YearToAvoid

2014 Nissan Sentra Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

93/100

#2 most-complained of 16 Sentra years

The 2014 Nissan Sentra has a complaint index of 93 and ranks 2nd worst out of 16 model years, earning an Avoid verdict. It has 380 complaints, 5 recalls, and its top problem area is Transmission & Powertrain, affecting 48% of complaints at a median 82,000 miles.

Complaints
380
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
27 / 6
Injuries / deaths
18 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
32.5
29.5 city / 37.5 hwy

Top 2014 Nissan Sentra problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Transmission & Powertrain182 (48%)
  2. Engine88 (23%)
  3. Other58 (15%)
  4. Airbags51 (13%)
  5. Brakes48 (13%)
  6. Electrical System35 (9%)
  7. Fuel System13 (3%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires12 (3%)
  9. Steering9 (2%)
  10. Seat Belts6 (2%)

What owners report

  • Transmission fails or stalls unexpectedly while turning, sometimes causing multi-vehicle collisions.
  • Engine and brakes reportedly seize or malfunction while the vehicle is parked, leading to unintended rolling or acceleration.
  • Airbags fail to deploy during frontal or side-impact crashes, resulting in injuries.
  • Electrical system issues include illuminated brake and battery warning lights followed by stalling and engine bay smoke or fire.
  • Brakes produce a loud groaning noise and fail to stop the vehicle adequately when pressed.
2014 Nissan Sentra complaints: complaints filed per quarter272014 Q22016 Q12017 Q42019 Q32021 Q22023 Q12025 Q1
513 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2014 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2019 Q4 (27).

2014 Nissan Sentra recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 17V253000Apr 13, 2017Airbags30,038 vehicles

    Air bags

    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.

    Risk: 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.

  2. NHTSA 16V242000Apr 26, 2016Airbags645,898 vehicles

    Air bags:sensor:occupant classification

    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.

    Risk: 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.

  3. NHTSA 16V244000Apr 26, 2016Airbags3,296,947 vehicles

    Air bags:sensor:occupant classification

    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.

    Risk: 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.

See all 5 recalls for the 2014 Nissan Sentra →

2014 Nissan Sentra fuel economy and fuel cost

City
29.5 MPG
Highway
37.5 MPG
Combined
32.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,000
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2014 compared with other Sentra years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2012Best20180026
2013Avoid100638633
2014Avoid93380532.5
2015Avoid87351332
2016Caution67270632

All Nissan Sentra years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2014 Nissan Sentra reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2014 Sentra ranks 2nd worst among 16 model years with a complaint index of 93, giving it an Avoid verdict relative to other Sentra years.
What is the biggest problem with the 2014 Nissan Sentra?
Transmission & Powertrain issues account for 48% of complaints, with 182 reports and a median failure mileage of 82,000 miles.
Does the 2014 Nissan Sentra have airbag recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists five recalls for the 2014 Sentra, and four of them involve the airbag system, including inflator and seat belt bracket issues.
How does the 2014 Sentra compare to other years?
NHTSA data shows the 2014 Sentra's complaint index of 93 is worse than most other years, with only the 2013 model (index 100) ranking lower.
What is the fuel economy of the 2014 Nissan Sentra?
The EPA rates the 2014 Sentra at 32.5 mpg combined (29.5 city / 37.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.