1998 Nissan Sentra Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sentra years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 27th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 58 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Nissan Sentra. That ranks 27th out of 32 Sentra model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (15 complaints, 26%), typically at around 73,000 miles. Complaints mention 17 crashes, 2 fires, 13 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 58owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 17complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 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 | 15 | 26% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 13 | 22% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 10% | 102,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 10% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 7% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 7% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 5% | 89,067 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 5% | 168,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 3% | 158,811 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 3% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 3% | 39,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 2% | 115,513 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | 102,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 2% | 255,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 2% | 62,621 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Nissan Sentra recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
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.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I have a 1998 nissan sentra and the problems i have with this car is my ignition switch. My key gets stuck in my ignition sometimes and my car doesn't want to start at times. This problem is becoming more and more consistent over the ten years i've had it. I've had problems with my engine multiple…
Coming to a stop in a l turn lane, with foot definitely only on brake, at under 3 mph. Just as i stopped, brake faded, engine raced, and car surged violently forward, simultaneously. I barely controlled this surge with extreme brake pressure. Event lasted approximately 5 seconds. It did not trip a…
1998 nissan sentra was struck by unit 2 struck in the rear as the consumer began having engine trouble and started slowing down. This caused sentra to go off the right side of the roadway and overturn in the ditch. Bf (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0414-89)*jb updated 04/22/11 *bf
1998 nissan sentra gxe would not take fuel. At the gas pump, the pump would click off, like the tank was full. It would take less than a gallon of gas at a time. *tr i took it to be serviced and questioned if there was a recall and i was told that there was just a bulletin on it. I never located…
Windshield wipers stopped working. It seems to be part of the recall that is part of this make and model, however, nissan claims that while my car is the same make, model, year of recall, and falls within the affected vins that my car is not involved...*cn
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 | 58 | 1 |
| 1997 Sentra | 108 | 3 |
| 1996 Sentra | 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 1998 Nissan Sentra?
Owners most often report air bags, visibility, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 15 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Nissan Sentra?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 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 1998 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.