YearToAvoid

2015 Nissan Sentra Airbags Problems

NHTSA lists 44 airbag complaints for the 2015 Nissan Sentra, 13% of its 351 total complaints, tied to 16 crashes, 1 fire, and 17 injuries at a median 17,000 miles. Two related airbag recalls (16V242000, 16V244000) address seat belt bracket and control unit reprogramming issues.

Airbags complaints
44
13% of 351
Crashes reported
16
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
17
Median mileage
17,000 mi
Related recalls
2

Typical airbag symptoms owners report

  • Airbags fail to deploy during low- to moderate-speed crashes, sometimes even head-on or rear-end impacts.
  • Driver-side airbag reportedly deploys unexpectedly while driving straight at moderate speed with no collision.
  • Front passenger airbag off indicator stays lit and airbag does not activate even when the seat is occupied.
  • Side airbags deploy but owners report severe injuries such as arm lacerations while the steering airbag does not deploy.
  • Airbag non-deployment reported in crashes where the transmission was also said to shift incorrectly before the crash.

When 2015 Nissan Sentra airbag complaints were filed

First complaint May 26, 2015, latest Jan 2, 2026.

2015 Nissan Sentra airbags complaints: complaints filed per month5May 2015Jul 2016Nov 2016May 2017Mar 2019Dec 2020Feb 2024
44 complaints filed with NHTSA from May 2015 to Jan 2026; peak Jun 2016 (5).

Airbags recalls for the 2015 Nissan Sentra

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

Airbags complaints by Sentra model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201031 (22%)
  2. 201120 (14%)
  3. 201220 (11%)
  4. 201396 (15%)
  5. 201451 (13%)
  6. 201544 (13%)
  7. 201624 (9%)
  8. 201726 (11%)
  9. 20189 (5%)
  10. 201914 (6%)
  11. 20200 (0%)
  12. 20210 (0%)
  13. 20222 (2%)
  14. 20230 (0%)
  15. 20242 (5%)
  16. 20251 (3%)

Frequently asked questions

How many airbag complaints does NHTSA have for the 2015 Nissan Sentra?
NHTSA lists 44 airbag complaints for the 2015 Sentra, which is 13% of the 351 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there an airbag recall for the 2015 Nissan Sentra?
Yes. Recall 16V242000 covers a seat belt bracket that can become deformed and reprograms the Air Bag Control Unit, and recall 16V244000 covers a broader airbag control unit reprogramming campaign across several Nissan models including the Sentra.
Did the airbag problems cause crashes or injuries?
NHTSA data tied to this complaint area shows 16 crashes, 1 fire, and 17 injuries reported for the 2015 Sentra.
At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up on the 2015 Sentra?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for airbag complaints on this model year is 17,000 miles.
Is the 2015 Sentra worse than other years for airbag complaints?
Its 13% share is similar to 2013 (15%) and 2014 (13%), but lower than 2010's 22% share, based on NHTSA complaint data across model years.

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.