2018 Nissan Sentra
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 185 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 11th highest complaint count among 26 Sentra model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 17 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 11 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Exterior lighting, brake lights, switchMar 3, 2021
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.
The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 21V135000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraSep 12, 2019
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."
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 19V654000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: exterior lighting
15 reports, newest first. Show all
Exterior lighting, Aug 25, 2026
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 lights. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who replaced the battery and brake light switch due to a suspected battery drain caused by a faulty switch. Despite the repair, the failure reoccurred shortly after the repair. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting) and linked the recall to the failure. The manufacturer had not yet been notified of the specific failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Exterior lighting, Mar 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for service, the mechanic diagnosed a failure with the brake light switch. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting). The VIN was included, but the vehicle was already repaired under the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 66,000.
Exterior lighting, Oct 18, 2024
The center overhead light compartment falling out of interior roof
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Jan 24, 2024
After getting my left headlight assembly replaced the high beam went out. Shortly after my horn was no longer working. Other problems I noticed before these issues that seemed electrical but didn’t necessarily catch my attention: oil light doesn’t come on, seatbelt reminder doesn’t make noise, lights inside the car short at times unless turned on a specific way(including screens and overhead lights.)
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Dec 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) remained illuminated after the repair. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where an unknown repair was completed but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The contact stated that the recall remedy had failed to fix the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,816.
Exterior lighting, Oct 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Exterior lighting, Sep 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger’s side headlamp failed without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with an electrical failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
Exterior lighting, May 12, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lightning) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power, causing her vehicle to be side-swiped on the front and rear driver's side by another vehicle. Additionally, the driver's and passenger's front tires had to be replaced every month due to damage from the front end of the vehicle. No injury was sustained and no medical attention was received. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the suspension, lower control arm, tie rod, tie rod ends, wheel bearing, gas strut, and CV shaft needed to be replaced; however, the mechanic only replaced the suspension. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
Exterior lighting, Apr 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Exterior lighting, Mar 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted by phone and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the brake lights failed to illuminate. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage 79,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Exterior lighting, Feb 8, 2022, crash
The contact owned a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the exterior brake lights were inoperable which caused another vehicle to rear-end her vehicle. The contact's vehicle then crashed into another vehicle in front of hers. The air bags deployed upon impact. The contact suffered a concussion and later received medical treatment at the hospital. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lightning). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Service brakes, Jan 13, 2022
UNKNOWN. however there has been a safety recall about the brake lights not illuminating. I have tried three times to make an appointment with nissan dealership to get this problem fixed but i have had no luck with them helping. Im worrried about my daughters safety. She is not even two years old yet, i dont want her or anyone else on the road getting hurt because of a faulty safety feature.
Exterior lighting, Jul 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Exterior lighting, Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Apr 17, 2021, crash
WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR MY FRONT COLLISION SENSOR LIGHT WAS ON I HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS AFFECTED NOW THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL ON MY VEHICLE AND IT'S AFFECTING MY BRAKES MY LIGHTING AND MY SPEED CONTROL BECAUSE I CAN'T BREAK AND THEY HAVE NOT SENT ME A RECALL OR SEND ANY INFORMATION TO ME I FOUND THIS OUT ON MY CARFAX REPORT
Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Nov 17, 2019
I BOUGHT A 2018 NISSAN SENTRY IN NOVEMBER OF 2018. IN THE PAST MONTH THE BRAND NEW CAR HAS NOT BEEN STARTING. IT HAS BEEN LEAVING ME STRANDED AT WORK AND AT THE STORE. I KEEP TAKING IT TO THE DEALER SHIP AND THEY REPLACE THE BRAKE SWITCH AND BATTERY. HOWEVER THE CAR IS STILL NOT STARTING ON ME. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE BRAKE SWITCH AGAIN BUT NOW THEY ARE WAITING FOR ANOTHER PART. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE IT'S A NEW CAR AND TO ME EVERYTHING IN THE CAR SHOULD BE NEW. THANK YOU [XXX] ('PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).') *JB