Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 11% | — |
| 2025 | 4 | 13% | 6,000 miles |
| 2024 | 3 | 7% | 26,000 miles |
| 2023 | 3 | 15% | 100,000 miles |
| 2022 | 7 | 9% | — |
| 2021 | 7 | 5% | 75,000 miles |
| 2020 | 9 | 4% | 29,000 miles |
| 2019 | 20 | 9% | 62,000 miles |
| 2018 | 22 | 12% | 51,000 miles |
| 2017 | 49 | 21% | 42,000 miles |
| 2016 | 48 | 18% | 59,000 miles |
| 2015 | 70 | 20% | 65,000 miles |
| 2014 | 65 | 17% | 74,000 miles |
| 2013 | 91 | 14% | 41,000 miles |
| 2012 | 40 | 22% | 85,000 miles |
| 2011 | 34 | 24% | 75,000 miles |
| 2010 | 43 | 30% | 80,000 miles |
| 2009 | 6 | 11% | 61,000 miles |
| 2008 | 25 | 15% | 54,000 miles |
| 2007 | 22 | 14% | 56,000 miles |
| 2006 | 33 | 28% | 96,000 miles |
| 2005 | 78 | 46% | 76,000 miles |
| 2004 | 85 | 43% | 75,000 miles |
| 2003 | 107 | 59% | 70,000 miles |
| 2002 | 153 | 50% | 79,000 miles |
| 2001 | 108 | 46% | 61,000 miles |
| 2000 | 77 | 45% | 62,000 miles |
| 1999 | 8 | 14% | 88,000 miles |
| 1998 | 4 | 7% | 83,000 miles |
| 1997 | 7 | 6% | 40,000 miles |
| 1996 | 9 | 6% | 30,000 miles |
| 1995 | 12 | 10% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2025 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Shift to Park" message displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact turned on the hazard lights and waited for the vehicle to cool down before restarting. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the grille shutter needed to be replaced, but only the check engine warning light was reset. The failure recurred several times, and the vehicle was then taken to Pohanka Nissan of Fredericksburg (10665 Patriot Hwy, Fredericksburg, VA 22408); who also determined that the grille shutter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later discovered that the vehicle was previously owned by Enterprise Rent-A-Car and was involved in a crash. …
I purchased this car around January 2025 & around August 2025 I started having battery issues. It's currently March 2026. I have to keep having the battery jumped at. When he battery wasn't jumping I had to get it sent to a nissan where they said nothing was wrong with the car so the next day the battery failed again.. and again each day . I have to keep calling AAA to come have the car jumped which I ended up just getting a portable battery jumper which works sometimes but other times I would have to call AAA of course, or if it doesn't start at all, I will have to get it told to nissan. Certain times the car would start up and then when you pull out the parking space it'll start shaking and then you're driving in the car will slowly turn off. You'll just be sitting there and that's the main time you'll have to get it towed to the dealership. …
The contact owns a 2024 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, several warning lights and messages, including the "Check Engine" and "CVT Malfunction Service Now" were displayed on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that while at a stoplight, the vehicle either jerked or hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to shut off while shifted into park(P) and pressing the START/STOP button. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions, where the contact was repeatedly informed that there was no failure found with the vehicle. On a recent visit, the contact was informed that there was a faulty, unknown sensor that needed to be replaced; however, the part needed for the repair needed to be ordered. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
Started having problems within first two months of purchase, bought new in April 24. Charge ports stopped working. Also reported to dealer electric burn smell. Hesitate to start/stop with push button. Feels like loses power while driving. Rpms revs unexpectedly. Almost wrecked a few times due to this. Happens during continuous driving, not stop and go traffic. Sometimes when put in park, it will jerk hard. Sometimes when put in park and turn off, doors don't unlock automatically. Car will jerk when starting at times. Forward collision light comes on often. Sounds like front rotors or something in the front rubs while driving. Auto engine off/on sometimes doesn't work. The first time I took it to the dealer, they didn't record their visual inspection. They blamed a lot of stuff on rodent nests. …
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled and unintendedly decelerated. The vehicle was driven to the parking lot and came to a complete stop. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. Upon arrival at the residence, the vehicle failed to restart with the check engine warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic arrived at the residence, and the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had seized. The local dealer was contacted, and an estimate for the repair was provided. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and was not repaired. The mechanic stated that the engine was cracked and was a rebuilt engine, not a new engine. The contact purchased a used engine from a salvage yard for replacement. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
