2018 Nissan Sentra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
286 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Nissan Sentra, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 38/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 40,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2018 sits among all Sentra years
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted by phone and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sentra
“Transmission over heats. Transmission has a loud noise and drags since 60,000 miles”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sentra
“Front radar unavailable due to obstruction flashed on the dashboard while in motion.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sentra
“2018 nissan sentra radar module or called nissan sensor assys-distance was a malfunction and affect on the brake while driving on the freeway of the highway.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sentra
“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.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sentra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 138 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 39,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 23,000 and 53,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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.
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
Technical service bulletins
145 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2018 Nissan Sentra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2018 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 2018 Nissan Sentra reliable?
The 2018 Nissan Sentra drew 286 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 38/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2018 Nissan Sentra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 Nissan Sentra are electrical (46 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (46), and other (45).
At what mileage do 2018 Nissan Sentra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 Nissan Sentra problems around 39,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 23,000 and 53,000 miles.
Does the 2018 Nissan Sentra have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 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.