Complaint volume
126 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2021 Nissan Sentra Complaints
126 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Nissan Sentra, grouped by component category.
126 Total complaints
14 Crash reports
1 Fire reports
8 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are steering, electrical system, forward collision avoidance. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 14 crash reports, 1 fire report, 8 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 21 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 31,151 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to steering, electrical system, forward collision avoidance?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2021 Nissan Sentra?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2021 Nissan Sentra
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Nissan Sentra complaints?
14 Crash
1 Fire
8 Injury
0 Fatality
13 Towed
6 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Nissan Sentra complaint categories?
STEERING 22
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 17
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 9
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 5
SERVICE BRAKES 4
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3
ENGINE 3
POWER TRAIN 3
126 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Steering wheel vibrates and has become difficult to steer. Occurs often. While on the freeway, vehicle has come to a stop in 2 different occasions, it just stopped for 4-5 seconds. Back up camera is blurred, mainly in the center. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Automatic emergency brake engaged while driving when there was not a car directly in front of me. There were no obstructions on the road and cars in the lanes next to me were not merging into my lane. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, his aunt entered the vehicle and attempted to start the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. Neither a dealer nor an independent mechanic was contacted or made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,094. | Crash: No Fire: No | 75,094 |
| Jan 2025 | STEERING,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | As I was driving home on the highway, something happened with my car where I couldn't control the car. It swerved back and forth on it's own until it finally stopped and cut off on it's own. There were no messages or symptoms prior to the failure. My car has been with Nissan who said they were going to investigate it and I cannot get a call back from Nissan Consumer Affairs. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | TIRES | ALL 4 TIRES HANKOOK 215/45R18 89V ARE SHOWING INNER SIDEWALL IRREGULAR TIRE WEAR AND BALDING ON EDGES. THERE ARE RECALLS ON TIE ROD ASSEMBLY FROM 6-16-2021 AND 8-14-2023 I PURCHASED THE CAR 4-2024 AND THE RECALL WAS NOT FIXED TILL 10-2024 TO MY KNOWLEDGE FOR THE FIRST TIME. I HAVE NOT HAD THE CAR FOR A YEAR AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 2 OF THE ORIGINAL TIRES I PURCHASED THE CAR WITH. ONE WITH A HUGE BUBBLE AND INNER SIDEWALL IRREGULAR WEAR COST $285.44 AND THE SECOND SIDEWALL IRREGULAR WEAR THREAD SHOWING AND HOLE TOO CLOSE TO THE SIDEWALL COULD NOT BE REPAIRED COST $274.06 AND A4 WHEEL ALLIGNMENT AT $129.95. PER DEALER RECOMMENDATIONS I MUST REPLACE THE OTHER 2. I RECORDS OF ALL MAINTANCE INCLUDING TIRE ROTATIONS COMPLETED.MAY THIS IRREGULAR WEAR ON THE SIDEWALL BE DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME TIE RODS WENT WITHOUT BEING REPAIRED. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the automatic emergency braking system engaged while there were no nearby vehicles or pedestrians. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the message "System Malfunction" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times; however, the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 200. | Crash: No Fire: No | 200 |
| Oct 2024 | STEERING,WHEELS,BACK OVER PREVENTION | The car has been towed and moved to another state which is New Jersey and it is being held at an auction company. The car needs to be picked up by Nissan of Garden City and taken back to the dealer shop for the safety recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | Break Switch Malfunctions that leaves the car unable to start. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while her husband was driving from a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at various speeds, and the vehicle made an abnormal whining sound. The message "CVT Warning" was displayed. The contact stated that the transmission was previously replaced due to the failure; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 118,000 |
| Jul 2024 | STEERING | When turning the steering wheel, it make a squeaky noise | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | My ABS light randomly come on along side of traction control, front and rear collision assistance lights. Car has had electrical problems since I got it such as sometimes bright headlights won’t come on( they just stay on the dim regardless of what you do) the radio will just freeze and not work at all. Have to unhook the battery to get radio to even reset or even wait days for it to do it itself. DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS CAR. nothing but electrical problems since I’ve gotten it. And it only have 50,000 miles and all regular maintenance has been done | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The steering wheel is shaking and vibrates making it worse when i accelerate and also when I turn. