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2018 Nissan Sentra Airbags Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Airbags reportsComplaints 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.
9
Latest Apr 27, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 184 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
7
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
5

What this page shows

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2018 Nissan Sentra submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming airbag

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

AirbagsInterior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Apr 27, 2025
Crash reported1 injury reported

On [XXX], my 2018 Nissan Sentra was involved in a severe accident on [XXX] in Maryland. Despite the high-impact nature of the collision, none of the airbags deployed. The driver’s seat collapsed completely, causing total loss of control, and the seatbelt system applied excessive pressure, restricting movement dangerously. Nissan North America refused to inspect the vehicle and redirected responsibility to the insurance company without addressing the obvious technical failures. Additionally, I have provided video footage and photographs documenting the extent of the damage. My son, the driver, suffered serious physical injuries, emotional trauma, and financial loss due to post-accident disability. I respectfully request an immediate investigation into the safety defects of the 2018 Nissan Sentra regarding airbags, seat structure, and seatbelt system. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11657020
Incident
Nov 28, 2024
AirbagsInterior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Jan 2, 2025
Crash reported

‏ incident I would like to report involves the crash of a 2018 Nissan Sentra (VIN: [XXX] ) that occurred on the morning of [XXX], coinciding with [XXX] on [XXX] at the [XXX] location. It is very concerning and puzzling how, in rainy conditions, after the vehicle collided with the highway barrier, the airbag of the Sentra failed to deploy, resulting in the driver’s head hitting the steering wheel and the driver’s neck colliding with the seat. Furthermore, the driver’s seat shifted from its normal position to a horizontal one, making it impossible for the driver to control the car. After two complete spins of the car, it crashed again into the highway barrier from the rear. The failure of the airbag to deploy resulted in severe bruising and pain in the driver’s head, neck, and back. Despite the driver being an athlete with a strong physique, this led to a minimum of one month of being bedridden and unable to work. Additionally, despite undergoing physiotherapy, pain remains in the head and neck area. The car was declared a total loss and could not be repaired after the crash. Do you not think that if the airbag, which is designed for the driver’s safety, does not deploy in such situations, then when will it deploy? If the driver’s seat, in such situations, bends and turns horizontal, depriving the driver of control over the car, how can one drive safely? Aren’t these instances indicative of a malfunction in the vehicle’s safety system? Does this not raise questions about the safety standards and build quality of a brand like Nissan, which is an international company? If the airbags or other safety systems fail to operate in emergency situations, this could jeopardize people’s lives. These safety features are designed to protect drivers and passengers, and it is expected that they function correctly in all circumstances. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11633783
Incident
Nov 28, 2024
Airbags
Filed Nov 19, 2023
Crash reported

Was involved in a front end collision, and the airbags did not deploy

NHTSA ID
11555905
Incident
Nov 18, 2023
AirbagsDriver assistance
Filed Oct 30, 2023
Crash reported

Car was involved in an accident and the air bags did not deploy.

NHTSA ID
11552705
Incident
Oct 30, 2023
Airbags
Filed Jul 5, 2022

Currently, my passenger airbag light is always illuminated indicating that the airbags are off, even if a full-grown adult is in the vehicle. I reported this problem to my local Nissan dealership prior to taking a road trip. They said they did a zero point reset. They assured me that the issue was resolved and that the passenger air bags were working properly. After driving 400 miles with my family, we realized the issue was not fixed. I returned to the same Nissan dealer and they said it's now a faulty OCS sensor and control unit. The OCS sensors and control unit are faulty in my 2018 Nissan Sentra and it only contains 70,000 miles. The dealership says this unit will need to be replaced and I won't have passenger airbags until it is fixed. I'm worried about the safety of my passengers and I no longer have confidence in my Nissan dealer to correctly diagnose/repair the issue.

NHTSA ID
11472440
Incident
Jun 16, 2022
AirbagsBrakes
Filed Feb 1, 2022
Crash reported1 injury reported

The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Sentra SV. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, she depressed the brake pedal and pressed the push start button but the vehicle failed to start. The warning message "Malfunction Indicator Light" illuminated. The contact stated that as she continued to depress the brake pedal and squeezed an unknown wire under the steering wheel, she was able to start the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The contact also stated that the brake pedal would make abnormal loud sounds and would intermittently hesitate to respond while driving. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact stated that she continued to depress the brake pedal but it failed to respond. The contact stated that as she was about to crash into the rear of the vehicle ahead of her, she veered off the road and crashed into a ditch. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries on the shoulder and her friend who was in the front passenger seat did not sustain any injuries. The contact did not seek medical assistance. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to her friend's residence. A police report was filed. The dealer was notified of the failure. The contact received the recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not assist as her vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

NHTSA ID
11449812
Incident
Dec 1, 2021
Mileage
48,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Aug 6, 2020
Crash reported1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN OUT OF A GAS STATION, HER VEHICLE WAS HIT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS HAVING PAIN IN HER SHOULDERS, BACK AND STOMACH. SHE ALSO HIT HER HEAD BUT DID NOT INITIALLY GO TO THE HOSPITAL UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW IF THE OTHER DRIVER WAS INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NONE OF THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOWING COMPANY LOT. THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY WILL DETERMINE IF THE VEHICLE WILL BE TOTALED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.*DT*LN*JB *BF*JB

NHTSA ID
11343613
Incident
Aug 5, 2020
Mileage
56,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jul 24, 2020

THE 'OCCUPANT AIRBAG SENSOR' IS MALFUNCTIONING AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. NO MATTER THE SIZE OR WEIGHT OF THE PASSENGER, THE OCCUPANT AIRBAG REMAINS OFF AS INDICATED BY THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT. THIS MALFUNCTION HAS BEEN PROVEN BY COMPUTER ERROR CODE AT OUR LOCAL NISSAN DEALER (CANNON NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT 662-236-3300).

NHTSA ID
11341253
Incident
Jul 22, 2020
Mileage
45,000 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Aug 29, 2018
Crash reported2 injuries reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, A SECOND VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH CRASHED INTO THE FRONT OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. ALL THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED EXCEPT THE DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS DID NOT RESTRAIN PROPERLY AND CAUSED THE FRONT PASSENGER TO STRIKE THE WINDSHIELD. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED AN INJURED TORSO AND RIBS, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL TREATMENT. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED A FRACTURED NECK AND LACERATIONS TO THE LEFT ARM, WHICH ALSO REQUIRED MEDICAL TREATMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER (PELTIER NISSAN, 3201 SSW LOOP 323, TYLER, TX) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000.

NHTSA ID
11123272
Incident
Aug 29, 2018
Mileage
13,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .