when a car stalles and your ignition is on on all your warning lights cycle in the middle of a busy freeway, she was very fortunate she did not have a accident, this happened all of a sudden, had never done it before, my son took it to get it checked at a parts store and said it had a bad battery so he replaced it. …
Tl contact owns a 2005 Nissan Sentra. The engine light illuminated on the instrument panel and the contact waited before taking the vehicle to autozone. She was informed that one of her control valves had closed. She attempted to have the vehicle diagnosed by the dealer, but they were unable to perform an inspection. Throughout this process, the contact went to fill up the vehicle with gasoline, but the pump kept clicking and indicated that the tank was full. The clicking would occur every few seconds. The contact was unsure if the failure was due to the vehicle or the actual gasoline pump. The contact smelled a strong smell of gasoline inside the passenger compartment, and went online to research possible defects. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Nissan Sentra. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the engine staled with the illumination of the entire instrument panel. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road safely. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the crank shaft position sensor was replaced at the owner's expense. There was a recall under NHTSA campaign id number 07V527000 (engine and engine cooling); however the VIN was unavailable. In addition, whenever refueling the fuel would spray out of the fuel tank filler neck. There was a recall related to the defect under NHTSA campaign id number 05V269000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage). The VIN was inelgible under the recall; however the dealer had taken responsibility of the repair expense. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
I bought me a 2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8 on January of 2010. I was told by the dealer that they get great gas mileage and are a very reliable car to have. I have learned fast this was not so. My car is now not wanting to start, it is shifting very hard and sometimes wont shift and I can smell something burning especially when driving up a hill, my keypad will not work to lock or unlock my car but will open the trunk, the lock-unlock button inside the car will not work, and none of my windows will roll down. This is bs. I have told and will proceed to tell everyone I know to not buy a Nissan. This has made me not want to trust any of your vehicles again and I will probably go to a diff. Dealer and get something well worth my money. I am not paying 8,000 dollars on a car that just keeps tearing up, especially when parts are way to expensive!
The service engine soon light came on 3 years and 2 months after the purchase of the 2005 Nissan Sentra se-r. I noticed a decrease of 10 mpg in fuel economy within 48 hours of the service engine light coming on. I took it to a Nissan dealer in sarasota florida and they informed me that it was the throttle body sensor that was bad. I asked if they had the part in stock and they said yes. That means that this is a consistent problem if Nissan is going to have throttle body's in stock. They went to the computer and Nissan would pay for everything with the customer paying a $100 deductible. The part alone is $180.00 and it is very easy to replace yourself but the average person would end up paying over $300 for a defective part that will go bad every three years or so. The mileage of the vehicle at the time of repair was 34K miles.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage
On certain passenger vehicles, a vapor hose located in the fuel tank May not have been formed correctly during the manufacturing process. When the vehicle is parked with a full fuel tank, fuel May flow into the vapor hose, which is connected to a vapor canister.
Remedy: Dealers will check the vapor hose connections in the fuel tank to determine if a poor seal exists. If a poor seal is identified, a new fuel tank will be installed free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2005.
Fuel System complaints in other Sentra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2005 Nissan Sentra?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2005 Nissan Sentra, 22% of the model year's 170 complaints. The component named most often is storage (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Nissan Sentra fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 05V-269 (storage, Jun 7, 2005). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Nissan Sentra fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 89,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
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.