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | STEERING,STRUCTURE,WHEELS | There is a current open recall Campain ID R23B3 on the tie rods requiring replacement, however there is no current remedy per Nissan. This faulty tie rod can break and cause COMPLETE loss of steering, as there is a STOP SALE on this vehicle it is not safe to drive. Vaden Nissan has my vehicle every 5000 miles during each service/oil change from 2021 until 2024. I also notified the Vaden Nissan dealership again of this open recall issue during my last inspection, they rotated the new tires I had to purchase and sent me on my way. While driving my 2021 Nissan Sentra on [XXX] (a moderately busy highway), I experienced noticeable vibrations through the steering wheel, especially when accelerating and making turns. As I attempted to exit the highway, via a curved off-ramp, the steering wheel became extremely shaky and impossible to turn. I struggled to keep the car within the lane and then completely lost steering control. This caused me to veer off the road and nearly into the shoulder. I experienced such panic and fear as my [XXX] nephew was in the car seat in the back of my vehicle and was also extremely frightened. I am now extremely unsatisfied with Nissan and its lack of commitment to sell safe vehicles, I cannot legally resell this vehicle in the current condition and am left with no option but to drive an unsafe car, under the lemon law I have the right to sue. I pray that IF I absolutely have to drive this Nissan Sentra again there are no injuries, life-altering disabilities or possible death incurred to myself of my passengers. As I have followed all proper protocols and require a rental car that is at minimum safe for transportation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: Yes Fire: No Medical attention | Unknown |
| May 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | While driving all lights come on dash and flash on and off and says system malfunction while doing 50mph. Suddenly car shuts off while driving with my toddler I then have to push my car off the highway without getting hit This has happen 5 times now | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Only the drivers window works. The passenger and 2 rear windows won't go up or down. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the emergency brake warning light had illuminated. In addition, the contact stated while depressing the brake pedal the vehicle did not come to a complete stop and rolled forward. The contact stated that they had crashed into a vehicle in front of them. No police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front vehicle sensory and the bumper needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal failure reoccured on several occasions. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | 25,000 |
| May 2024 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering); 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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes independently activated as if there was an object in front of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to two different dealers where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 200 |
| Apr 2024 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering) 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was an abnormal vibration coming from the steering wheel. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, and the vibration was felt through the brake pedal. The contact was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had since become a recurring failure at speeds above 50 MPH. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 55,000 |
| Apr 2024 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | STEERING,SUSPENSION | Tie rods have no remedy, I have my car parked because its unsafe to drive and have called dealer hundreds of time and all they say is they're working on it. How long do I have to wait on a car I am making payments, this is awful | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The automated break system came on while I was driving 2 times within 3 days without anything being in front, the back or on the side of the car. When this happened there was a few beeping noise and a quick red flash on the dashboard that said maintenance.This started happening the next day after getting an oil change from the Nissan dealership. My safety was at risked because when the car suddenly and unexpectedly stopped it jerked my body forward causing my neck to become sore. This can cause greater injury or worst if I was going any faster. If someone was behind me it could cause them to crash into me which would be doing the opposite of the purpose of the safety feature. I took the car in to the dealership and nothing could be done because there wasn't a code and it didn't happen in the presence of the mechanic. It could be a sensor issue but I don't know and the mechanics seem to be just as clueless and very dismissive. I find this to be unacceptable that I must drive around with a car that can break abruptly at any given time. I do not feel safe driving this car and it should be a safety recall on this issue. I looked online and seen other people complaining about the same issue so I'm sure Nissan knows what's going on and aren't doing anything about it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Unknown | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | ENGINE | My engine has been having problems since I have bought it. I’ve stated it many of times to the dealership and they just blew it off saying there was nothing wrong. To find out there’s a slude in my engine. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | STEERING | This is pertaining to my earlier complaint on August 2, 2023. My Tire rod and rack and pinion broke when I lost control of steering and bumbed a curb. The dealership refused to used manufacture warranty because they said I had an impact to something, I only hit a few potholes during the Winter months then they told me I had to go through my auto insurance company. Once I filed a claim with my insurance; the service manager insisted me letting them take the claim. While my car was waiting to be repaired ; the tire rod recall (Campaign Number: 23V581000) was announced on my car and the dealership told me that the recall was not the caused of me loosing control of steering. The dealership had my car for over 60 days repairing my car and Nissan N.A is refusing to reimburse me because they said I had an impact to something and it was not caused by the recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |