YearToAvoid

2019 Nissan Sentra Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

85/100

#4 most-complained of 21 Sentra years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2019 Nissan Sentra has 222 owner complaints and 2 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 85 out of 100 — #4 highest of 21 Sentra model years (verdict: Avoid). The most reported problem area is electrical system (87 complaints, 39% of the total). Complaints report 16 crashes, 1 fire, and 18 injuries.

Complaints
222
Recalls
2
Crashes / fires
16 / 1
Injuries / deaths
18 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
29
27 city / 33 hwy

Top 2019 Nissan Sentra problems

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

  1. Electrical System87 (39%)
  2. Transmission & Powertrain54 (24%)
  3. Other49 (22%)
  4. Brakes42 (19%)
  5. Collision Avoidance & Cameras36 (16%)
  6. Engine29 (13%)
  7. Airbags14 (6%)
  8. Structure & Body8 (4%)
  9. Fuel System6 (3%)
  10. Seat Belts4 (2%)
2019 Nissan Sentra complaints: complaints filed per quarter262018 Q42019 Q42020 Q42021 Q42022 Q42023 Q42024 Q42025 Q4
340 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2018 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2021 Q2 (26).

2019 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.

2019 Nissan Sentra fuel economy and fuel cost

City
27 MPG
Highway
33 MPG
Combined
29 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,750
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.

2019 compared with other Sentra years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2017Avoid80230328.5
2018Caution60185228.5
2019Avoid85222229
2020Avoid75205432.5
2021Caution65131332.5

All Nissan Sentra years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Nissan Sentra a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2019 Nissan Sentra ranks #4 of 21 among Sentra model years (Complaint Index 85/100, verdict: Avoid). It has 222 complaints and 2 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Nissan Sentra?
The most reported problem areas are electrical system (87 complaints), transmission & powertrain (54 complaints), and brakes (42 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 34,500 miles.
Does the 2019 Nissan Sentra have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2019 Nissan Sentra, most recently reported 2021, covering electrical system and collision avoidance & cameras.
What is the fuel economy of the 2019 Nissan Sentra?
EPA rates the 2019 Nissan Sentra at 29 MPG combined (27 city / 33 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,750. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

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.