NHTSA has received 222 owner complaints about the 2019 Nissan Sentra, or 28.5 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.71, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 78 model-year 2019 vehicles we track, it ranks #39 of 78 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Nissan models its rate is about the same; against other Compact cars it is 30% higher.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2018-12-12 and 2026-09-17. Median delay from incident to filing: 14 days.
222Complaints
28.5Complaints per year on the road
0.71Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
2Recalls
7.7%Share involving a crash or fire
15Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2018) drew 21.1 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2020) drew 30.3 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2019 model collected 47 complaints, 41% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Electrical (25.2% of complaints), followed by Transmission / powertrain (19.8%) and Unspecified or other (11.3%). Electrical complaints are 1.6 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 17 reports (7.7%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 18 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 39 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (35% of incidents). In the last 12 months 15 new complaints were filed, versus 21 in the 12 months before — down 29%.
NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.71
vs. other Nissan models1.01
vs. other 2019 models0.63
vs. other Compact cars1.3
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (47)0.59
Brake felt like it was sticking. Dealership looked at it and changed rubber piece. 10/16/2023 accident occurred. Air bags did not deplore. Car was totalled.
Brakes · 2023-10-20 · ODI 11551116 · Crash
There was a warning sign for the front lights like something was blocking it or something I honestly don't know but I brought it to enterprise attention and they told me don't worry about it.
I am reporting a potential safety defect involving my 2019 Nissan Sentra. In June 2025, when my vehicle had approximately 56,000 miles, the overhead console located in the ceiling of my vehicle suddenly detached and fell while I was driving.
Unspecified or other · 2026-09-17 · ODI 11765147
Transmission Failure of drive train Acknowledged by Dealer Inspection by Dealer No warning signs prior to failure
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-05-20 · ODI 11738925
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while his daughter attempted to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start immediately. The contact's daughter pressed the engine Auto Start/Stop button again, the vehicle restarted.
Electrical · 2026-05-18 · ODI 11738494
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: 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.
Risk: The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA Campaign 19V654000 · 2019-09-12
Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.