Upon purchasing the vehicle on December 21, 2024, I immediately noticed a delay in acceleration when pressing the gas pedal, particularly after the vehicle had been idling for some time. This delay creates a significant safety risk, especially in situations where quick acceleration is needed, such as merging onto highways or avoiding accidents. Additionally, the vehicle displays incorrect fuel mileage readings, leading to poor fuel consumption and inaccurate fuel gauge readings, further jeopardizing safety due to the potential misjudgment of remaining fuel. During the test drive with the service manager, he almost got into two accidents because of the delay in acceleration. He acknowledged that the issue was caused by the updated CVT transmissions and stated that it would be best to return the car. Despite this, the dealership was unable to fix the problem after multiple visits. …
We purchased the vehicle around December of 2021, around July of 2022 the vehicle started stalling while driving; at first it started at slow speeds driving in the neighborhood, then started happening about 4-5 times a week. Essentially, you could be driving at forward speeds of 10-50 mph, and the car would stall, intermittently a message would appear on the display with a warning sign and "Vehicle Stalled Stop Safely". However, with each stall the warning may or may not appear. Then this started occurring at highway speeds up to 75 mph, with same intermittent warning. At time of stall you lose all power, steering gets stiff, and pressing accelerator does nothing. The warning only appears after the stall, so at that point you have lost power to the engine. We took the vehicle into Reed Nissan for service, they stated diagnostics showed no errors, we cannot help. …
Vehicle lunges while trying to stop. In heavy rush hour traffic vehicle nearly lurches a vehicle length while slowly applying the break. For months the dealership claimed it was "functioning as expected" 7 visits later they finally determined it is the election intake valve. Dealership refuses to replace the part and it is a known issue, was sent away 2 times without it being fixed and they are aware I'm still driving it with the malfunctioning part. Huge safety risk! Vehicle other issues have been ERG valve, motor mount, plastic parts coming off, master control switch in the door, electric intake valve, crash detection system failure and throwing codes, many more codes not provided by the dealerships. Death trap vehicle, Nissan will not address issues. Owned for 8 months 15 visits to the dealerships 2 + months out of service and still no resolution! …
Related recalls (7)
Engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crankshaft position sensor can overheat causing a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. Certain my 2006 altimas which have been previously remedied under recall campaign 06V223 (Nissan r0606) are not included in this recall since the reprogramming for 06V223…
Engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crank angle sensor is affected by temperature variations. Under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. The recall began on August 21, 2006. Owners May contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Engine and engine cooling
Certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5l engines May experience excessive engine oil consumption as a result of improper performance of the piston rings.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the electronic control module (ECM or engine computer). Your vehicle will also be inspected to determine if it has been consuming engine oil at a higher than normal rate.
Engine and engine cooling
On certain electric vehicles, the front suspension transverse link's ball joint bracket May break from stress concentration at a notch created by surface roughness and the shape of the material cut-line.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the bracket on these vehicles. Owner notification began December 15, 2003. Owners should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor May have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s).
Show 2 more recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
On certain vehicles equipped with the 2.5 liter engine, the exhaust pipe hanger pin May catch debris from the road that could be ignited by contact with the main catalyst. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions May cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the protruding portion of the exhaust pipe hanger pin. In addition to the corrective action, in order to reduce the risk of fire in the event of poor or improper maintenance that could result in oil…
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with a 1.8 liter engine. The engine could stop running while being driven due to a defective crank position sensor. This could also result in the "service engine soon" warning light coming on or reduced engine power.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Owner notification began December 10, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy…
Frequently asked questions
Which Nissan Sentra years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (153), 2001 (108), 2003 (107), 2013 (91) and 2004 (85) model years. Engine complaints make up 50% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Nissan Sentra engine problems?
Yes — 7 recalls, including 07V-527 (engine and engine cooling, Nov 14, 2007); 06V-242 (engine and engine cooling, Jul 7, 2006); 06V-223 (engine and engine cooling, Jun 21, 2006). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Nissan Sentra engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles; 33% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (160 mentions), followed by the engine › gasoline (52).
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.