2016 Nissan Sentra: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
68%
162 of 239 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
68% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2016 Nissan Sentra are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 90% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 31 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 60%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN11/24/2019CRASH1 INJURED
SO YESTERDAY IN MY APARTMENT COMPLEX, I WAS DRIVING UP A HILL TO GET TO MY APARTMENT, WHEN MY CAR COMPLETELY STALLED ON ME & STARTED TO REVERT BACKWARDS, SO AS I'M TRYING TO STOP MY CAR I GET DRUG BACK DOWN THE HILL WITH MY CAR & AS MY CAR CONTINUED, IT HIT A TREE & A SHED WHICH MESSED UP MY DRIVER SIDE & MY BACK BUMP…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE09/09/2026
The ECU problem is a major issue the vehicle is stalling, not starting, just malfunctioning tremendously while on the road in traffic while driving it stalls in traffic, shuts off in traffic. I was told this was a issue back in July 2017 The same issue has occurred again with safety concerns .
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYS08/21/2026
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. The vehicle was subs…
Three of 162 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (6)
AIR BAGS
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error within the air bag inflator…
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 24, 2016, to March 23, 2016, and Sentra vehicles manufactured…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sentra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2016, through April 26, 2016. The engine room harness may …
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2016 Nissan Sentra
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
6 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
