1998 Nissan Sentra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
76 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1998 Nissan Sentra, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 18/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 1998 Nissan Sentra has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 1998 sits among all Sentra years
What owners report
Recalls (5)
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO…
Fix: CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. WATER CAN ENTER AND DISPLACE THE GREASE IN THE WIPER ARM LINKAGE BALL JOINT WHERE THE WIPER LINKAGE ATTACHES TO THE WIPER MOTOR LINKAGE.
Fix: TO PREVENT GREASE FROM BEING WASHED OUT OF THE JOINT, THE DEALERS WILL MODIFY BY ADDING A WATER DIVERSION SEAL THAT WILL PREVENT WATER FROM ENTERING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE BALL JOINT AREA.
Technical service bulletins
49 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and wheels & tires — are on file for the 1998 Nissan Sentra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1998 Sentra TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1998 Nissan Sentra reliable?
The 1998 Nissan Sentra drew 76 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 18/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 1998 Nissan Sentra problems?
The top reported problems for the 1998 Nissan Sentra are airbags (16 complaints), visibility & wipers (14), and brakes & stability (9).
Does the 1998 Nissan Sentra have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 1998 Nissan Sentra. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.