YearToAvoid

2018 Nissan Sentra Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

47/100

#9 most-complained of 16 Sentra years

The 2018 Nissan Sentra has 185 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 47, ranking 9th worst out of 16 model years — a Good rating relative to other Sentra years. It carries 2 recalls, both for electrical/brake-light and back-up camera software issues.

Complaints
185
Recalls
2
Crashes / fires
17 / 3
Injuries / deaths
10 / 1
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
28.5
26.5 city / 32.5 hwy

Top 2018 Nissan Sentra problems

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

  1. Transmission & Powertrain46 (25%)
  2. Electrical System44 (24%)
  3. Brakes43 (23%)
  4. Engine38 (21%)
  5. Other38 (21%)
  6. Collision Avoidance & Cameras24 (13%)
  7. Airbags9 (5%)
  8. Fuel System7 (4%)
  9. Structure & Body7 (4%)
  10. Steering6 (3%)

What owners report

  • Front collision warning sensors trigger false alerts and beep rapidly even with no vehicle nearby, making it hard to brake normally.
  • Exterior brake lights fail to illuminate, in at least one case leading to a rear-end crash.
  • Emergency brake assist activates unexpectedly on hills or when using turn signals, even after dealer replacement of the bracket and sensor.
  • Seat belts reported not latching properly in a crash, failing to restrain occupants during frontal impacts.
  • Vehicle intermittently fails to start with the push-to-start button and brake pedal depressed, sometimes accompanied by a burning smell or brake failure while driving.
2018 Nissan Sentra complaints: complaints filed per quarter232018 Q22019 Q32020 Q42022 Q12023 Q22024 Q32025 Q4
270 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2018 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2020 Q3 (23).

2018 Nissan Sentra recalls

2 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 19V654000Sep 12, 2019Collision Avoidance & Cameras1,228,830 vehicles

    Back over prevention: sensing system: camera

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

    Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.

2018 Nissan Sentra fuel economy and fuel cost

City
26.5 MPG
Highway
32.5 MPG
Combined
28.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,800
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Premium
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.

2018 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
2016Caution67270632
2017Caution73230328.5
2018Good47185228.5
2019Avoid80222229
2020Caution53205432.5

All Nissan Sentra years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Nissan Sentra reliable?
NHTSA data shows the 2018 Sentra has 185 complaints and a complaint index of 47, ranking 9th worst of 16 Sentra model years. That gives it a Good verdict relative to other Sentra years.
Does the 2018 Nissan Sentra have any recalls?
Yes, two recalls. One covers a brake light switch that can become contaminated and stop the brake lights from working, and the other covers a back-up camera software update affecting several Nissan models including the Sentra.
What is the top problem area for the 2018 Nissan Sentra?
Transmission & Powertrain is the top problem area, with 46 complaints making up 25% of reported issues, at a median mileage of 75,500 miles.
How does the 2018 Sentra compare to other bad Sentra years?
The 2018 Sentra's complaint index of 47 is much lower than the worst years like 2013 (100), 2014 (93), and 2015 (87), all of which are rated Avoid.
What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Nissan Sentra?
The 2018 Sentra gets an EPA-rated 28.5 mpg combined (26.5 city / 32.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,800.

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.