Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Nissan Sentra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was operating my vehicle on riverside drive in studio city, california when the vehicle shook abruptly followed a few seconds later with a loud explosion. Debris and oil sprayed onto my hood and I had to nearly avoid an accident as my car was completely out of control. I was able to turn the wheel slightly and pull to the side. It was at this point the vehicle caught fire under the hood and I immediately got out of the vehicle. My father who was following me ran to the nearest gas station in an attempt to calm the flames while I called 911. The vehicle was still on fire when the fire department arrived. Eventually they were able to put the flames out and open the hood. Under the hood you can see a fire starting from the electrical and battery area leading to the engine. The car was deemed a total loss a few days later by my insurance. It appeared the battery overheated.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Nissan Sentra. While driving 65 MPH, the rpms increased and the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was able to be coasted to the side of the road. The contact powered off the engine. Once restarted, the vehicle was able to drive normally. The failure recurred three times. The contact called alan jay Nissan at [phone] (located at 1700 flare rd, sebring, fl 33872) where an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,481.
Driving over an hour and the car starts to struggle, I can feel it loosing power, in order to not press down all the way, I'm doing a give n go praying I dont stop on the freeway. I would sometimes feel jumping and that I'm not in full control and it has stopped on me in a 15minute drive. I have gotten, a diagnostic, 1time it had 4different transmission codes and another a fuel code. Not sure what's going on, this started around the 60,000 mile I'm at 90,000 now, so ya, it's been rough.
While driving vehicle engine lost power and vehicle slowed. When an attempt was made to determine the cause of the power loss heavy black smoke and flames were observed from the engine compartment. Vehicle became fully involved within 3 minutes. Local fire department responded to extingush fire. Cause undertermined. Fires point of origin was in the area of the ECM/brake master cylinder. Well maintained vehicle, no fluid leaks,mechanical issues or warning lights prior to incident.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Nissan Sentra. While driving unknown speeds, the brake pedal was applied and the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact called orr Nissan (3131 e beebe capps expy, searcy, ar 72143, [phone]) and was informed that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and did not assist. The failure mileage was 153,000.
My check engine light came on in my car about the same time as we noticed a ticking noise coming from the engine. I took my car to the dealership the next morning to have it looked at. I was told I would need a new engine because oil sludge built up in my engine. They wanted $6300. I had 20K miles on my car. The warranty wouldn't cover it because I had my oil changes done by family and I didn't have the receipts for my oil filters and the oil we bought. I have checked different sources online and this seems to be a problem with 2008 Nissan Sentra's, but the warranty department denies it. I asked them if they would at least take some fault since I couldn't find receipts (even if the oil was never changed, an engine in a brand new car should not be sludged after 20K miles of it), but they would not do anything. They wouldn't discount the cost to me at all. …
I pulled out of my driveway in June 2014 and the car stalled at about 15 miles per hour while I was driving and the engine light came on. I drive a Nissan Sentra 2008 that I brought in November 2011 with 32,000 miles on it. I took the car to a Nissan dealership and they stated that it was the camshaft sensor that needed to be replaced and it would cost $500. I had already replace the air sensor in 2013 for $400 at the same dealership when the car had 52,000 miles because the engine light was coming on. I contacted Nissan customer service to explore why at 72,000 miles the car needs the camshaft sensor replace and was this a common occurrence. They did not help; had limited answers and stated that they will contact the dealership in 3 to 5 business days regarding financial assistance and explanation. I decided to get the camshaft sensor replaced somewhere else. …
When purchasing my used vehicle from el monte Toyota, notice sensor for tire on, was told be fixed, months later learn rim missing sensor. Light in car also don't work. Driving car immediately was stalling out shutting off when idol. Took car back week later since within 30 day warranty spoke to customer service on recorded call and she didn't thoroughly document conversation. Upon waiting four hours next week, tech drove the car never do a diagnostic. After warranty expired car regularly shut off triggering transmission codes. Out of pocket I paid for transmission flush twice, throttle body replacement, brakes, learning there was transmission recall 2010. Falling behind in payments due.to excessive repair expenses took car to fix at Nissan to get a list more of defects I couldn't afford. I filed a claim with Toyota and was denied by the manager. …
While driving to florida from dc for vacation, the engine started making a rattling noise. Since we were on a trip, I figured I would top off the engine oil just in case. The engine was bone dry. The noise seemed to go away after adding oil at first, but then the noise became louder, and the engine light came on. We took the car to the nearest dealer we could find. When they lifted the hood at the dealer, the oil had exploded and was everywhere. We were told there was catastrophic engine failure in my 2008 Sentra, but they could not determine the exact cause. Since I did not have my maintenance records with me (I was on vacation), they refused to even contact Nissan warranty without proof of all oil changes. They claimed the engine failed due to lack of oil changes. I could not afford a factory engine, so the purchase of a used 2008 Sentra engine voided my extended warranty. …
On June 20, 2016, I took my car into a Nissan certified dealership to have the transmission redone under the extended warranty that Nissan did for the CVT engine. The car drove fine and then in the beginning of August 2019 just 3 yrs later and 40,00 miles on the new transmission, the transmission is messing up again and we are told that we have to replace the transmission for the second time at our cost. After doing some research I found out that there was a service bulletin sent out to the technician on August 15, 2014 stating that a 2007-2012 Sentra will need a transmission cooler added to the CVT to prevent it from overheating. The Nissan dealership did not put that on our car when we had our transmission redone under their extended warranty in 2016, and now because of their lack of responsibility our transmission is out, and Nissan is not wanting to make it right.
Engine complaints in other Sentra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2008 Nissan Sentra?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2008 Nissan Sentra, 15% of the model year's 167 complaints. The component named most often is engine (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Nissan Sentra engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2008 Nissan Sentra, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Nissan Sentra engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.