NISSAN SENTRA · model year

2008 NISSAN SENTRA

233 NHTSA complaints, 31 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2008NISSANSENTRA carries 233 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 31 crashes, 7 fires, 27 injuries, and 0 fatalities. 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 2008 SENTRA is air bags with 53 filings, followed by steering (15) and power train (15). 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. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle, the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 2008 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.

233
Complaints
31
Crashes
7
Fires
27
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

233 filings

Crashes Reported

31 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume, review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS53
STEERING15
POWER TRAIN15
ENGINE15
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL13
UNKNOWN OR OTHER12
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM11
WHEELS9
SUSPENSION:REAR8
TIRES7
SERVICE BRAKES7
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING5
SEATS5

Recalls (3)

08V31100011/07/2008

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

NISSAN IS RECALLING 169,202 MY 2007-2008 SENTRA PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED ROBERT BOSCH MASTER CYLINDER. DUE TO THE MACHINING IRREGULARITY BY THE SUPPLIER, THE INTERNAL SEAL GROOVE IN THE BODY OF SOME BRAKE MASTER CYLINDERS MAY ALLOW FOR A GAP IN THE GROOVE CONTACT AREA OF THE SEAL. THIS MAY RESU

10V40100010/09/2010

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.

09V43100003/11/2009

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 SENTRA PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH BOSCH MASTER CYLINDERS. BRAKE FLUID MAY LEAK FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER. IF THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID IN THE MASTER CYLINDER RESERVOIR DECREASES TO BELOW THE MINIMUM LEVEL, THE BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR WILL IL

Recent Complaints

20240412UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Transmission problems! Dealer wants to Charge me $7,000.00 dollars to fix it! Recall has a warranty until 2022 or 120,000 miles . My car has 85,375 miles!they said that warranty already expired! But my car only has 85,375 miles and the warranty is 120,000 miles!

20230320AIR BAGS

The car's airbag dashboard light has been on and blinking for about a month now- indicating an issue. I have not been in any recent accidents and it appeared on its own. Subsequently, the car horn does not work. Airbags and car horn are necessary to prevent accidents and serious injury, including death in the event of an accident. I advised my local Nissan dealership who stated there are no current recalls and the car would need to be inspected- which will likely be costly. No inspections have been made at this time.

20230320UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The car's airbag dashboard light has been on and blinking for about a month now- indicating an issue. I have not been in any recent accidents and it appeared on its own. Subsequently, the car horn does not work. Airbags and car horn are necessary to prevent accidents and serious injury, including death in the event of an accident. I advised my local Nissan dealership who stated there are no current recalls and the car would need to be inspected- which will likely be costly. No inspections have been made at this time.

20230105CrashAIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle in front abruptly depressed its brake pedal causing the driver to crash into the rear of the vehicle. During the crash, the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged but no air bags were deployed. No injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 117,000.

Mileage: 117,000

20221230AIR BAGS

Driver Air bag sensor light came on. The dealership reset it several times but it continues to come on. We paid the money to have them put the car on the diagnostic system. They are saying after review, the airbag needs to be replaced. It costs $1500 to replace the airbag. Which makes zero sense. The car has never been wrecked. Reports have shown issues with airbags in hundreds of thousands of Nissans. The 2008 Nissan Sentra needs to be reviewed for an airbag recall. This is extremely dangerous.

20220314SERVICE BRAKES

JUST DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY (NO BRAKES APPLIED) AND THE MASTER CYLINDER WENT BAD AND LOST POWER BRAKES.

20210320SERVICE BRAKES

I PURCHASED THE CAR DROVE IT HOME WITH NO PROBLEM. 2 DAYS AFTER MY PURCHASE IT DRIVES VERY SLOW AND WON'T PICK UP SPEED.

20210320VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I PURCHASED THE CAR DROVE IT HOME WITH NO PROBLEM. 2 DAYS AFTER MY PURCHASE IT DRIVES VERY SLOW AND WON'T PICK UP SPEED.

20210320WHEELS

I PURCHASED THE CAR DROVE IT HOME WITH NO PROBLEM. 2 DAYS AFTER MY PURCHASE IT DRIVES VERY SLOW AND WON'T PICK UP SPEED.

