Reliable Auto DB

2021 Nissan Sentra reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 131 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Nissan Sentra over 6 years — 23 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Sentra years here — over the median of the other years, which is 21. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Camera and Tie rod.

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

131

Per year

23

Recalls

3

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (40 of 131), then Electrical system (38) and Forward collision avoidance (38). Those filings include 14 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 8 that report an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Sentra has 205 complaints, 21 per year, and the 2022 has 81 complaints, 19 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

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 2021 Nissan Sentra. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2023-09-08 · NHTSA campaign 23V628000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23C3.
Recall steering, linkages, tie rod 2023-08-15 · NHTSA campaign 23V581000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may bend.
Remedy Owners are advised to contact their dealer for transport assistance if they are experiencing an off-center steering wheel or vibration. As an interim repair, dealers will inspect and replace any bent or broken tie rods, free of charge. Once newly designed parts are available, dealers will replace both left and right tie rods, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed November 27, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23B3. This recall replaces and expands recall number 21V-461. Vehicles previously repaired under 21V-461 will need to have the new remedy completed.
Recall steering, linkages, tie rod 2021-06-17 · NHTSA campaign 21V461000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may be bent.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the left and/or right tie rods as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 5, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PM985.

Complaints by component (131 total)

Steering
40
Electrical system
38
Forward collision avoidance
38
Service brakes
23
Engine
7
Exterior lighting
6
Speed control
6
Suspension
6
Wheels
5
Powertrain
4
Back-over prevention
3
Lane departure
3
Structure
3
Visibility and wipers
2
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Parking brake
1
Seat belts
1
Tires
1
Show 10 more Show less
Crash-flagged

14

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

8

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

132021152022422023262024212025142026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "My vehicle previously had the tie rod issue repaired under the original recall\. However, the same problem has now returned\. I am experiencing a sharp/clunking noise when turning left while the vehicle is moving, which…"
    Suspension · filed 2026-09-09
  • "Drivers of the car pulled out of a plaza without blinker and almost ran into our vehicle. Passenger and driver continued to harass and make rude comments whenever they pass by us. And we felt very offended."
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-30
  • "My 2021 Nissan Sentra has experienced multiple false Automatic Emergency Braking (phantom braking) events where the vehicle suddenly applies the brakes despite there being no vehicle, pedestrian, or obstacle in its…"
    Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-07-18
  • "The scope of repair required fixing a recalled tie rod that suffered a catastrophic failure, which directly caused the vehicle’s ADAS, Advanced Emergency Braking (AEB), and collision detection systems to crash. Berman…"
    Steering, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-07-15
  • "Alternator needed replacement Front windshield needed replacement Unfortunately this kicked off the malfunction warning. All Nissan can say is it’s the ADAS 2 controller. They are unable to determine part numbers.…"
    Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-06-08

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Nissan Sentra 4 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars

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 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 29 39 33 MPG $1950
Sentra SR 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 28 37 32 MPG $2050

Specs and fitment

8th generation (B18), 2020–present
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (2.0L)
Tire size 205/60R16 to 215/45R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 21V461000. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may be bent. A bent tie rod can break, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will inspect and replace the left and/or right tie rods as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 5, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PM985.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Nissan Sentra Next year 2022 Nissan Sentra See every Nissan Sentra model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Nissan Sentra reliable?

Owners have filed 131 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Nissan Sentra over 6 years — 23 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Sentra years here — over the median of the other years, which is 21. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Camera and Tie rod.

What are common problems with a 2021 Nissan Sentra?

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (40 of 131), then Electrical system (38) and Forward collision avoidance (38). Those filings include 14 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 8 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Nissan Sentra more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Sentra has 205 complaints, 21 per year, and the 2022 has 81 complaints, 19 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Nissan Sentra been recalled?

The 2021 Nissan Sentra has 3 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 2021 Nissan Sentra?

Owners have filed 131 complaints about the 2021 Nissan Sentra with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Nissan Sentra get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Nissan Sentra is 32.5 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).