2008 Nissan Sentra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
233 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Nissan Sentra, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 35/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 103,971 miles.
Below average
Where 2008 sits among all Sentra years
What owners report
“Airbag light is on. I took it to a certified dealer and they said it it something to do with a 'coil' that went bad”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Sentra
“The driver air bag flashing red light when i was driving and never going off also the horn doesn't work.also the engine burn a lot oil and i don't see any leaks”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Sentra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 165 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 69,911 miles. Half of those reports fall between 30,000 and 106,751 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.
Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY GARMIN TECHNICIANS BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND INSERTING A SPACER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON…
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 SENTRA PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH BOSCH MASTER CYLINDERS. BRAKE FLUID MAY LEAK FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER. IF THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID IN THE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR DECREASES TO BELOW THE MINIMUM LEVEL,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 14, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
NISSAN IS RECALLING 169,202 MY 2007-2008 SENTRA PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED ROBERT BOSCH MASTER CYLINDER. DUE TO THE MACHINING IRREGULARITY BY THE SUPPLIER, THE INTERNAL SEAL GROOVE IN THE BODY OF SOME BRAKE MASTER CYLINDERS MAY ALLOW FOR A GAP IN THE GROOVE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE MASTER CYLINDER/BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY AND IF BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE IS DETECTED, THE MASTER CYLINDER WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
88 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2008 Nissan Sentra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 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 2008 Nissan Sentra reliable?
The 2008 Nissan Sentra drew 233 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 35/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2008 Nissan Sentra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Nissan Sentra are airbags (54 complaints), engine (25), and wheels & tires (22).
At what mileage do 2008 Nissan Sentra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Nissan Sentra problems around 69,911 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 30,000 and 106,751 miles.
Does the 2008 Nissan Sentra have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 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.