2017 Nissan Sentra: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 230 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is power train (30% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 3 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Mar 2021
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 230 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“My 2017 Sentra is suffering from the exact silicone outgassing defect detailed in Recall 21V135000. My replacement switches keep failing because the car requires the updated protective grommet, but Nissan is excluding my VIN from receiving the campaign kit.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jul 2026
“I have been experiencing the cvt transmission slipping the last two weeks. I contacted Nissan so see if my vin was a vehicle affected by 2017 cvt transmission recalls. They advised me it was not affected because my vin did not match their systems affected vehicles. Today my vehicle transmission broke down completely on my way home and had to get towed home. This could have been prevented had Nissan honored my vehicle cvt transmisson recall since it is a 2017 model as the ones affected. Now i have a vehicle i cant drive.”Owner report · Power Train · May 2026
“The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving the vehicle he could tell the vehicle gears were slipping, on a different occasion the vehicle downshifted on its own suddenly almost causing a crash. The contact stated there were times where the vehicle would downshift suddenly and would slow all the way down causing the vehicle to come to a stop, having to shift into neutral then back into drive, and the contact stated he could hear very loud grinding noise from the gears. The vehicle was towed to a residence, and the dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,600.”Owner report · Power Train · May 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the brake light switch had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Apr 2026
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased, the odometer indicated that the mileage was 92,000. The vehicle was a private sale. The contact's wife purchased the Carfax report and stated that the odometer reading was 179,070 on April 22, 2025.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jan 2026
“The fabric drivers side seat belt is frayed. At least 1/2 of the width of the fabric is not intact. The warranty on the seat belt is 120 months and the dealer said it is not covered by the warranty. No incident has occurred yet, but I am concerned for my safety in the event of an accident. The car has 32,073 miles on it so it is obviously a defect. The belt is available for inspection. Yes the Dealer was notified and did inspect the belt. There were no warning lamps.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Dec 2025
“the transmission has failed with hardly any warning. Stops without warning, while driving down the road. The car will start just fine but will not rev. or respond to the accelerator. When it stops will driving, it will rev way up but will not have any power to move.”Owner report · Power Train · Nov 2025
“While driving home from work. Transmission started hesitating and not pulling up a hill. I was almost hit on the interstate due to the malfunction of the transmission. Now vehicle is parked and I can no longer drive it.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2025
“I have called nissan usa and the nissan in newburgh to schedule an appointment for lamp switch recall and have not recieved any calls or communication back. At this point im scared that the lamp switch is affecting my transmission and I'm just getting the runaround from nissan so they don't have to take care of it. My car has episodes where is now doesn't start and I need to get a jump. My car also shifts out of gear while driving which is incredibly dangerous especially since I take the highway to work. Please let me know how to proceed”Owner report · Engine · May 2025
“Intermittent ignition switch failure. Presents as little to no power. Vehicle will not crank over. Minimal lights come on dash board, no digital readout, dim lights inside vehicle. Eventually car starts with no problem after several tries. I have excluded battery, alternator, grounding issues, wiring issues, fuses. This is similar to a recall issued for other Nissan Sentras made in the same year.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2025
When filing, owners marked a crash in 29 of these complaints and injuries in 21 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
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.
Remedy: 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 1-800867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PM971.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2018 Frontier, Versa Note, and Versa Sedan vehicles that have a mechanical (physical) key ignition system. In these models, over time, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the production information on the ignition switch, and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error within the air bag inflators, the passenger frontal air bag may not properly deploy in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2017 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Sentra by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2017 Nissan Sentra reliable?
NHTSA has 230 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2017 Nissan Sentra. The most complained-about area is power train (30% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2017 Nissan Sentra problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 45,000 miles or less.
Does the 2017 Nissan Sentra have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning exterior lighting:brake lights:switch. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.