NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Nissan Sentra. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
No indicator light came on, I was crossing a dangerous intersection and I lost all ability to drive the RPMs stopped increasing and my foot was pressed on the gas hard!
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while pressing the Push to Start button to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that a message indicating that the vehicle could not read the key fob was displayed; however, the key fob was in her pocket. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed the contact that the battery and the key fob battery were in good condition. The dealer replaced an unknown fuse, and the vehicle restarted; however, the failure recurred two weeks later. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where an unknown fuse was replaced; however, the failure recurred the following day. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that an unknown wiring harness had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I purchased the car as a graduation present for my son in 2018. He was using it to get back and forth to work and school. Currently the car has less than 60,000 miles on it. So, it was not being excessively driven. In Dec her of 2023, He began having issues with the vehicle stalling and overheating. It began to jerk and would randomly lose power. While driving to work the car over heated and we got it to a mechanic on 1/7/24. The independent service center stated the engine needed to be replaced and he would also inspect the transmission due to the loss of power and slipping my son was describing. Once the engine was replaced the mechanic confirmed the transmission would also need to be replaced. My son spent all his savings on the engine so we took the car home to determine options. The quote for a new transmission is 3-4k plus labor. I am too scared to let my son drive the car so it has been parked in my drive way since we got the car back in February of 24. My son has been saving to try and get it fixed. His coworker told him about a class action that was filed against Nissan for the same issue for Sentras from 2013-2017. I was never contacted and never received any recall notice. There were no warning lamps or other symptoms when the issues began. I tried to add the receipt from the engine replacement but it will not upload
Replaced catylc converter. No the car is power surging and slipping, took vehicle to my regular auto shop. They reported car needs a new transmission, the CVT is out. Took car to transmission specialist for a second opinion said the same thing. Both shops reported this is common for this make and model. I'd thought I should report it.
I was driving the car and leaving a red light. The car lost power, abs light came on and the traction light came on. I was unable to turn and move out of traffic. It finally jerked and released so i could drive. I was in a cross section and thank God we did not get hurt. It did this to me twice on my way to work.
I was driving my 2016 Nissan on the highway and it randomly started showing signs of a transmission defect that lead to sudden shaking and jerking while the vehicle was being driven. It would also shift itself into neutral. I had to have the car towed to a dealership that advised there were transmission issues that due to Nissans’s high cost and unreliability of transmissions it would be safer to buy a new vehicle than replace the transmission.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated before losing motive power and failed to exceed 20 MPH. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would jerk or stall upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had appeared on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle had gone into reverse after placing the gear shifter into drive(D). The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle related to the transmission. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.
The check engine light keeps coming on and it gives the code for a mass airflow sensor. I went to the mechanic, had them clean it for $126 and one year later my check engine light is back on with the same code. Online there are many people with the same vehicle stating they have the part replaced, and the same thing happens again with a check engine, light coming on giving that code. It states online if the car is dangerous to drive with this code being the mass air flow sensor. This needs to be a recall because this part is very expensive with labor ($4-$600) for this problem to keep re-occurring. Nissan needs to do something about this issue!!!!!
2016 NISSAN SENTRA. When accelerating from red light on major multi lane highway, vehicle lost ability to accelerate and stalled in the middle of the road, brake pedal was difficult to press to stop vehicle rolling, and all vehicle dash lights illuminated. The vehicle was put into neutral and pushed across multiple lanes to the side of the highway. The vehicle was then towed to a Nissan dealership in the area. We were told that the fuel pump needed to be replaced at a cost of $1400. Mileage at time of failure was 51,573. Dealership said the fuel pump should last 100,000 miles.
Check engine light is on. Rpm is high when driving less than 40 mph. Low mileage transmission problems. I drive a 2016 Nissan Sentra sv with less that 60,000 miles.
When trying to accelerate, the car begin shudders and then couldn't jerks. The RPM fluctuates and jumps spastically and today, I couldn't accelerate at all and lost power completely after trying to accelerate at a green light. Car also slowed itself down on the interstate while traveling at 70 mph for a month straight and then would stall again about 15 minutes later going 15 mph in a parking lot. Checked the code the check engine light gave about an over retarded cam shaft sensor, replaced it, and am still having the same issue.
The CVT Transmission has a bad shudder while driving and shifting into gears. It jerks when trying to accelerate and is extremely slow trying to accelerate the vehicle. The safety of me and other vehicles were in danger because the vehicle failed to accelerate when going up an incline or just driving down an even lane road with no inclines or hills. The vehicle has been inspected by a certified auto repair shop and after inspection, I was told that the CVT Transmission needs to be replaced. The first instance of trouble happened on June 7th, 2023 while I was driving to work. The check engine light came on and the accelerator was hesitant. The car could barely maintain a safe speed. I was travelling on the highway when this occurred.
