Total Complaints
49 filings
NISSAN SENTRA · model year
1989 NISSAN SENTRA
49 NHTSA complaints, 6 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989NISSANSENTRA carries 49 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 6 crashes, 1 fire, 4 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 1989 SENTRA is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 18 filings, followed by seat belts:front:anchorage (6) and engine and engine cooling:engine (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 1989 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.
49
Complaints
6
Crashes
1
Fires
4
Injuries
1
Deaths
Crashes Reported
6 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 | 18 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 6 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030830ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
CAR DIES AT STOPS.EASILY STARTS UP AGAIN. OXYGEN SENSOR HAS BEEN CHANGED BUT DID NOT MAKE A CHANGE. THIS IS A REAL HAZARD AS TRAFFIC IS HEAVY. MECHANIC HAS CLEANED AND CHECKED BUT CAN NOT FIND PROBLEM. THIS STARTED ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO.*AK
20011106SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD DRIFT TO THE RIGHT. TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP,AND MECHANIC INDICATED BUSHINGS HAD WORN OUT EXCESSIVELY. ALSO, WELDS HAD SEPARATED AND CAUSED T FRAME TO CRACK ON PASSENGER'S SIDE. MECHANIC GAVE NO GUARANTEE PRBLEM WILL REMAIN FIXED.*AK
20011106STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WOULD DRIFT TO THE RIGHT. TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP,AND MECHANIC INDICATED BUSHINGS HAD WORN OUT EXCESSIVELY. ALSO, WELDS HAD SEPARATED AND CAUSED T FRAME TO CRACK ON PASSENGER'S SIDE. MECHANIC GAVE NO GUARANTEE PRBLEM WILL REMAIN FIXED.*AK
20000413CrashSUSPENSION:FRONT
AUTOMOBILE JUMPED FORWARD IN LOWER GEARS. CONSUMER HAD AN ACCIDENT, BUT DID NOT KNOW WHETHER THE JUMPING WAS THE CAUSE. TOOK AUTOMOBILE TO DEALER, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE AUTOMOBILE. *AK
19990625VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
WAS GOING 30MPH WHEN ACCELERATOR WENT TO THE FLOOR. THROTTLE STUCK. HAD BOTH FEET ON BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN. STEERED VEHICLE TO PARKING LOT. TURNED VEHICLE OFF. PUSHED INTO PARKING SPACE. HAVE NOT BEEN TO DEALER, BUT WILL BE GOING. *AK*ADJ
19990405SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELT FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL, RESULTING IN INJURIES WHEN SEAT BELT FAILED DURING VEHICLE ACCIDENT, CONSUMER HIT HEAD ON WINDSHIELD. (95V103-002).
19990325SUSPENSION
DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE STRUTS REAR TIRES GOT BALD 3 TIMES. DEALER REPLACED THE STRUTS. PRESENTLY THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES THE SAME PROBLEM. CAUSE UNKNOWN PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
19990104CrashFatalENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHENEVER VEHICLE MADE A STOP OR WAS WAITING AT A RED LIGHT THE VEHICLE WOULD CUT OFF. VEHICLE HAD TO BE PUT IN PARK IN ORDER TO START BACK UP. DRIVER WAS KILLED IN ACCIDENT BECAUSE VEHICLE STALLED COMING OUT OF DRIVEWAY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
19980424SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
BRAKE SEALS FAILED.
19980403STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
VEHICLE BODY CONTAINS STRESS FRACTURES.
19980330LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
THE REAR DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK
19980225CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
PRIOR TO RECEIVING RECALL, PASSENAGER SEATBELT FAILED, ALLOWING PASSENAGER TO BE EJECTED OUT OF THE SEATBELT.
19971003SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELT FAILED.
19970904SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELT FAILED AFTER RECALL REPAIRS.
19970814SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELT FAILED IN ACCIDENT.
19970213CrashSEATS
DURING REAR IMPACT AT SPEEDS OF 15 MPH, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT FALL BACKWARDS ONTO THE REAR SEAT.
19961231SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT FAILED RELEASE BUTTON FAILED.
19961231TIRES
TIRE BLEW OUT WHEN CROSSING POTHOLE.
19961231ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
MUFFLER RUSTED.
19961231VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
DEFROSTER SYSTEM INADEQUATE, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.
Compare 1989NISSANSENTRA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 NISSAN SENTRA have?▼
The 1989 NISSAN SENTRA has 49 NHTSA complaints, 6 crashes, 1 fires, 4 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 NISSAN SENTRA?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 NISSAN SENTRA is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 18 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1989 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.