AutoUtility currently tracks 268 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Nissan Sentra. Powertrain & Transmission issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 127 complaints (47.4% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 18 filings cite a crash, 2 cite a fire, 10 report one or more injuries.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 268 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Powertrain & Transmission (127 reports • 47.4% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Electrical System (44), Engine & Cooling (40)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 18 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 2 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 10 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2016 Nissan Sentra
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Powertrain & Transmission
Electrical System
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #16V485000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Engine & Cooling
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
Brakes & Traction Control
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #21V135000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Nissan Sentra
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.
Loss of Motive Power While Driving
Transmission Slipping, Hesitation or Shudder
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Nissan Sentra
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"In 2023, my vehicle experienced a transmission/CVT-related failure that resulted in a loss of propulsion. The vehicle became unable to continue driving and was stopped in Chino Hills, California. A neighbor called the police, and officers responded to the scene, although no police report was filed...."
"On Friday, July 3, 2026, at approximately 9:30 PM, while driving on the parkway at an approximate speed of 65 miles per hour and preparing to merge onto the highway, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled completely. I was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. After a few..."
"Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Niss. The contact stated that they discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale/dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 107,242. It was later discovered upon checking Carfax,..."
"The CVT transmission, which Nissan has had many issues with per the large number of class action lawsuits, failed while I was driving the vehicle on a main street in San Diego. The vehicle showed no indication (warning light) that there was any engine failure or issue. The CVT transmission just..."
"The vehicle stopped accelerating while driving and after stopping, would not exceed 5-10 mph. Vehicle was towed to a mechanic who advised that the transmission had failed."
Complaint History for Nissan Sentra
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Nissan Sentra | 351 | 23 | 3 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Nissan Sentra Current Page | 268 | 18 | 6 | Current |
| 2017 Nissan Sentra | 230 | 29 | 3 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Nissan Sentra | 185 | 17 | 2 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Nissan Sentra | 221 | 16 | 2 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Nissan Sentra | 204 | 8 | 4 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Nissan Sentra | 129 | 14 | 3 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Nissan Sentra | 80 | 1 | 2 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Nissan Sentra | 19 | 1 | 1 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Nissan Sentra | 35 | 5 | 3 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Nissan Sentra | 28 | 6 | 4 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Nissan Sentra | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2026 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2016 Nissan Sentra
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 79 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 84 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 16 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEATS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| STEERING,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.