YearToAvoid

2016 Nissan Sentra Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

67/100

#6 most-complained of 16 Sentra years

The 2016 Nissan Sentra has a Complaint Index of 67 and ranks 6th worst out of 16 model years, earning a Caution verdict. NHTSA lists 270 complaints, 6 recalls, and 18 crashes, with Transmission & Powertrain issues making up 47% of complaints.

Complaints
270
Recalls
6
Crashes / fires
18 / 2
Injuries / deaths
13 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
32
29 city / 37 hwy

Top 2016 Nissan Sentra problems

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

  1. Transmission & Powertrain127 (47%)
  2. Engine68 (25%)
  3. Electrical System53 (20%)
  4. Other43 (16%)
  5. Brakes30 (11%)
  6. Airbags24 (9%)
  7. Fuel System19 (7%)
  8. Structure & Body12 (4%)
  9. Collision Avoidance & Cameras5 (2%)
  10. Steering5 (2%)

What owners report

  • Front and passenger airbags sometimes failed to deploy during moderate-to-high-speed crashes, including rear-end and freeway collisions.
  • Brake pedals reportedly sank to the floor and failed to stop the vehicle, leading to collisions in some cases.
  • Owners describe transmission shudder and vibration between 40 and 60 mph, sometimes progressing to stalling or loss of control.
  • Some transmissions reportedly gave out entirely at highway speed, causing loss of vehicle control.
  • A few owners noted an abnormal smoke smell from the heating system alongside transmission vibration complaints.
2016 Nissan Sentra complaints: complaints filed per quarter252016 Q32018 Q12019 Q32021 Q12022 Q32024 Q12025 Q3
398 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2016 Q3 to 2026 Q3; peak 2018 Q4 (25).

2016 Nissan Sentra recalls

6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V135000Mar 3, 2021Electrical System807,376 vehicles

    Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

    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.

    Risk: The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers 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.

  2. 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.

  3. NHTSA 16V485000Jun 29, 2016Electrical System1,522 vehicles

    Electrical system:wiring

    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).

    Risk: If 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.

    Remedy: Nissan 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.

See all 6 recalls for the 2016 Nissan Sentra →

2016 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.

2016 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
2014Avoid93380532.5
2015Avoid87351332
2016Caution67270632
2017Caution73230328.5
2018Good47185228.5

All Nissan Sentra years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Nissan Sentra reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2016 Sentra a Complaint Index of 67, ranking 6th worst among 16 model years and earning a Caution verdict relative to other Sentra years.
What is the biggest problem with the 2016 Nissan Sentra?
Transmission & Powertrain issues are the top problem area, accounting for 47% of the 270 complaints, with a median failure mileage of 87,000 miles.
Does the 2016 Nissan Sentra have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2016 Sentra covering airbags, electrical wiring, brake light switches, and seat belt brackets; none are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2016 Sentra compare to other years?
The 2016 model's Complaint Index of 67 is worse than 2010 (7), 2012 (20), and 2018 (47), but better than 2013 (100), 2014 (93), and 2015 (87), which are rated Avoid.
What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Nissan Sentra?
EPA rates the 2016 Sentra at 32 mpg combined (29 city/37 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,050.

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.