Car throttle stop responding while RPM rev high, have car tow to nearest auto shop and was told that transmission have fail. No warning light or anything before failing. Car is regular maintain.
CVT shuddering, slipping while shifting gears; lack of acceleration, then lunging into gear.
I was driving at less than 30 miles per hour when I noticed my vehicle had stopped accelerating. It was moving along fine and when I brake and put my foot on the gas, the car would rev and the RPMs would increase, but it would not move forward. As I approached a hill, it started to roll backward. I was in the middle of downtown on a Saturday afternoon and had to park by the side of the road to avoid getting hit. I towed my car to the closest vehicle and after a diagnosis check, was told that the car's transmission had failed. There were no signs or lights on the dashboard. I did some research online and saw that this was a common issue with the 2016 Nissan Sentra transmission.
Transmission was failing without any check engine light on-> right passenger side tire would skid before transmission was replaced -> new transmission replaced still has issues shifting at times. Inspection was done by Nissan 104th in Northglenn.( sends out a threat to public by transmission not shifting gears properly to move or get out of way of other cars going faster speeds) Seat belt restraint system-> dashboard displays little person but when shifting from P to D and going above 40 the seatbelt icon doesn’t blink or make any sound just is stuck on until seatbelt is put in then it goes away( this displays a safety concern for self and others)
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side seat belt warning light was displayed on the instrument panel while the seat was vacant. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was provided an appointment. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the axle shaft was leaking fluid into the transmission. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the RPM would increase but the vehicle would not respond. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 105,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The emergency braking system malfunction message was displayed. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that she needed to pay for the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,510.
This 2016 Nissan Sentra has parasitic battery draining. There is a great safety issue in not having a ready vehicle for emergency situations. I am also not confident the vehicle will start when away from home. The highest grade AGM battery was purchased to replaced the original battery to no avail. The vehicle requires continuous jump starts. Alternator appears to be functioning according to testing.
I have transmission issue
When driving, the transmission jumps all the time when accelerating. Also, when driving at speeds over 70 miles per hour, the tachometer jumps up and down like the transmission is not pulling and then starts pulling. This is very dangerous with the slippery weather we have in Wisconsin. The car seems to lose power completely at these speeds as well. This happens every time I drive it. The last time I dorve it was 11/25/22 because it seems too dangerous. Thank you!
My Nissan Sentra 2016 lost power for the first time back in 2020 while driving and i was unable to accelerate properly. I was so concerned because i was driving while the incidents happened. The car was taken to the Nissan dealership for inspection and they said that the transmission was the problem. No repairs were performed. On November 2022 the car suddenly lost power for the second time and i was unable to properly accelerate while driving it on the highway. No warning lamps showed before it failed. They appear after the car losses power.
When driving on the interstate above 45 miles per hour, the car jerks and does not want to go. The car almost did not make it thru the intersection with another vehicle coming on more than one occasion. Car finally stopped and had to be towed. Informed that a new transmission was needed.
At least 7 times I have come across the same Safety issue, where I had to accelerate on to the highway and as I placed my foot o foot pedal. My vehicle wouldn't accelerate as if the engine and transmission were not communicating together. I had several vehicles follow very close to me from behind. I placed my hazard lights on. I even placed my foot all the way down to the floor panel and there was no reaction from the transmission again I had to place my hazard warning light on to inform the vehicles behind me that I was having trouble accelerating. I had to drive slow all the way home, this issue has been occurring for 1 week now.
I was traveling down the road and the vehicle just quit in my travel lane.Check engine indicator traction indicator and triangular exclamation indicator came on at about 35 vehicle did not operate afterward.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a burning odor was detected coming from the air vents while the air conditioner was activated. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics who inspected for a leak and added freon to the air conditioner system; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,102.
One of the gaskets or public seals on the vehicle failed. When the adhesive that holds this gasket in place fails, it reduces the integrity of the windshield. When it initially failed, it was hitting both the windshield and passenger side window as I drove on the highway. I was advised that the windshield does not have it full level of protection without this seal. Consumer Affairs and the dealers have been unable to provide an answer as to why the gasket fails especially so early in the life of the car. It is a 2016 with less than 80,000. The dealer previously repaired the seal in 2018 and it failed again coming out of its place between the windshield and the hood. I had no warning as the seal came out of place. I began to hear the plastic gasket slap against the windshield as I drove down the highway. The dealer and manufacturer refused to repair it after inspecting while it was in for service. They indicated it was out of warranty but provided no reason why the gasket failed. My insurance company ultimately made arrangements with a glass shop because the gasket that forms the seal cannot be replaced without replacing the windshield. I had to pay the deductible for the repair to prevent further damage to my windshield and or passenger side window.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine and battery warning lights illuminated and the vehicle then lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted but failed to exceed 10 MPH while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer informed her that she no longer qualified for the warranty extension for the transmission after 100,000 miles and that the repair would be out of pocket. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
My gear shift malfunctions. It is stuck in park and I have to use a screw driver to move the gear shift. Then the gear shift is loose this could cause an accident. I'm doing my best to keep it secure but need it replaced. Also think it has to do with a part u see the brake
powertrain , speed control transmission slipping won't go forward or reverse slow
Had the Sentra in the dealership three different times for transmission slipping while under warranty. Each time they came back saying there was nothing wrong and couldn’t duplicate any issues. Now out of warranty the transmission failed. Contacted Nissan corporate and their response was nothing we can do. Let them know that I had it in the dealership three times but it made no difference.
