2004 Nissan Sentra Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Dec 17, 2025 · 197 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Sentra years
More complaints than other years 10th of 32 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 197 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Nissan Sentra. That ranks 10th out of 32 Sentra model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (59 complaints, 30%), typically at around 69,000 miles. Complaints mention 20 crashes, 18 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.

Nissan Sentra
Front view of a 2026 Nissan Sentra SR sedan. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Deathpallie325, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2004 Nissan Sentra problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Engine and Engine Cooling59 · ~69,000 mi
Air Bags32 · ~80,500 mi
Electrical System28 · ~79,000 mi
Engine26 · ~110,000 mi
Fuel System, Gasoline25 · ~81,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion System8 · ~122,767 mi
Power Train7 · ~37,000 mi
Vehicle Speed Control7 · ~109,500 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic6 · ~2,800 mi
Steering5 · ~53,300 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Engine and Engine Cooling problems5930%69,000“position sensor” (17%)$1,200
Air Bags3216%80,500——
Electrical System2814%79,000——
Engine2613%110,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline2513%81,000——
Fuel/propulsion System84%122,767——
Power Train74%37,000——
Vehicle Speed Control74%109,500——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic63%2,800——
Steering53%53,300——
Service Brakes42%120,005——
Structure42%73,000——
Equipment32%33,750——
Fuel System, Other32%47,000——
Latches/locks/linkages21%36,250——
Seat Belts21%105,500——
Seats21%———
Suspension21%10,000——
Tires21%———
Unknown or Other21%95,546——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)11%198,005——
Exterior Lighting11%54,000——
Parking Brake11%———
Visibility11%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2010, with 26 complaints
2004: 192004192005: 552006: 8200682007: 882008: 182008182009: 22222010: 262010262011: 16162012: 8201282013: 11112014: 9201492015: 16162016: 102016102017: 10102018: 2201822020: 112022: 3202232023: 222025: 320253

n = 197 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2004 Nissan Sentra recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not driveDec 1, 2020 · NHTSA campaign 20V747000 · 3,930 vehicles

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2002-2006 Sentra vehicles whose passenger air bags were previously inspected and may have been released without replacing the Takata air bag inflator. In the event of a crash, Takata frontal passenger air bag inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been completed. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will re-inspect the vehicle and, if necessary, replace the air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PM964.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleJan 9, 2020 · NHTSA campaign 20V008000 · 307,962 vehicles

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated, frontal passenger air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 888-737-9511 or Infiniti customer service at 888-810-3715.

Air bagsMay 15, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V287000 · 1,090,569 vehicles

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: On December 18, 2015 Nissan informed NHTSA of an amendment of this recall to remove 2004-2005 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 vehicles.

Engine and engine coolingJul 7, 2006 · NHTSA campaign 06V242000 · 294,166 vehicles

Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crank angle sensor is affected by temperature variations. Under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.

Risk: If the interruption in the signal from the sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (ecm) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will reprogram the ecm free of charge. The recall began on august 21, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

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

  • Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
  • Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA15001) — opened Feb 24, 2015, still open, led to recall 14V668.
  • Air Bag Inflator Rupture (PE14016) — opened Jun 11, 2014, closed Mar 2, 2015, led to recall 13V172000.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

Hard shifting and occasional uncertainty in gear selected.

Power Train · received Dec 17, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11705583

The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic, the vehicle was diagnosed computer system failure, causing the vehicle to fail to start. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number…

Electrical System · received Oct 28, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11696056

I have been getting recall notices for over 2 years on my 2004 Sentra concerning airbag replacement. I called the number on the recall mailing and was told on multiple occasions that the car was dangerous to operate. I am a [XXX] and was assured that the Nissan recall team offered a mobile repair…

Air Bags · received Mar 15, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11648465

1.) Both driver and passenger airbag replacement replacements. 2.) If I get into a reck then me and my passenger have a chance of death due to the recall on the airbags. 3.) Yes. 4.) No. 5.) Unknown. Every time I schedule to get the recall fixed either the shops don’t have the parts or they…

Air Bags · received Jul 25, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11534247

Went into the dealership to talk about the air bag issue, turns out they fixed the check engine light. Next on the paper it says they found there was no airbag and tried to perform recall, and that they could not perform the recall

Air Bags · received Mar 15, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11512070

Other Nissan Sentra years

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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 2004 Nissan Sentra?

Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 59 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2004 Nissan Sentra?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2004 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 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.