Reliable Auto DB

2018 Nissan Sentra reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 185 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Sentra over 9 years — 23 per year. The other Sentra years sit at about the same rate: their median is 21 complaints per year. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Switch and Camera.

2012 Nissan Sentra
Photo by Throwawayacc222, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC0
Complaints

185

Per year

23

Recalls

2

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (46 of 185), then Service brakes (38) and Electrical system (32). Those filings include 17 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, 10 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Sentra has 230 complaints, 20 per year, and the 2019 has 222 complaints, 28 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Nissan Sentra. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall exterior lighting, brake lights, switch 2021-03-03 · NHTSA campaign 21V135000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Nissan Sentra vehicles. The brake light switch may become contaminated, preventing the circuit from closing and the brake lights from illuminating.
Remedy Dealers will replace the brake light switch and install a protective grommet, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 1, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PM971.
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2019-09-12 · NHTSA campaign 19V654000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.

Complaints by component (185 total)

Powertrain
46
Service brakes
38
Electrical system
32
Forward collision avoidance
24
Engine
22
Speed control
19
Exterior lighting
15
Air bags
9
Electronic stability control (ESC)
7
Fuel and propulsion system
7
Steering
6
Seat belts
5
Structure
3
Suspension
3
Hydraulic brakes
2
Latches, locks, and linkages
2
Seats
2
Show 9 more Show less
Crash-flagged

17

Fire-flagged

3

Injury reports

10

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

7201824201938202024202129202220202321202417202552026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start one day after several attempts and was accompanied by the AEB (Automatic Emergency Braking) sensor and check engine warning…"
    Exterior lighting · filed 2026-08-25
  • "On Wednesday July 8, 2026 at approx 7:45 AM The powertrain system failed entirely due to a catastrophic malfunction of the Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), which completely and instantly failed with…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-07-10
  • "At right under 67,000 miles, the car made a loud pop when I went to accelerate from a stop light. The car would only work in reverse at that point. I'm being told that the CVT needs to be replaced. The car isn't even…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-04-29
  • "My vehicle stalled. I had to get someone to help me move it out if a busy traffic thoroughfare. It was making odd noises then was stuck in reverse only. I took it to my mechanic who informed me the transmission had…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-04-12
  • "My brake lights suddenly wouldn’t turn on and my car wouldn’t start. We replaced the brake light switch and it worked for a short while, but it stopped working the same day almost causing several collisions as brake…"
    Service brakes · filed 2026-02-05

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Nissan Sentra 4 DR FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2018 Nissan Sentra NISMO 4 DR FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2018 Nissan Sentra Turbo 4 DR FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Sentra 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S7) Front-wheel drive 27 33 29 MPG $2750
Sentra 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 29 37 32 MPG $2050
Sentra 1.6L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 26 32 28 MPG $2850
Sentra 1.8L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 27 35 30 MPG $2150
Sentra Nismo 1.6L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 25 31 27 MPG $2950
Sentra Nismo 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S7) Front-wheel drive 25 30 27 MPG $2950

Specs and fitment

7th generation (B17), 2012–2019
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (1.8L and 2.0L) , 4.875 qt capacity
Tire size 205/55R16 to 215/45R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 17V253000. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error within the air bag inflators, the passenger frontal air bag may not properly deploy in the event of a crash. In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag doesn't deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury to passengers. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Nissan Sentra Next year 2019 Nissan Sentra See every Nissan Sentra model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Nissan Sentra reliable?

Owners have filed 185 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Sentra over 9 years — 23 per year. The other Sentra years sit at about the same rate: their median is 21 complaints per year. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Switch and Camera.

What are common problems with a 2018 Nissan Sentra?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (46 of 185), then Service brakes (38) and Electrical system (32). Those filings include 17 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, 10 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2018 Nissan Sentra more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Sentra has 230 complaints, 20 per year, and the 2019 has 222 complaints, 28 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Nissan Sentra been recalled?

The 2018 Nissan Sentra has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Nissan Sentra?

Owners have filed 185 complaints about the 2018 Nissan Sentra with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Nissan Sentra get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Nissan Sentra is 28.8 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Sentra take?

0W-20 (1.8L and 2.0L)

What does NHTSA recall 17V-253 cover on the Nissan Sentra?

NHTSA campaign 17V253000.

What generation is the 2013 Nissan Sentra?

7th generation (B17) (2012-2019).