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Nissan Sentra 2016 recalls, problems, complaints and safety

NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls issued for the Nissan Sentra 2016 and 270 complaints filed by owners. It's the model year with the most complaints for the Nissan Sentra between 2016 and 2025.

These are recalls issued for this model and year, not for your specific car. A car may already be repaired or may not be included. Confirm with your VIN on NHTSA.

Own or buying a Nissan Sentra 2016? Enter its VIN to see its exact trim and engine, and confirm on NHTSA whether its recalls were repaired.

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  1. Dashboard, driver side: visible from outside through the windshield.
  2. Sticker on the driver's door frame.
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Recalls issued for the Nissan Sentra 2016

Exterior lighting
NHTSA campaign 21V135000 · 2021-03-03

What happens

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.

Consequence

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.

The repair is free at any dealer of the brand.

NHTSA 21V135000

Air bags
NHTSA campaign 17V253000 · 2017-04-13

What happens

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error within the air bag inflators, the passenger frontal air bag may not properly deploy in the event of a crash.

Consequence

In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag doesn't deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury to passengers.

Remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

The repair is free at any dealer of the brand.

NHTSA 17V253000

Electrical system
NHTSA campaign 16V485000 · 2016-06-29

What happens

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sentra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2016, through April 26, 2016. The engine room harness may have a terminal pin too large to maintain a connection with the Engine Control Unit (ECU).

Consequence

If the engine room harness loses connection to the ECU, the vehicle may not start or the engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the terminal pin on the engine room harness, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

The repair is free at any dealer of the brand.

NHTSA 16V485000

Air bags
NHTSA campaign 16V436000 · 2016-06-15

What happens

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 24, 2016, to March 23, 2016, and Sentra vehicles manufactured February 9, 2016, to March 4, 2016. The wiring harness connector may disconnect from the dual-stage passenger air bag.

Consequence

If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiring harness connector for proper engagement and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag module and main body harness, free of charge. The recall began on August 9, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

The repair is free at any dealer of the brand.

NHTSA 16V436000

Air bags
NHTSA campaign 16V244000 · 2016-04-26

What happens

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

Consequence

If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

Remedy

Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

The repair is free at any dealer of the brand.

NHTSA 16V244000

Air bags
NHTSA campaign 16V242000 · 2016-04-26

What happens

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Sentra vehicles manufactured June 4, 2012, to April 9, 2016. The front passenger seat belt bracket may become deformed if it is used to secure a Child Restraint System (CRS). The deformed seat bracket may cause the Occupant Classification System (OCS) to incorrectly classify the installed CRS, resulting in the front passenger air bag to not be turned off as designed when a CRS is in the seat.

Consequence

If the frontal passenger air bag deploys in the event of a crash when a child seat is installed in the front passenger seat, there will be an increased risk of injury to the child in the CRS.

Remedy

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reinforce the seat belt bracket as well as reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU), free of charge. The recall began on June 13, 2016. Owners are warned not to install a CRS in the front seat. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

The repair is free at any dealer of the brand.

NHTSA 16V242000

Complaints from other owners

270 complaints filed with NHTSA by owners of this model.

18 with a crash · 2 with a fire · 13 injuries

Most reported problems on the Nissan Sentra 2016

Complaints are written by owners and NHTSA doesn't verify each one. They're useful to spot trends.

What to check before buying a Nissan Sentra 2016

Safety rating (NCAP)

OverallFrontalSideRollover
2016 Nissan Sentra 4 DR FWD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆

Nissan Sentra recalls by year

Frequently asked questions

How many recalls does the Nissan Sentra 2016 have?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls issued for the Nissan Sentra 2016. That doesn't mean every car has them open: confirm with the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The repair is free at the dealer.

What is the most common problem with the Nissan Sentra 2016?

In complaints filed with NHTSA, the most mentioned component is: powertrain and transmission (126 of 270 complaints). Complaints aren't verified one by one, but they show trends.

Model-level information from official NHTSA sources. Confirm by VIN on NHTSA. Not a substitute for a mechanical inspection.

Last updated: October 12, 2026. Sources: NHTSA vPIC (decoding), NHTSA Recalls, NHTSA Complaints and NHTSA NCAP (5-Star Safety Ratings).