1996 Nissan Sentra Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sentra years
- About as many complaints as other years 20th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 141 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Nissan Sentra. That ranks 20th out of 32 Sentra model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (53 complaints, 38%), typically at around 74,925 miles. Complaints mention 43 crashes, 1 fire, 33 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 141owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 43complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Nissan Sentra problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 53 | 38% | 74,925 | “air bag” (38%) | — |
| Visibility | 14 | 10% | 82,025 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 11 | 8% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 11 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 10 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 6% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 4% | 56,233 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 4% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 4% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 2% | 196,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 1% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | 2,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Nissan Sentra recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:springs:coil springs
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The front coil springs may not have sufficient corrosion resistance in areas of the country where significant amounts of de-icing salts are applied to roads in the winter.
Risk: If a broken spring comes out of the lower seat, it could contact and puncture the tire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front coil spring.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:linkages
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Water can enter and displace the grease in the wiper arm linkage ball joint where the wiper linkage attaches to the wiper motor linkage.
Risk: This can result in gradual wear over a period of time inside the joint that could lead to the separation of the wiper linkage assembly from the wiper motor linkage at the ball joint. A loss of windshield wiper function can result in this separation occurs.
Fix: To prevent grease from being washed out of the joint, the dealers will modify by adding a water diversion seal that will prevent water from entering the windshield wiper linkage ball joint area.
Exterior lighting:tail lights
Problem: These vehicles do not meet the illumination requirements of fmvss no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Risk: Following vehicles may not be aware that the vehicle in front is stopping, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Owners will be provided with two new light bulbs for the stop/tail lamps which are brighter than the original bulbs. A label with the new bulb number will also be provided for insertion into the owner's manual. If an owner so desires, a dealers can install the light bulbs for them.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Corrision fatigue of front coil springs (SQ99018) — opened Jun 17, 1999, still open, led to recall 00V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
"takata recall". Mad a right hand turn and both front airbags randomly deployed.they caused the front windshield to crack badly. Didnt hit another car nor anything with making the turn. Was moving in a city street at 9pm so not much traffic. Turned into an empty street luckily.
All power lost, including engine, power brakes, and power steering while driving on city streets. Cause is an electrical connector on wiring harness intermittently causing an open circuit on a power wire. In particular, the faulty connector is e104 on the hec (the back of the fuse panel in driver…
Cpsp: my car, a 1996 nissan sentra, lost all power while driving. No power steering, no power brakes, engine turned off. This has happened twice while driving, and numerous times when i go to start up the car and nothing happens. *bf the consumer stated the failure was due to a faulty intermittent…
July 20 2016 we were rear ended by a honda accord doing 40 mph while we were stopped at a light. The impact slammed us into the chevy silverado in front of us. Neither airbag deployed.
1996 nissan sentra, was traveling westbound when the left front tire blew. The driver went off the left side of the roadway and struck the median wall. He returned to the roadway and drove off the north side of the road before stopping on the north berm. *bf the driver stated he had to keep putting…
Other Nissan Sentra years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sentra | 18 | 1 |
| 2025 Sentra | 31 | 4 |
| 2024 Sentra | 41 | 3 |
| 2023 Sentra | 20 | 1 |
| 2022 Sentra | 81 | 2 |
| 2021 Sentra | 132 | 3 |
| 2020 Sentra | 206 | 4 |
| 2019 Sentra | 222 | 2 |
| 2018 Sentra | 185 | 2 |
| 2017 Sentra | 231 | 3 |
| 2016 Sentra | 270 | 6 |
| 2015 Sentra | 351 | 3 |
| 2014 Sentra | 380 | 5 |
| 2013 Sentra | 638 | 6 |
| 2012 Sentra | 180 | 0 |
| 2011 Sentra | 142 | 2 |
| 2010 Sentra | 144 | 3 |
| 2009 Sentra | 55 | 1 |
| 2008 Sentra | 167 | 3 |
| 2007 Sentra | 154 | 1 |
| 2006 Sentra | 116 | 5 |
| 2005 Sentra | 170 | 5 |
| 2004 Sentra | 197 | 4 |
| 2003 Sentra | 180 | 7 |
| 2002 Sentra | 304 | 10 |
| 2001 Sentra | 236 | 7 |
| 2000 Sentra | 171 | 6 |
| 1999 Sentra | 59 | 0 |
| 1998 Sentra | 58 | 1 |
| 1997 Sentra | 108 | 3 |
| 1996 | 141 | 3 |
| 1995 Sentra | 117 | 3 |
See all Nissan Sentra problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Nissan Sentra?
Owners most often report air bags, visibility, electrical system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 53 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Nissan Sentra?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1996 Nissan Sentra a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sentra model years, the 1996 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.