2015 Nissan Sentra Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2015 Nissan Sentra ranks 2nd worst out of 21 model years, with a complaint index of 95 and 351 NHTSA complaints. Transmission & powertrain issues make up 49% of complaints, followed by engine problems at 29%, earning it an Avoid verdict.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 95/100
- #2 of 21 Sentra years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 351
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 3
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 23
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 23
- Top issue
- Transmission & Powertrain
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 32
- 29 city / 37 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 23 / 0
Top 2015 Nissan Sentra problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain172 (49%)
- Engine101 (29%)
- Other57 (16%)
- Airbags44 (13%)
- Electrical System27 (8%)
- Brakes22 (6%)
- Structure & Body20 (6%)
- Fuel System11 (3%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires9 (3%)
- Seat Belts6 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Brakes reportedly fail to stop the car and go to the floor at low speeds, sometimes rolling through a stop instead of braking.
- Airbags reportedly fail to deploy during frontal or head-on crashes, leaving occupants without protection.
- Some owners report airbags deploying unexpectedly with no collision, causing loss of control.
- Owners describe the transmission shifting incorrectly during driving, in one case causing the vehicle to veer off the road.
- Electrical system fires reportedly occur after the car is parked, with owners describing smoke or fire discovered after the vehicle sat unattended.
- Structural complaints describe the driver seat lunging forward on impact, causing the driver to strike the steering wheel.
2015 Nissan Sentra recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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.
- 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.
- NHTSA 15V453000Jul 21, 2015Structure & Body6,595 vehicles
Latches/locks/linkages
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2015 Nissan Rogue vehicles manufactured June 9, 2015, to June 10, 2015, and 2015 Nissan Sentra and Versa Note vehicles manufactured June 5, 2015, to June 13, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the driver side front and rear doors may not fully latch. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
Risk: A door that does not fully latch may result in the door opening while the car is moving. The distraction may increase the risk of a crash and/or a vehicle occupant may fall out of the vehicle if they are not wearing a seatbelt, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the date, lot number, and cavity code on the left front and rear door latches, and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 31, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
2015 Nissan Sentra fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 29 MPG
- Highway
- 37 MPG
- Combined
- 32 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,050
- 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.
2015 compared with other Sentra years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2015 Nissan Sentra reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2015 Sentra ranks 2nd worst among 21 model years with a complaint index of 95, giving it an Avoid verdict relative to other Sentra years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2015 Nissan Sentra?
- Transmission and powertrain issues account for 49% of the 351 complaints, with engine problems making up 29% and airbag issues 13%, per NHTSA data.
- Does the 2015 Nissan Sentra have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2015 Sentra, covering airbag bracket deformation, airbag control unit reprogramming, and a door-related structural inspection. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- At what mileage do 2015 Sentra problems usually happen?
- The median mileage at failure across all complaints is 55,500 miles, with transmission complaints trending higher at a median of 75,500 miles.
- How does the 2015 Sentra compare to other Sentra years?
- The 2015 model's complaint index of 95 is close to the worst year, 2013, at 100, and is much higher than lower-risk years like 2023 (index 0) and 2024 (index 20), which carry Best verdicts.