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: forward collision avoidance
24 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 14, 2025
Unknown, ICC module is out on Sentra is known issue from Nissan, needs to be recalled as it can cause some cars to brake on there own from what I’ve seen online. Nissan wants over 2000 to make repair on a part they know from the factory is likely to fail
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 10, 2024
Car won't start, stranded in parking lots, on road. Have seen hundreds of complaints about the same thing ,saying it's either a brake switch or ignition switch.Very scary to be stranded somewhere.Nissan is aware and said it's common problem? Hard to believe Nissan or the nhtsa does not believe this to be a safety issue.
Power train, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 7, 2024
My 2018 Nissan Sentra has under 60,000 miles on it and is on its 3rd set of brake rotors, as well as had both front and rear brake pads replaced 2 times. The vehicle has always given the warning , front radar not detected alert, until the last 12 months where I began receiving a malfunction warning. My car has been brought to 2 different Nissan dealerships to work on this issue. The current one stating my front sensor is failing & will need to be replaced however there is no warranty on it. I am the only owner of my vehicle and it has not been in any forward collisions. As for the power train/transmission, I received a transmission flush in May of 2023, and now 15 months later was told by a different Nissan dealership it needed a flush as it appeared the transmission was going bad. The vehicle has stalled several times, continuously has a high RMP when accelerating and the AC has gone out a couple of months ago.
Forward collision avoidance, May 11, 2024
The sensor just abruptly went out and is a known issue on these cars yet Nissan refuses to issues a recall instead they want to charge you $2000 to get it fixed, and it’s a safety concern being since it’s supposed to alert you and help brake if you approach a car to quickly
Forward collision avoidance, Feb 17, 2024
Unknown, lights and loud beep just appeared one day
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 12, 2023
The sensor comes on intermittently even when there is nothing in front of the vehicle.
Air bags, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 30, 2023, crash
Car was involved in an accident and the air bags did not deploy.
Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Jan 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 - 40 MPH and approaching a stop going uphill, there was an abnormal beeping sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The automatic emergency braking (AEB) malfunction warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000. The VIN was not available.
Forward collision avoidance, May 6, 2022
The forward radar will randomly stop working while driving. When this happens it will be out anywhere from a few seconds to up to 10 minutes so far. This failure causes the cruise control to stop working as well as the collision warning, emergency braking, and pedestrian safety to fail to operate.
Electrical system, Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 19, 2022
Trouble starting car as if there were no gas in engine. Radar warning coming on with no obstruction and, trunk poping open at the same time.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 14, 2022
The AEB (automatic emergency braking) system gives false positives on a regular basis. Dashboard light comes on, and monitor says there is an obstruction, or AEB not working. Occurs at any speed. Has happened frequently since November 2020 when I purchased vehicle.
Power train, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 11, 2022
I drive a 2018 Nissan Sentra SV The vehicle began having problems with the break/ driving assistance feature. The light is continuously turning on and that feature hardly ever works, making me feel unsafe and at risk of my breaks or something else malfunctioning. To make matters worse, my transmission stopped working, causing me to nearly crash/ get into countless car accidents. This didn’t only add unnecessary stress to my life but made me late to my office job and is now costing me thousands of dollars to fix ! The whole point of buying a new or relatively new car is to avoid these type of issues and this is simply unacceptable! I have spoken to many Nissan owners and more than half (about 8/10) have reported having or know someone who had transmission issues, making me believe this is a huge Nissan issue. My transmission completely gave up on me and I know that this is just not right. I work at a law office that deals with accidents / personal injury and know enough to say this ain’t right. I demand to be compensated for such horrible and faulty vehicle that has cost me time, money, and unnecessary stress.
