Nissan Sentra Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Nissan Sentra drew the most (85; most-reported area: electrical system) and the 2023 the fewest (14).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 34 mpg combined, arrived in 2024.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2019 Sentra Most reported: electrical system	85	222	2
2021 Sentra Most reported: steering	70	131	3
2018 Sentra Most reported: powertrain	69	185	2
2016 Sentra Most reported: powertrain	64	270	6
2020 Sentra Most reported: forward collision avoidance	63	205	4
2017 Sentra Most reported: powertrain	60	230	3
2022 Sentra Most reported: steering	58	81	2
2023 Sentra Most reported: electrical system	14	20	1

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints	Crash test
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	1	16	Not rated
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	34 mpg Gas	4	30
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	34 mpg Gas	3	40
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	1	20
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	2	81
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	3	131
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	4	205
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Gas	2	222
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Gas	2	185
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	32 mpg Gas	3	230
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	6	270

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2019: 222 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Nissan Sentra
Model year	Complaints
2016	270
2017	230
2018	185
2019	222
2020	205
2021	131
2022	81
2023	20
2024	40
2025	30
2026	16

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 32 to 34 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2024.

2026: gas 33 mpg

Show as a table

Nissan Sentra best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2016	33
2017	32
2018	32
2019	32
2020	33
2021	33
2022	33
2023	33
2024	34
2025	34
2026	33

Questions

Which Nissan Sentra years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2019 (85) drew the most, then the 2021 (70). Most-reported area for the 2019: electrical system.

Which Nissan Sentra years have the fewest problems?

The 2023 (14) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Nissan Sentra years should you avoid?

No Nissan Sentra year stands out: complaints in each year's first three years ranged from 14 to 85, and the worst year drew less than one and a half times a typical year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Nissan dealers.

Which Nissan Sentra years have the most recalls?

The 2016 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (6), then the 2025 (4). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2016 to 2026 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.

What are the most common Nissan Sentra problems?

Of the 1,430 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2026 models, the areas named most are powertrain (24%), electrical system (21%), and forward collision avoidance (13%). One complaint can name more than one area. The recalls and problems page for each year breaks this down further.

Which Nissan Sentra year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 34 mpg combined, first reached by the 2024 gas version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.