2017 Nissan Sentra
The Verdict
The 2017 Nissan Sentra has 228 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are transmission (63 complaints) and engine (53 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 50/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Nissan Sentra, consider the 2023 model year which has 92% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2023 has 92% fewer complaints
View the 2023 Nissan Sentra dashboard →
Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution
About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
Recalls 1
Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2018 Frontier, Versa Note, a...
Risk
If the vehicle stalls, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the production information on the ignition switch, and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2018. Owners may co...
Reported Apr 10, 2026
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
| Year | Body | Brakes | Electrical | Engine | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 47 | 7 | 34 | 81 | 7 |
| 2001 | 61 | 21 | 45 | 111 | 7 |
| 2002 | 62 | 10 | 78 | 169 | 14 |
| 2003 | 16 | 3 | 37 | 117 | 6 |
| 2004 | 18 | 8 | 52 | 113 | 6 |
| 2005 | 19 | 12 | 25 | 110 | 4 |
| 2006 | 24 | 4 | 35 | 46 | 7 |
| 2007 | 53 | 17 | 40 | 30 | 14 |
| 2008 | 48 | 18 | 53 | 31 | 17 |
| 2009 | 16 | 10 | 18 | 9 | 2 |
| 2010 | 27 | 1 | 60 | 44 | 12 |
| 2011 | 36 | 13 | 39 | 38 | 15 |
| 2012 | 47 | 5 | 26 | 47 | 55 |
| 2013 | 66 | 85 | 95 | 117 | 275 |
| 2014 | 53 | 30 | 63 | 75 | 159 |
| 2015 | 61 | 13 | 49 | 77 | 147 |
| 2016 | 43 | 18 | 46 | 58 | 101 |
| 2017 | 49 | 15 | 48 | 53 | 63 |
| 2018 | 47 | 35 | 34 | 25 | 42 |
| 2019 | 51 | 34 | 66 | 24 | 44 |
| 2020 | 124 | 24 | 38 | 9 | 7 |
| 2021 | 58 | 23 | 33 | 7 | 4 |
| 2022 | 43 | 4 | 21 | 8 | 4 |
| 2023 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| 2025 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Compare Against
See how the 2017 Nissan Sentra stacks up against rivals.
Complaints
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving the vehicle he could tell the vehicle gears were slipping, on a different occasion the vehicle downshifted on its own suddenly almost causing a crash. The contact stated there were times where the vehicle would downshift suddenly and would slow all the way down causing the vehicle to come to a stop, having to shift into neutral then back into drive, and the contact stated he could hear very loud grinding noise from the gears. The vehicle was towed to a residence, and the dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,600.
I have been experiencing the cvt transmission slipping the last two weeks. I contacted Nissan so see if my vin was a vehicle affected by 2017 cvt transmission recalls. They advised me it was not affected because my vin did not match their systems affected vehicles. Today my vehicle transmission broke down completely on my way home and had to get towed home. This could have been prevented had Nissan honored my vehicle cvt transmisson recall since it is a 2017 model as the ones affected. Now i have a vehicle i cant drive.
The CVT transmission on my 2016 Nissan Sentra is failing. This seems to be an ongoing issue with Nissans CVT that I have researched. Dealerships are saying they are not replacing the transmissions because it is outside the warranty. The CVT issues started shortly after the warranty ended. Funny. The fact that the failure of transmission is causing potential life threatening accidents and nothing is being done to resolve the issue. My car will stop accelerating while on an interstate where traffic is traveling 70-80mph. Nissan is an 8 billion dollar company and is building and selling cars risking the safety of families. To get the transmission replaced would cost more than the value of my car currently. My 2016 Nissan Sentra has right under 120,000 miles. I do hope that Nissan Company has a tad bit of integrity and helps their customers resolve these issues.
Unknown
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the brake light switch had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
CVT transmission losing power
When driving in the highway my hood opened up it hand unhinged on its own.
My 2017 Nissan Sentra is experiencing CVT transmission problems. The vehicle hesitates when accelerating, slips between gears, and sometimes loses power while driving. This creates a dangerous situation when entering traffic or driving at highway speeds. I contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs, but they stated there was nothing they could do because the vehicle is slightly over the 84,000-mile extended CVT warranty. Many owners are reporting the same CVT transmission failures with this model. This issue creates a safety risk because the vehicle struggles to accelerate properly and may unexpectedly lose power while driving. I believe this CVT transmission defect should be investigated for a potential recall.
CVT failed after only 94K miles.
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the brake pedal was stiff. The contact stated that the message "Put Foot on Brake Pedal" was displayed. While standing on the brake pedal, the vehicle started. The failure recurred while attempting to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that there would be a charge for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that after investigating the failure online, the contact learned that the failure was a common failure and could be related to a sensor malfunction. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed; however, the contact was later referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased, the odometer indicated that the mileage was 92,000. The vehicle was a private sale. The contact's wife purchased the Carfax report and stated that the odometer reading was 179,070 on April 22, 2025.
The fabric drivers side seat belt is frayed. At least 1/2 of the width of the fabric is not intact. The warranty on the seat belt is 120 months and the dealer said it is not covered by the warranty. No incident has occurred yet, but I am concerned for my safety in the event of an accident. The car has 32,073 miles on it so it is obviously a defect. The belt is available for inspection. Yes the Dealer was notified and did inspect the belt. There were no warning lamps.
Car just lost power in highway. Car starts but will barely move as pushing down on gas.