Power train, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Jan 26, 2022
I purchased this car October 10th of 2021 and 2 days after I purchased it I called my service department because I was driving on the highway at 65 miles an hour and the malfunction warning light came on for the automatic braking system and it also depressed my brakes so it scared the crap out of me. I was told that because of the weather it was raining that day that that sometimes happens. I didn't think anything of it on December 10th my son got into a car accident with the car and he did some damage to the front axle and the front end of the car it has since been repaired and now everyday several times a day the same thing happens and it is messing with my brakes and it's scaring me and I don't know what to do.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 29, 2021
The automatic emergency braking system is not working and the dash says “forward collision malfunctioning” with the master warning light on. The car did not brake however the aeb is not functioning.
Forward collision avoidance, Oct 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving approximately 60-65 MPH in the rain, the vehicle in front of him splashed water, and the Forward Collision sensors activated the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system, and the vehicle inadvertently stalled while hydroplaning. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the nearest dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact stated he contact a second dealer - West Herr Nissan of Lockport (6069 S. Transit Rd, Lockport, NY 14094) several times to schedule an appointment but no one returned his phone calls. The contact was able to schedule an appointment with the first dealer when he returned to Florida. The contact also stated that the sensing and radar system was malfunctioning, sending faulty messages to the vehicle whenever a bug or water would fall on the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that he would be responsible for the cost of the diagnostic test, then they would determine whether they should cover the repair of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 37,000. The consumer stated even if the sensor is maintained and cleaned, it's still malfunctioning. The consumer provided a link showing the defect.
Forward collision avoidance, Jun 29, 2021
The AEB light came on and message appeared saying "Front Radar Unavailable Due to Obstruction"
Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 6, 2021
I BOUGHT THIS FROM A NISSAN DEALER NOVEMBER 2018. A MONTH AFTER PURCHASE A WARNING APPEARED ON THE DASH STATING "UNAVAILABLE FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION" FOLLOWED BY THE DEACTIVATED RADAR SYMBOL THAT REMAINS ON THE DASH. I CALLED THE DEALER TO SEE IF ANY RECALLS WE'RE OUT FOR THE COLLISION WARNING SENSOR. THEY SAID NO. I KNOW THAT THE NISSAN MURANOS HAVE ALSO HAD ISSUES WITH THIS SENSOR. IT STARTED GOING OFF ABOUT ONCE A DAY, NOW IT DEACTIVATES NEARLY SIX OR MORE TIMES A DAY AND I DRIVING ME CRAZY. WHEN I LOOKED INTO THIS ISSUE WITH THE MURANO, THEY MENTIONED THAT OCCASIONALLY THE "AUTO BRAKE" FEATURE WOULD ENGAGE WHILE DRIVING AFTER SEEING THIS MESSAGE AND I AM AFRAID MY VEHICLE WILL DO THE SAME.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 14, 2021
MY VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS GIVEN ME PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC BRAKE AND WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY RESPONDED WITH OH YEAH WE ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THAT RATHER THAN GIVING ME SOME KIND OF DIRECTIONS TOWARDS WHERE I CAN FIX IT. MY CAR HAS PROBLEM SPEEDING IT FEELS LIKE IT'S LOST IT'S POWER. I SERVICE MY VEHICLE AT THE DEALERSHIP. I REPLACE ANYTHING THE CAR NEEDS. THIS VEHICLE ISN'T OLD AND SHOULD NOT BE GIVING ME ANY MECHANICAL ISSUES. I ALSO DON'T HAVE ANY LIGHTS ON MY DASH BOARD BUT THE CAR JERKS. I HATE THIS CAR. IVE TAKEN GOOD CARE OF IT AND LITERALLY ALL IT'S GIVEN ME IS PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM. I STILL OWE TEN GRAND ON IT AND FOR WHAT? FOR JUNK? I THOUGHT ABOUT BUYING ANOTHER VEHICLE WITH NISSAN BUT IF THIS IS THE VEHICLE YOU GUYS ARE MAKING, UNRELIABLE, FRAGILE, AND UNSAFE; I DON'T WANT IT. ALSO SIDE NOTE I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT ACCORDING TO HIM AND IT STILL GIVES ME THESE ISSUES WITH THE JERKING, THE RPH GOING UP AND DOWN WHILE THE MPH ISN'T. MY VEHICLE DOESN'T HAVE A RECALL BUT THE AUTOMATIC BRAKE HAS NEVER WORKED. UNBELIEVABLE.
