Problems · NHTSA complaints

2008 Nissan Sentra problems

Owners filed 167 complaints about the 2008 Nissan Sentra with NHTSA between Apr 2008 and Apr 2024. The most-cited component is air bags (53).

Complaints
167
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
20
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
17
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags53
  2. Power train20
  3. Engine15
  4. Steering15
  5. Suspension14
  6. Vehicle speed control13
  7. Tires13
  8. Service brakes, hydraulic13
  9. Electrical system11
  10. Engine and engine cooling10
  11. Wheels9
  12. Service brakes7
  13. Seats5
  14. Seat belts4

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200814
200919
201019
201112
201211
20138
201418
20159
201614
20179
20189
20198
202011
20211
20222
20232
20241

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

53 reports11 crashes
“The car's airbag dashboard light has been on and blinking for about a month now- indicating an issue. I have not been in any recent accidents and it appeared on its own. Subsequently, the car horn does not work. Airbags and car horn are necessary to prevent accidents and serious injury, including death in the event of an accident. I advised my local Nissan dealership who stated there are no current recalls and the car would need to be inspected- which will likely be costly. No inspections have been made at this time.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 20, 2023Air bags, Unknown or otherODI 11512881

Power train

20 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE FORWARD. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *BF”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 15, 2020Power trainODI 11383505

Engine

15 reports1 crash1 fire
“DRIVING OVER AN HOUR AND THE CAR STARTS TO STRUGGLE, I CAN FEEL IT LOOSING POWER, IN ORDER TO NOT PRESS DOWN ALL THE WAY, I'M DOING A GIVE N GO PRAYING I DONT STOP ON THE FREEWAY. I WOULD SOMETIMES FEEL JUMPING AND THAT I'M NOT IN FULL CONTROL AND IT HAS STOPPED ON ME IN A 15MINUTE DRIVE. I HAVE GOTTEN, A DIAGNOSTIC, 1TIME IT HAD 4DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION CODES AND ANOTHER A FUEL CODE. NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON, THIS STARTED AROUND THE 60,000 MILE I'M AT 90,000 NOW, SO YA, IT'S BEEN ROUGH.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 3, 2020Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (esc), EngineODI 11342882

Steering

15 reports2 crashes
“A FEW MONTHS AGO WHILE TRYING TO PARALLEL PARK INTO A TIGHT SPACE I HAD TO CUT MY STEERING WHEEL ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT AND THE CAR SHUT OFF, WHEN I RELEASED STEERING WHEEL THE CAR TURNED BACK ON, SAME THING HAPPENED WHEN I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL ALL THE WAY TO RIGHT. MOST RECENTLY I WAS MAKING A K-TURN AND MY CAR KEPT SHUTTING OFF ON ME NO MATTER HOW MUCH OR LITTLE I WAS TURNING IT. I WAS LITERALLY STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET CREATING A TRAFFIC JAM. IT TOOK ME APPROXIMATELY 10,MINUTES TO MAKE A K-TURN”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 20, 2018SteeringODI 11130476

Suspension

14 reports
“BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY MY AXEL AND BALL JOINT. THE CONTROL ARM DISCONNECTED FROM MY TRANSMISSION. THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE SIDE PANELING IN FRONT MY TIRE. THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE EVEN WHEN PUT IN NEUTRAL. WHEN I GO IN REVERSE BEFORE THIS HAPPENED MY CAR WOULD PUTTER AND THEN DIE. THE CAR WILL NOT REVERSE UNLESS I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND ROLL OUT FROM WHERE I AM.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 14, 2020Suspension, Wheels, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11354821

Vehicle speed control

13 reports5 crashes
“THERE THE CODE OF P1778 THAT KEEPS COMING UP ON ABOUT A CVT AND IFS AFFECTING THE DRIVE AND STRAIN THE TRANSMISSION I DONT UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE IS RECURRING.AND THIS HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. YOU CAN FEEL THE CAR HESITANT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 27, 2020Vehicle speed control, Unknown or otherODI 11376546
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.