While reverse parking into a single parking space at my apartment complex, the driver-side airbag deployed unexpectedly without any collision or impact. At the time of the incident, the vehicle was moving at a low speed and there were no warning lights, messages, or alerts prior to the airbag deployment. The airbag deployment struck me in the face and right arm, creating an immediate risk of injury. Following the deployment, the vehicle became non-drivable. The vehicle would not accelerate and would not move forward or in reverse when the accelerator pedal was pressed, indicating a possible electronic or powertrain safety system failure. There were no prior incidents, accidents, or modifications to the vehicle before this event. The vehicle was operating normally immediately prior to the airbag deployment. The failure occurred suddenly and without warning. The vehicle and deployed airbag are available for inspection upon request. At the time of this report, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer. Inspection by insurance and/or authorized service personnel is pending. This unexpected airbag deployment and subsequent loss of vehicle control posed a serious safety risk, both due to the physical injury caused by the airbag and the sudden inability to operate the vehicle.
The contact owned a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH and coasting to the right around a curve, after completing the maneuver, the accelerator was depressed, the cruise control was set at 48 MPH, and the steering wheel was turned to the left but independently turned all the way to the right. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced a failure with the steering position sensor. The contact let go of the steering when and the vehicle left the road and ran into a pile of leaves. The vehicle struck an unknown object on the ground, the vehicle then went airborne, and the roof of the vehicle struck a tree. The contact stated that the vehicle spun around and ended up in the South bound lane with the passenger’s side quarter panel still on the roadway. The vehicle flipped over approximately six times and ended up on the road where the vehicle came to a stop. The contact recalled seven impacts before the vehicle came to a rest. The seat belt failed to function as intended; the contact struck the driver’s side air bag several times that by the time the vehicle came to a stop, the air bag had deflated. The contact stated that the side curtain air bags deployed, preventing his head from striking the window and exiting the vehicle. All the other air bags were also deployed. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. The contact sustained injuries. The contact had a broken nose, fractured ribs, and a traumatic brain injury. The contact also lost the ability to speak but has since regained partial ability to speak. The contact was transported to the hospital by ambulance. The contact stated that he was neglectfully released from the first hospital he was transferred to but then checked himself back into the ER of another hospital, where most of the injuries were discovered. There were no other passengers in the vehicle. A Police report was filed but was not available. The vehicle was towed to a Copart location in Shreveport, Louisiana. The insurance company was notified of the failures, inspected the vehicle and declared the vehicle a total loss. The contact stated that several days before the accident, the steering wheel and vehicle was vibrating abnormally, and the tires were rotated and that was why the vehicle was being test driven when the failure occurred. The contact stated that the vibration stopped for several days prior to the crash but returned excessively on the day of the crash. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
the transmission has failed with hardly any warning. Stops without warning, while driving down the road. The car will start just fine but will not rev. or respond to the accelerator. When it stops will driving, it will rev way up but will not have any power to move.
It will be investigated by my insurance company, but this is what happened. I was taking a leisurely drive on a country road. Not much for shoulders and the trees aren't cut back far enough. I was going straight. The vehicle decided to take a 45 degree turn the right. Into the trees then flipping several times before finally coming to rest. The shoulder strap failed to lock, therefore my upper body took quite a beating including broken ribs because the side curtain doesn't cover the armrest. And the console took care of ribs in my right side. Full upper body whiplash. This is an issue unknown to most of the general public. Wish I had known. I have witnesses and police reports. I was driving normally. People who saw me when I drove past their houses said they were surprised to hear the crash. And we're very surprised that I was alive and had managed to ooze out right beside the vehicle. I didn't walk away. There was misdiagnosis at the hospital that the ambulance decided on their own to go to. And I was released. No wheelchair, nothing. No medicine. Just go away. I went to the ER in my hometown. Where the obvious injuries were diagnosed. The public needs to be aware just how dangerous electric steering is. The technology isn't ready. Just like phonebot answering service.
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting), and the recall repair was performed. Approximately 4 years after having the recall repair completed, the traction control warning light was illuminated, and the brake lights failed to illuminate while the brake pedal was depressed. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The dealer confirmed the recall repair was completed, and the VIN was no longer included. The dealer confirmed that the repair had exceeded the 12-month Extended Warranty coverage for additional repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and the manufacturer confirmed that the warranty coverage had been exceeded. The manufacturer opened a case for the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
The 2017 Nissan Sentra is part of a recall due to significant transmission issues, including sudden loss of power and jerking motions while driving. Overview of the Recall Nissan has issued a recall for certain 2013 to 2017 Sentra models due to problems with their continuously variable transmissions (CVT). Owners have reported various issues, including: Sudden loss of power while driving, which can occur without warning, posing a serious safety risk. Jerking or shuddering motions during acceleration, making the vehicle feel unstable. Transmission slipping out of gear, which can lead to loss of control. this has seriously affected my vehicle VIN number is [XXX] , 2017 Nissan Sentra. I called the local dealership and was told that since it was a 'rebuilt' title recalls didnt apply. My research shows that this is not true. The damage that occurred to my vehicle that affected the title was not even in the area of the recall of transmission. It was in the rear of the vehicle. Can you help me with this problem please? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My transmission on my 2017 Nissan Sentra failed not once but twice. I got it repaired to the tune of $4500 and then it failed again a year later and they wanted $7000. I am a single mother working very hard and this set me back TREMENDOUSLY! I have been struggling financially to keep a roof over my head because i no longer have a vehicle to get back and forth to work i am at risk of losing my job due to attendance. I was paying a car note at the time and i paid the car off in full only to have this happen to me. I am truly at a loss for words and this is beyond unfair. No one seems to be able to help. It stopped on me in the middle of driving down the expressway. Transmission shuttered and my car lost acceleration. Worst experience of my life.
228 total