2019 Nissan Sentra: engine and transmission complaints
ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
37%
67 of 180 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
37% of relevant owner complaints on the 2019 Nissan Sentra are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.
Better than 58% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 41 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 30%).
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 TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),S11/20/2019CRASH3 INJURED
DRIVING ON FREEWAY LESS THAN 35 MPH, CAR MADE LOUD NOISE FOR 1-2 MINUTES AT SAME TIME I FELT UNDER FLOOR BOARD SOMETHING PULLING. I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN, BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. I REAR ENDED A CAR. THE CAR GEAR SHIFT POPPED INTO REVERSE; I PRESSED HARDER ON BRAKES & THEY FINALLY WORKED. I NOTICED A BIG LIGHT ON THE DASHBOA…
Transmission Failure of drive train Acknowledged by Dealer Inspection by Dealer No warning signs prior to failure
POWER TRAIN05/03/2026
I am filing this complaint against Nissan North America due to a recurring transmission failure in my 2019 Nissan Sentra VIN#: [XXX] . Timeline of Events: Initial Purchase: November 2022 (61,000 miles). First Failure: September 2023 (~75,000 miles). Nissan replaced the transmission under the extended CVT warranty …
Three of 67 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 (2)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Nissan Sentra vehicles. The brake light switch may become contaminated, preventing the circuit from cl…
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2019 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.
2 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. Combined across 3 body styles NHTSA files separately.