Power train, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 7, 2020
EVERY NIGHT I DRIVE HOME FROM MY NIGHT JOB THE WARNING LIGHT AND MESSAGE COME ON THAT THERE'S AN OBSTRUCTION ON MY FRONT SENSOR. THE CVT IS TRASH, MY RPM KEEPS GOING UP AND DOWN WHEN I DRIVE ON SLIGHT INCLINE AND I LOOSE SPEED. ONCE, ON THE FREEWAY I LOST OVER 25 MPH WHERE THE FASTEST I COULD GO WAS 40MPH. IT WAS SCARY AND I HAD MY BABY IN THE CAR WITH ME. THE DEALER FORCED ME TO GET THIS CAR AND SAID I WOULDN'T HAVE ANY ISSUES. LIES AND SHAME ON WINTER CHEVROLET OF PITTSBURG CALIFORNIA!!! THEY NOW DON'T RETURN MESSAGES!!!
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 4, 2020
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STOPPED INDEPENDENTLY WITH THE FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY, TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, BEFORE RESTARTING AND DRIVING THE VEHICLE TO VICTORY NISSAN OF DICKSON (2219 HIGHWAY 46 SOUTH, DICKSON, TN 37055) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A RADAR SENSOR FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,447.
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 25, 2020
TL* THE CONTACT'S MOTHER OWNS A 2018 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION LIGHT FLASHED STATING THAT THE SYSTEM WAS UNAVAILABLE. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED OR NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000.
Forward collision avoidance, May 18, 2019, crash
EMERGENCY BRAKE ASSIST HAS BEEN ACTING FROM.THE DAY I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE...THEN I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT THEN IT GOT WORSE, THEY REPLACED THE BRACKET AND SENSOR AND THEY PROBLEM STILL REMAINS... ACTUALLY I WORSE THEN BEFORE EVERYTIME I USE MY SIGNAL OT GOES OFF WHEN I'M APPROACHING A HILL IT GOES OFF.
Forward collision avoidance, Feb 8, 2019
JUST BEFORE I HIT 1000 MILES, THE FRONT COLLISION SENSOR STARTED BEEPING AT RANDOM TIMES WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED OR IN MOTION AND ULTIMATELY, IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THEY HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN A LOT ON THE 2018 MODEL SENTRAS. ALSO, THE GUARD IN THE INSIDE TRACK OF THE DRIVER DOOR CAME OFF TWICE AND I HAD TO FASTEN IT BACK ON. I DID BUY IT OFF THE SALES FLOOR SO A LOT MORE PEOPLE WERE IN AND OUT OF IT BUT I STILL DO NOT FEEL LIKE THAT SHOULD HAPPEN ON A BRAND NEW CAR. LAST, MY 2017 NISSAN NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BLUETOOTH BUT THIS ONE CONSTANTLY KICKS ME OFF OF CALLS BUT WAS TOLD NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNTIL DEALERSHIP CATCHES IT IN THE ACT. OVERALL, I LOVE THE SAFETY, COMFORT, AND FEEL OF MY CAR, JUST WISH THE BLUETOOTH WOULD WORK RIGHT.
Electronic stability control (ESC), Forward collision avoidance, Jul 31, 2018
THE FRONT SENSOR KEEP SHOWING THE "FRONT SENSOR UNAVAILABLE" FOLLOWED BY THE CRASH ICON AT ALL TIMES OF THE DAY, AND ALL SPEEDS INCLUDING IN THE STOPPED POSITION. THE SENSOR GOES OUT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE OTHER VEHICLES NEAR THE CAR.