2021 Nissan Sentra problems and recalls

Owners have filed 130 complaints on the 2021 Nissan Sentra, and NHTSA has issued 3 recalls. The most cited component is the Steering (40 complaints).

130
Complaints
3
Recalls
14
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
8
Injuries
81.3
Severity index

Severity index 81.3 High. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 81.3p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 14 of 92 by severity index among 2021 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 85% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2021 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

SteeringSteering: 40 complaints (30.8%)40 31%Forward Collision Avoid…Forward Collision Avoidance: 38 complaints (29.2%)38 29%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 38 complaints (29.2%)38 29%Service BrakesService Brakes: 23 complaints (17.7%)23 18%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 19 complaints (14.6%)19 15%EngineEngine: 7 complaints (5.4%)7 5%Vehicle Speed ControlVehicle Speed Control: 6 complaints (4.6%)6 5%Exterior LightingExterior Lighting: 6 complaints (4.6%)6 5%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
STEERING4030.8%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE3829.2%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3829.2%
SERVICE BRAKES2317.7%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1914.6%
ENGINE75.4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL64.6%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING64.6%

Complaints filed per year

021422021: 132022: 152023: 422024: 262025: 212026: 13 (partial year)21222342242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
202113
202215
202342
202426
202521
2026 (year to date)13
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 3.2x those in 2021 to 2022 (89 against 28).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
21V46100017/06/2021STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLYNissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may be bent.
23V58100015/08/2023STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLYNissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may bend.
23V62800008/09/2023BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERANissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor

Other Nissan Sentra model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 15 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-04. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.