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2016 Nissan Sentra: Recalls, Complaints & Safety Ratings

6Safety recalls
266Owner complaints
4★NHTSA overall
Quick answer

The 2016 Nissan Sentra has 6 open NHTSA safety recalls and 266 owner complaints on file, with an overall 4-star NHTSA crash-test rating. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Check a specific VIN to confirm whether the work was done and to verify mileage and title.

Safety record reviewed June 2026 · sourced from NHTSA

The 2016 Nissan Sentra has 6 open safety recalls and 266 owner complaints on file with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and it earned an overall 4-star NHTSA crash-test rating. Below is the public safety record. To see whether a specific Sentra had its recalls repaired and how its mileage and title check out, run that car's VIN.

Safety recalls

1

AIR BAGS

Campaign 17V253000 · 13/04/2017

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.

RiskIn the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag doesn't deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury to passengers.
RemedyNissan 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.
2

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Campaign 16V436000 · 15/06/2016

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.

RiskIf the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
RemedyNissan 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.
3

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

Campaign 16V485000 · 29/06/2016

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).

RiskIf 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.
RemedyNissan 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.
4

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

Campaign 16V244000 · 26/04/2016

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.

RiskIf 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.
RemedyNissan 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.
5

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

Campaign 16V242000 · 26/04/2016

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.

RiskIf 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.
RemedyNissan 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.
6

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

Campaign 21V135000 · 03/03/2021

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.

RiskThe brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.
RemedyDealers 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.

What owners complain about

The systems 2016 Nissan Sentra owners report most often to federal regulators:

Power Train125
Engine47
Electrical System44
Unknown Or Other42
Vehicle Speed Control27
Air Bags24

NHTSA crash-test ratings

Frontal crash★★★★
Side crash★★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Overall★★★★

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2016 Nissan Sentra have any recalls?

Yes. The 2016 Nissan Sentra has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Check your specific VIN to see whether the work was completed.

What problems do 2016 Nissan Sentra owners report?

Owners have filed 266 complaints with the NHTSA for the 2016 Nissan Sentra, most often about the power train, engine, electrical system.

How do I check a specific Sentra's history?

Enter the 17-character VIN into Carchieve. You get the recalls, owner complaints and crash ratings shown here for that exact vehicle, plus full decoded specifications and a guided title and odometer check.

Check a specific 2016 Nissan Sentra

This page covers the model. For one exact car, run its 17-character VIN to confirm its recalls, mileage and title.

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