I have been having this problem for years and no one has been able to tell me what is wrong or how I can fix it. My RPM’s will fluctuate rapidly and I am unable to accelerate and it feels jumpy. It stopped accelerating completely one time on the freeway. I was only able to get back up to 25mph, it was so scary. Luckily I was close to an exit and got off. Replaced mass air flow sensor and it started working normally for about a month. It has not completely stopped working since then but the RPM’s still fluctuate most days. I feel scared it will give out one day or cause me to crash. I have taken it to different mechanics as well as the Nissan dealership and they all say nothing seems wrong. They recommend a transmission drain and fill, which I have done. The problem still persists. I see this is a common issue with others as well. It needs to be addressed as it is extremely scary and puts peoples lives at risk.
The contact rented a 2016 Nissan Sentra with Turo. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 mph, she heard an abnormal noise before the steering wheel and brakes seized. The contact stated the air bag warning light was illuminated before. The contact stated the vehicle steered independently out of control and drove through bushes and trees. The contact stated she ended up on the opposite side of the road and with the side air bags deployed but the driver's side air bag did not deploy. The contact stated she hit her head on the windshield and was unconscious when the paramedics assisted her. The contact stated she was a bit banged and bruised up. The contact refused to seek medical attention at a hospital. The contact stated the driver's side door was unable to unlatch and needed assistance from the paramedics to exit the vehicle. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to towing lot. The contact called the Turo call center and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
The transmission of the vehicle was repaired 6 months after the purchase in 2016 by the dealer. Currently, this Nissan car agency no longer exists, the problem reappeared, failure to start due to insecurity when driving
I was driving to work when my car stalled and stopped in the middle of the road. I was almost t boned and mortified. The car turns on, if you press the gas it’s attempting to go but it doesn’t go anywhere. Nissan is now saying that they can’t do anything about this because the warranty was expired in July however this has not only happened to me but over a dozen other clients. This is absurd and unprofessional. Your vehicles are dangerous to drive at this point and I would not recommend as safe due to this. Was there a crash? No, but you shouldn’t wait until someone’s life is taken to do something about it. Was I physically injured or harmed? No, but mentally I was. I love Nissan and was hoping to get another, but this incident does not sit well with me. The assistance I am getting also does not sit well with me, it’s like they don’t even care what happens.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start-up. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 22,000.
Cars loses power after going on the highway for more than 30 miles.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle started slowing down and the RPM indicator was circling around. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to pull over and turn the vehicle off and restart three times and then drove to the dealer to have the vehicle diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 123,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated the vehicle overheated and stalled. The oil, engine, and battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,321. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified about the recall and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Dealership will only repair stop light, but there are other problems such as no start,mil illumination. Dealer want me to pay for a dia. test in order to fix the issues.
CVT transmission. We bought the car February 2021 at approximately 95,000 miles I have 106,000 miles & the CVT transmission needs replaced. I saw there were class action lawsuits against them I California but I'm the Texas. I called Nissan headquarters & was told there was nothing they could do to help me. I stalled in traffic, it jerked & rattled & I thought the tires were going to fall off. I was then scared to drive. I took it to a transmission shop in my town & they said it was the CVT transmission. Nissan told us to take it to a Nissan dealer. They said it was the CVT transmission. Over $4,500.00 to replace it. Please help me.
Vehicle Stalls randomly. Numerous times on numerous dates.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle failed to exceed 55 MPH. The vehicle then decelerated to 20 MPH within a few seconds. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing transmission replaced however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 94,500.
The transmission has failed and I am unable to drive forward. This is the second transmission to fail in two years.
Unknown transmission issues cvt
It's been 6 months the car started to skeet transmission gear. When driving in highway at 65 to 70 mph the clock of idle start going from 1 up to 4 up and down. I took it to a auto repair and the mechanic stated is the transmission. I've done a research and other people have the same issue. I want to prevent a crash if the transmission goes down and car stop abruptly.