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2017 Nissan SentraProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 231 owner complaints about the 2017 Nissan Sentra, most often about the power train. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, and for recall 21V-135 the manufacturer reports only 58% of affected cars repaired.

2017 Nissan Sentra
40
CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.5× the Sentra median · #6 of 38 years by complaints
Safety recalls3Lowest repair rate 58%Owner complaints23153 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage60kPower train, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 6, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2017 Nissan Sentra has problems

231 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Power train761
Engine481
Electrical system335
Vehicle speed control322
Air bags2619
Service brakes213
Exterior lighting151
Steering144
Structure94
12 other systems304

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

3 recalls

2017 Nissan Sentra recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

58%repaired · 2025 Q1

Brake lights: switch

Recall 21V-135 · Mar 3, 2021 · 807,376 vehicles · 471,770 repaired

Risk. The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

62%repaired · 2020 Q1

Electrical system: ignition

Recall 18V-551 · Aug 21, 2018 · 153,047 vehicles · 94,861 repaired

Risk. If the vehicle stalls, it can increase the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

67%repaired · 2018 Q3

Air bags

Recall 17V-253 · Apr 13, 2017 · 30,038 vehicles · 20,088 repaired

Risk. 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.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Nissan.

Mileage at failure

When do power train problems start?

60kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 36 power train complaints. 81% were reported before 100,000 miles.

Only 45% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
6under 30k miles29under 100k miles7100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2017 vs. every other Sentra year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Sentra median. How we score

'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2017 Nissan Sentra safety ratings

2017 Nissan Sentra 4 DR FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
2017 Nissan Sentra frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crash★★★★★
2017 Nissan Sentra side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrier★★★★★
2017 Nissan Sentra side pole test, NHTSA
Side pole★★★★★
  • Rollover: 4 stars (11.8% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: Optional
  • Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words

What Sentra owners report

Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving the vehicle he could tell the vehicle gears were slipping, on a different occasion the vehicle downshifted on its own suddenly almost causing a crash. The contact stated there were times where the vehicle would downshift…
Complaint 11741244 · Jun 1, 2026 · 129,600 miles
I have been experiencing the cvt transmission slipping the last two weeks. I contacted Nissan so see if my vin was a vehicle affected by 2017 cvt transmission recalls. They advised me it was not affected because my vin did not match their systems affected vehicles. Today my vehicle transmission…
Complaint 11741125 · May 31, 2026
The CVT transmission on my 2016 Nissan Sentra is failing. This seems to be an ongoing issue with Nissans CVT that I have researched. Dealerships are saying they are not replacing the transmissions because it is outside the warranty. The CVT issues started shortly after the warranty ended. Funny.…
Complaint 11737793 · May 14, 2026

Own a 2017 Sentra?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.