YearToAvoid

2016 Nissan Sentra Airbags Problems

Airbags account for 24 complaints on the 2016 Nissan Sentra, 9% of its 270 total complaints. These reports include 10 crashes and 8 injuries, with a median failure mileage of 26,000. Four NHTSA recalls cover airbag-related defects on this model year.

Airbags complaints
24
9% of 270
Crashes reported
10
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
8
Median mileage
26,000 mi
Related recalls
4

Typical airbag symptoms owners report

  • Frontal airbags failed to deploy during moderate-to-high-speed collisions, including rear-end and head-on crashes.
  • A passenger air bag exploded on deployment during a low-speed t-bone impact, sending metal fragments and smoke into the cabin.
  • The passenger seat occupant sensor intermittently misread weight, causing the airbag warning light to flicker and the system to inconsistently arm or disarm the passenger airbag.
  • Owners who had recall repairs completed still experienced non-deployment in later crashes.
  • Seat belts failed to lock during impact in at least one case alongside airbag non-deployment.

When 2016 Nissan Sentra airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Jul 14, 2016, latest Apr 3, 2025.

2016 Nissan Sentra airbags complaints: complaints filed per month2Jul 2016Jul 2017Dec 2017Apr 2018Sep 2018Aug 2020Jan 2022
24 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jul 2016 to Apr 2025; peak Nov 2017 (2).

Airbags recalls for the 2016 Nissan Sentra

  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 16V436000Jun 15, 2016Airbags4,355 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    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.

    Risk: If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Nissan 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. 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.

  4. 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 the 2016 Nissan Sentra have?
NHTSA lists 24 airbag complaints for the 2016 Sentra, which is 9% of its 270 total complaints for the model year.
Is there an airbag recall for the 2016 Nissan Sentra?
Yes. Four separate NHTSA recalls (17V253000, 16V436000, 16V242000, 16V244000) cover airbag-related defects on the 2016 Sentra, including inflator, wiring harness, and seat belt bracket issues tied to the air bag control unit.
At what mileage do airbag problems typically appear on the 2016 Sentra?
NHTSA data shows a median failure mileage of 26,000 for airbag complaints on this model year.
Were there injuries linked to airbag issues on the 2016 Sentra?
Yes, NHTSA complaint data records 8 injuries and 10 crashes associated with airbag complaints on the 2016 Sentra.

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.