Total Complaints
46 filings
NISSAN SENTRA · model year
1987 NISSAN SENTRA
46 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987NISSANSENTRA carries 46 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 4 fires, 3 injuries, and 1 fatality. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1987 SENTRA is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 9 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (4) and structure:body:door (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1987 SENTRA, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
46
Complaints
2
Crashes
4
Fires
3
Injuries
1
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 9 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 4 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 3 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE) | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19990908SEAT BELTS:FRONT
WENT TO DEALER TO HAVE SEAT BELT BUTTONS REPLACED ACCORDING TO THE RECALL, BUT DEALER DID NOT HAVE PARTS AND THEY NEEDED TO BE ORDERED. OWNER WANTS TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE WORK THAT SHE MISSED BECAUSE OF WAITING FOR CAR REPAIR.
19981215UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ENGINE IDLE IS HIGH AFTER STARTING AND REMAINS HIGH AFTER ENGINE WARMS UP. IDLE IS ROUGH AT LOW RPM AND HESITANT UNDER A LOAD. CONSUMES MORE GAS THAN NORMAL, ABOUT 80 MILES A TANK LESS RANGE. MOLDING IS FALLING OFF ON BODY.
19981215FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
ENGINE IDLE IS HIGH AFTER STARTING AND REMAINS HIGH AFTER ENGINE WARMS UP. IDLE IS ROUGH AT LOW RPM AND HESITANT UNDER A LOAD. CONSUMES MORE GAS THAN NORMAL, ABOUT 80 MILES A TANK LESS RANGE. MOLDING IS FALLING OFF ON BODY.
19981215VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
ENGINE IDLE IS HIGH AFTER STARTING AND REMAINS HIGH AFTER ENGINE WARMS UP. IDLE IS ROUGH AT LOW RPM AND HESITANT UNDER A LOAD. CONSUMES MORE GAS THAN NORMAL, ABOUT 80 MILES A TANK LESS RANGE. MOLDING IS FALLING OFF ON BODY.
19980501EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
REPLACE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY
19980401POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES
THE TRANSMISSION WOULD STALL FOR NO REASON. HAD VEHICLE TOWED. HAPPENED 3 YEARS LATER. WAS INFORMED THAT TORQUE CONVERTOR WAS PROBLEM. TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING FLUID. *AK
19980401POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
THE TRANSMISSION WOULD STALL FOR NO REASON. HAD VEHICLE TOWED. HAPPENED 3 YEARS LATER. WAS INFORMED THAT TORQUE CONVERTOR WAS PROBLEM. TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING FLUID. *AK
19980304SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
RELEASE BUTTON NEED TO BE REPLACE UNDER RECALL, DEALER SAID THAT THE ORANGE BUCKLE WERE NOT INCLUDED, SEATBELT NO LONGER WORKS AT ALL.
19970717FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS
FUEL INJECTORS FAILED, RESULTING IN STALLING/RACING OF ENGINE.
19970711FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE AT CRUISE, THE ENGINE STARTED TO STALL. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL TO A SIDE OF FREEWAY, ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER, FIRE ERRUPTED; ALSO REPLACED ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. *AK
19970711FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
WHILE AT CRUISE, THE ENGINE STARTED TO STALL. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL TO A SIDE OF FREEWAY, ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER, FIRE ERRUPTED; ALSO REPLACED ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. *AK
19970606ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WHEN PUTTING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, SOMETIMES WILL START AND SOMETIMES WILL NOT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.
19970527STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
REAR PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE INOPERATIVE.
19970509POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
BOLT THAT HOLDS TRANSMISSION AND GEAR BOX TO STAY TOGETHER BROKE, CAUSING THEM TO SEPERATE AND DROP TO GROUND. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
19970313SEAT BELTS
OWNER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE TO HAVE THE RELEASE BUTTON IN BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES REPLACED, WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE BROKEN. FOUR DAYS AFTER ASSUMED REPAIR, OWNER RECEIVED A CALL SAYING THAT THE PARTS FOR THE RECALL HAD ARRIVED. NOW THAT THE WORK HAS BEEN PERFORMED THE DRIVER SIDE BELT IS INOPERATIVE AND DOES NOT WORK AT ALL.
19970312SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO PARTS AND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO CONTACT HIM WHEN THE PARTS CAME IN, THE CONSUMER HAS NOT RECEIVED A CALL. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
19970122POWER TRAIN
SPEEDOMETER INOPERATIVE.
19961230CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
UPON FRONTAL IMPACT OF A HERD OF DEER, NON-MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN, ALLOWING DRIVER TO MAKE CONTACT W/STEERING WHEEL. *AK
19961126LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
AT TIMES THE DOORS WILL NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK, THERE ARE TIMES THAT THE DOORS WILL FREEZE UP AND THE DOORS CANNOT BE SHUT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
19961113ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
BADLY WORN MOUNTING BRACKETS CAUSES VEHICLE TO VIBRATE.
Compare 1987NISSANSENTRA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 NISSAN SENTRA have?▼
The 1987 NISSAN SENTRA has 46 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 4 fires, 3 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 NISSAN SENTRA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 NISSAN SENTRA is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 9 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR.
Is the 1987 NISSAN SENTRA safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.