NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 231 owner complaints for the 2017 Nissan Sentra.
Recalled components: exterior lighting, electrical system, and air bags. Most-described problem: hesitation or slow acceleration (28 complaints, 12%). Most-reported area: powertrain (76 complaints, 33%; median mileage when it happened: 60,000).
Fewer complaints than a typical Sentra year
The 2017 drew 60 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 64 for a typical Sentra year.
Years to avoid: 2013; best year: 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The brake light switch may become contaminated, preventing the circuit from closing and the brake lights from illuminating.
Risk: The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
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 1-800867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PM971.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Nissan Sentra vehicles.
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.
Risk: If the vehicle stalls, it can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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 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.
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.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag doesn't deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury to passengers.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SENTRA.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2017 Nissan Sentra.
What owners report
Owners have filed 231 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Sentra. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Median 60,000 miles at failure, from 36 reports with mileage
Engine48 · 21%
Median 41,300 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
Electrical system33 · 14%
Speed control32 · 14%
Air bags26 · 11%
Brakes22 · 10%
Exterior lighting15 · 6%
Unknown or other38 · 16%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Nissan Sentra recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2017 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2013 Sentra drew the most (150) and the 2017 drew 60.
Owner complaints
2017: 231 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Nissan Sentra
Model year
Complaints
2010
144
2011
142
2012
180
2013
638
2014
381
2015
352
2016
270
2017
231
2018
185
2019
223
2020
208
2021
133
2022
81
2023
20
2024
41
2025
32
2026
20
Safety recalls
2017: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Nissan Sentra
Model year
Recalls
2010
3
2011
2
2012
0
2013
6
2014
5
2015
3
2016
6
2017
3
2018
2
2019
2
2020
4
2021
3
2022
2
2023
1
2024
3
2025
4
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 231 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Nissan Sentra, the problems described most are hesitation or slow acceleration (28), transmission failure or replacement (27), and loss of power or limp mode (21). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2017 Nissan Sentra safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2017 Nissan Sentra earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2017 Nissan Sentra?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2017 Nissan Sentra.
How do I check if my Sentra has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Nissan dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: SENTRA.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.