RoadVitals

2008 Nissan Sentra

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
167
Latest Apr 12, 2024
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
3
Latest Sep 10, 2010
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
23
17 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 167 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2008 Nissan Sentra, most frequently naming the airbags, engine and brakes categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 88 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
10V401000

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)

Sep 10, 2010
7,948 units potentially affected
The defect: NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.
The risk: OVERHEATED BATTERIES COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
The remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY GARMIN TECHNICIANS BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND INSERTING A SPACER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN DIRECTLY AT 1-866-957-1981 OR NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.View on NHTSA.gov
09V431000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

Nov 3, 2009
10,586 units potentially affected
The defect: NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 SENTRA PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH BOSCH MASTER CYLINDERS. BRAKE FLUID MAY LEAK FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER. IF THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID IN THE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR DECREASES TO BELOW THE MINIMUM LEVEL, THE BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR WILL ILLUMINATE AS DESIGNED AND THE BRAKES WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY.
The risk: IF THE WARNING LAMP IS CONTINUOUSLY IGNORED, ONE OF THE BRAKE CIRCUITS ON THE VEHICLE MAY FAIL INCREASING STOPPING DISTANCES AND INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 14, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.View on NHTSA.gov
08V311000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

Jul 11, 2008
169,202 units potentially affected
The defect: NISSAN IS RECALLING 169,202 MY 2007-2008 SENTRA PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED ROBERT BOSCH MASTER CYLINDER. DUE TO THE MACHINING IRREGULARITY BY THE SUPPLIER, THE INTERNAL SEAL GROOVE IN THE BODY OF SOME BRAKE MASTER CYLINDERS MAY ALLOW FOR A GAP IN THE GROOVE CONTACT AREA OF THE SEAL. THIS MAY RESULT IN BRAKE FLUID SLOWLY LEAKING FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER INTO THE BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY, CAUSING THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE.
The risk: IF THE WARNING LAMP IS IGNORED, ONE OF THE BRAKE CIRCUITS ON THE VEHICLE MAY NOT OPERATE AS DESIGNED INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE MASTER CYLINDER/BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY AND IF BRAKE FLUID LEAKAGE IS DETECTED, THE MASTER CYLINDER WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 20, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

DP16002ClosedDefect Petition

Scope of Recalls 08V311 and 09V431

Opened Dec 20, 2016
Closed Oct 2, 2017

Nissan conducted safety recalls 08V-311 and 09V-431 to remedy leaking master cylinders on certain MY 2007 and 2008 Nissan Sentra vehicles.The recall populations were determined based on production changes to the master cylinder which were fully implemented into production on April 18, 2008.NHTSA utilized vehicle owner questionnaire (VOQ) reports and did not request field information from Nissan.ODI identified two MY 2008 Nissan Sentra VOQs including the petitioner?s vehicle, which were not covered by the recalls and reported a leaking master cylinder.Both of these incidents occurred 6 or more years into the service life of the vehicle.ODI also identified three VOQs which reported a leaking master cylinder after receiving the recall remedy.While one of these failures occurred within 36 months of the recall remedy, the other two occurred at a later time.ODI notes that the original recall addressed failures which occurred early in the life of the vehicle, typically during the first 36 months of service.Master cylinders are generally expected to experience wear and thus will display a finite service life.After a thorough review of the available data in NHTSA's VOQ database, the agency has not identified a trend that would call into question the scope or adequacy of Nissan's recalls.Accordingly, and in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA's limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, ODI is denying the petition.A detailed summary of ODI's analysis of this petition is available in the investigative file for this action, and will be published in the Federal Register also.The agency reserves the right to revise this assessment should future circumstances warrant.The VOQs cited above can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following reference numbers: 10299791 10330891 10449038 10567372 10638813 10805749 10839357

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 167
Filed Apr 12, 2024

Transmission problems! Dealer wants to Charge me $7,000.00 dollars to fix it! Recall has a warranty until 2022 or 120,000 miles . My car has 85,375 miles!they said that warranty already expired! But my car only has 85,375 miles and the warranty is 120,000 miles!

NHTSA ID
11582494
Incident
Apr 11, 2024
Airbags
Filed Mar 20, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID
11512881
Incident
Feb 1, 2023
Airbags
Filed Jan 5, 2023
Crash reported

The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle in front abruptly depressed its brake pedal causing the driver to crash into the rear of the vehicle. During the crash, the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged but no air bags were deployed. No injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 117,000.

NHTSA ID
11500321
Incident
Jan 5, 2023
Mileage
117,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Dec 30, 2022

Driver Air bag sensor light came on. The dealership reset it several times but it continues to come on. We paid the money to have them put the car on the diagnostic system. They are saying after review, the airbag needs to be replaced. It costs $1500 to replace the airbag. Which makes zero sense. The car has never been wrecked. Reports have shown issues with airbags in hundreds of thousands of Nissans. The 2008 Nissan Sentra needs to be reviewed for an airbag recall. This is extremely dangerous.

NHTSA ID
11499567
Incident
Dec 30, 2022
Brakes
Filed Mar 14, 2022

JUST DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY (NO BRAKES APPLIED) AND THE MASTER CYLINDER WENT BAD AND LOST POWER BRAKES.

NHTSA ID
11456543
Incident
Mar 12, 2022
BrakesDriver assistanceOther / unspecified
Filed Mar 20, 2021

I PURCHASED THE CAR DROVE IT HOME WITH NO PROBLEM. 2 DAYS AFTER MY PURCHASE IT DRIVES VERY SLOW AND WON'T PICK UP SPEED.

NHTSA ID
11404021
Incident
Mar 18, 2021
Powertrain (other)
Filed Dec 15, 2020

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

NHTSA ID
11383505
Incident
Nov 24, 2020
Mileage
80,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 27, 2020

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

NHTSA ID
11376546
Incident
Nov 24, 2020
Mileage
166,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

NTB09-131C

STRUCTURE:BODY

CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. · The “VIN Plate/Label” (metal plate or vinyl label) is attached to the instrument panel or body on the driver side at the base of the windshield (see Figure 1). · The “Certification Label” (vinyl adhesive label) is located on the lower area of the driver side B-Pillar (see Figure 1).

NTB09-131C

STRUCTURE:BODY

CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. · The “VIN Plate/Label” (metal plate or vinyl label) is attached to the instrument panel or body on the driver side at the base of the windshield (see Figure 1). · The “Certification Label” (vinyl adhesive label) is located on the lower area of the driver side B-Pillar (see Figure 1).

NTB10-066C

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB13-107G

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB13-027D

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

NTB13-028I

VISIBILITY/WIPER

REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Nissan Sentra by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026131050.8
2025264064.4
2024343062.2
2023191049.9
2022802051.9
20211293059.6
20202044051.6
20192212052.3
20181842052.5
20172303060.0
20162676055.0
20153503053.0
20143805361.6
20136386359.1
20121800036.8
20111422052.2
20101443052.2
2009551044.5
2008Viewing1673157.1
20071541151.6
20061166363.9
20051706361.1
20041975362.9
200318010259.9
200231814159.4
20012368053.9
20001717055.6
1999593055.7
1998585061.0
19971087059.2
19961417165.9
19951177164.1
1994990149.0
1993580145.3
1992620152.4
1991632264.0
1990392160.4
1989411154.5
1988371158.0
1987361151.4
1986600—
1985601—
1984302—
1983113—
1982113—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.