8th generation (B18) · B18 · 810 complaints, 139 with mileage
Owners filed 810 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020–2025 Nissan Sentra, and 139 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
34% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
The most-reported areas are forward collision avoidance (18.1% of complaints, typically around 6,000 miles), the steering (17.5% of complaints, typically around 40,000 miles), the electrical system (15.4% of complaints, typically around 28,350 miles).
12 recall campaigns cover this generation.
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 147 | 18.1% | 6,000 | 1,500–19,000 |
| Steering | 142 | 17.5% | 40,000 | 25,000–57,000 |
| Electrical System | 125 | 15.4% | 28,350 | 5,010–47,000 |
| Unknown Or Other | 96 | 11.9% | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 59 | 7.3% | 6,000 | 3,000–20,765 |
| Engine | 33 | 4.1% | — | — |
| Power Train | 32 | 4.0% | — | — |
| Suspension | 29 | 3.6% | — | — |
| Wheels | 25 | 3.1% | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 23 | 2.8% | — | — |
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 320 | 77 |
| 2021 | 214 | 27 |
| 2022 | 141 | 16 |
| 2023 | 34 | 4 |
| 2024 | 58 | 10 |
| 2025 | 43 | 5 |
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 25,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
Forward collision avoidance accounts for 18.1% of complaints (147 reports, 19 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 6,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,500 and 19,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 17.5% of complaints (142 reports, 40 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 40,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 25,000 and 57,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 15.4% of complaints (125 reports, 14 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 28,350 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 5,010 and 47,000 miles.
The brakes account for 7.3% of complaints (59 reports, 13 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail early — a median of 6,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,000 and 20,765 miles.
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2020 model year drew the most — 320 complaints — while 2023 drew the fewest at 34. The median year sits at 99.
That makes 2020 an outlier: roughly 3.2 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
NHTSA records 12 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around visibility equipment (2), the steering (2), the transmission and driveline (2). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Of the 810 complaints filed against this generation, 68 reported a crash; 3 reported a fire; 59 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 8.4% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 34% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.
On inspection, forward collision avoidance and the steering are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Forward collision avoidance in particular shows a median failure mileage of 6,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
No widely documented systemic powertrain defect as of MY2025; the CVT and engine complaint rates fall sharply relative to the B17, and this generation is a deliberate reset of the Sentra's CVT reputation.
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 26V023000 | 2026-03-13 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch |
| 25V807000 | 2026-01-14 | Visibility:Windshield |
| 25V153000 | 2025-05-01 | Seats |
| 23V581000 | 2024-11-27 | Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly |
| 24V498000 | 2024-08-29 | Visibility:Windshield |
| 24V304000 | 2024-06-26 | Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft |
| 24V154000 | 2024-04-10 | Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module |
| 23V628000 | 2023-10-19 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera |
| 23V421000 | 2023-07-31 | Structure:Body |
| 22V244000 | 2022-06-10 | Exterior Lighting:Headlights |
| 21V461000 | 2021-08-05 | Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly |
| 26V410000 | — | Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft |