AutoUtility currently tracks 230 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2017 Nissan Sentra. Powertrain & Transmission issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 76 complaints (33% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 29 filings cite a crash, 6 cite a fire, 18 report one or more injuries.

Key Problem Findings
  • Total NHTSA Complaints: 230 reports
  • #1 Reported Problem Area: Powertrain & Transmission (76 reports • 33% of submitted complaints)
  • Secondary Problem Areas: Engine & Cooling (46), Electrical System (33)
  • Crash-Citing Complaints: 29 filings
  • Fire-Citing Complaints: 6 filings
  • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 18 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
230
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
29
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
6
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
18
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2017 Nissan Sentra

Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records

#1 Problem Area 33% of complaints

Powertrain & Transmission

76 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 1 crash report
#2 Problem Area 20% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

46 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 1 crash report 🩹 1 injury report entry
#3 Problem Area 14.3% of complaints

Electrical System

33 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 2 crash reports 🔥 4 fire reports 🩹 2 injury report entries
#4 Problem Area 14.3% of complaints

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech

33 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 2 crash reports 🔥 1 fire report 🩹 3 injury report entries
#5 Problem Area 12.6% of complaints

Air Bags & Restraints

29 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 19 crash reports 🩹 14 injury report entries
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.

Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2017 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.

Powertrain & Transmission 3.9% of complaints

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

9 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Symptom Identification Method: A complaint may describe more than one symptom, so percentages may sum to more than 100%. Symptom identification reflects text contained in consumer-submitted complaint records and does not establish a confirmed mechanical diagnosis.

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2017 Nissan Sentra

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Brakes & Traction Control NHTSA ODI ID: #11752475
Filed: 07/23/2026

"My 2017 Sentra is suffering from the exact silicone outgassing defect detailed in Recall 21V135000. My replacement switches keep failing because the car requires the updated protective grommet, but Nissan is excluding my VIN from receiving the campaign kit."

Incident Date: 07/23/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: SERVICE BRAKES
Air Bags & Restraints NHTSA ODI ID: #11750871
Crash Cited Filed: 07/16/2026

"My car was legally parked on the street near my apartment, and was hit about a month ago that left my car totaled and my trunk completely crushed in, and the back seat caved in. My car was then hit a 2nd time two weeks ago, from the back, and both times, my car ricocheted and hit the car parked in..."

Incident Date: 05/31/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: AIR BAGS
Powertrain & Transmission NHTSA ODI ID: #11741244
Filed: 06/01/2026

"The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving the vehicle he could tell the vehicle gears were slipping, on a different occasion the vehicle downshifted on its own suddenly almost causing a crash. The contact stated there were times where the vehicle would downshift..."

Incident Date: 05/18/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: POWER TRAIN
Powertrain & Transmission NHTSA ODI ID: #11741125
Filed: 05/31/2026

"I have been experiencing the cvt transmission slipping the last two weeks. I contacted Nissan so see if my vin was a vehicle affected by 2017 cvt transmission recalls. They advised me it was not affected because my vin did not match their systems affected vehicles. Today my vehicle transmission..."

Incident Date: 05/31/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: POWER TRAIN
Powertrain & Transmission NHTSA ODI ID: #11737793
Filed: 05/14/2026

"The CVT transmission on my 2016 Nissan Sentra is failing. This seems to be an ongoing issue with Nissans CVT that I have researched. Dealerships are saying they are not replacing the transmissions because it is outside the warranty. The CVT issues started shortly after the warranty ended. Funny...."

Incident Date: 05/14/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: POWER TRAIN
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.

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 268 18 6 View 2016 Problems →
2017 Nissan Sentra Current Page 230 29 3 Current
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 →
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2017 Nissan Sentra

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 68 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 48 0 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 20 14 0 12 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 20 3 0 2 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 13 0 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10 0 2 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 10 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 7 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 6 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 6 2 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 6 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 0 0 0 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 4 2 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 0 1 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES 2 2 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 1 0
Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,AIR BAGS,WHEELS 1 1 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS 1 1 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 1 0 0 0 0
SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 1 1 1 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SEAT BELTS,ENGINE 1 1 0 1 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION 1 0 0 0 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 1 0 1 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 1 1 2 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (230). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.
Official US Government Data Provenance

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.