20201215POWER TRAIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE FORWARD. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *BF

Mileage: 80,000

20201127VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THERE THE CODE OF P1778 THAT KEEPS COMING UP ON ABOUT A CVT AND IFS AFFECTING THE DRIVE AND STRAIN THE TRANSMISSION I DONT UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE IS RECURRING.AND THIS HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. YOU CAN FEEL THE CAR HESITANT

Mileage: 166,000

20201127UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THERE THE CODE OF P1778 THAT KEEPS COMING UP ON ABOUT A CVT AND IFS AFFECTING THE DRIVE AND STRAIN THE TRANSMISSION I DONT UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE IS RECURRING.AND THIS HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. YOU CAN FEEL THE CAR HESITANT

Mileage: 166,000

20200914FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY MY AXEL AND BALL JOINT. THE CONTROL ARM DISCONNECTED FROM MY TRANSMISSION. THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE SIDE PANELING IN FRONT MY TIRE. THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE EVEN WHEN PUT IN NEUTRAL. WHEN I GO IN REVERSE BEFORE THIS HAPPENED MY CAR WOULD PUTTER AND THEN DIE. THE CAR WILL NOT REVERSE UNLESS I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND ROLL OUT FROM WHERE I AM.

Mileage: 139,000

20200914SUSPENSION

BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY MY AXEL AND BALL JOINT. THE CONTROL ARM DISCONNECTED FROM MY TRANSMISSION. THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE SIDE PANELING IN FRONT MY TIRE. THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE EVEN WHEN PUT IN NEUTRAL. WHEN I GO IN REVERSE BEFORE THIS HAPPENED MY CAR WOULD PUTTER AND THEN DIE. THE CAR WILL NOT REVERSE UNLESS I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND ROLL OUT FROM WHERE I AM.

Mileage: 139,000

20200914WHEELS

BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY MY AXEL AND BALL JOINT. THE CONTROL ARM DISCONNECTED FROM MY TRANSMISSION. THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE SIDE PANELING IN FRONT MY TIRE. THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE EVEN WHEN PUT IN NEUTRAL. WHEN I GO IN REVERSE BEFORE THIS HAPPENED MY CAR WOULD PUTTER AND THEN DIE. THE CAR WILL NOT REVERSE UNLESS I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND ROLL OUT FROM WHERE I AM.

Mileage: 139,000

20200906AIR BAGS

AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHES ON DASH WON'T GO OFF. THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE... OVER 10 IN THE LAST YEAR ALONE REPORTED SAME PROBLEM

Mileage: 200,000

20200803ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

DRIVING OVER AN HOUR AND THE CAR STARTS TO STRUGGLE, I CAN FEEL IT LOOSING POWER, IN ORDER TO NOT PRESS DOWN ALL THE WAY, I'M DOING A GIVE N GO PRAYING I DONT STOP ON THE FREEWAY. I WOULD SOMETIMES FEEL JUMPING AND THAT I'M NOT IN FULL CONTROL AND IT HAS STOPPED ON ME IN A 15MINUTE DRIVE. I HAVE GOTTEN, A DIAGNOSTIC, 1TIME IT HAD 4DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION CODES AND ANOTHER A FUEL CODE. NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON, THIS STARTED AROUND THE 60,000 MILE I'M AT 90,000 NOW, SO YA, IT'S BEEN ROUGH.

Mileage: 60,000

20200803ENGINE

DRIVING OVER AN HOUR AND THE CAR STARTS TO STRUGGLE, I CAN FEEL IT LOOSING POWER, IN ORDER TO NOT PRESS DOWN ALL THE WAY, I'M DOING A GIVE N GO PRAYING I DONT STOP ON THE FREEWAY. I WOULD SOMETIMES FEEL JUMPING AND THAT I'M NOT IN FULL CONTROL AND IT HAS STOPPED ON ME IN A 15MINUTE DRIVE. I HAVE GOTTEN, A DIAGNOSTIC, 1TIME IT HAD 4DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION CODES AND ANOTHER A FUEL CODE. NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON, THIS STARTED AROUND THE 60,000 MILE I'M AT 90,000 NOW, SO YA, IT'S BEEN ROUGH.

Mileage: 60,000

20200803VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

DRIVING OVER AN HOUR AND THE CAR STARTS TO STRUGGLE, I CAN FEEL IT LOOSING POWER, IN ORDER TO NOT PRESS DOWN ALL THE WAY, I'M DOING A GIVE N GO PRAYING I DONT STOP ON THE FREEWAY. I WOULD SOMETIMES FEEL JUMPING AND THAT I'M NOT IN FULL CONTROL AND IT HAS STOPPED ON ME IN A 15MINUTE DRIVE. I HAVE GOTTEN, A DIAGNOSTIC, 1TIME IT HAD 4DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION CODES AND ANOTHER A FUEL CODE. NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON, THIS STARTED AROUND THE 60,000 MILE I'M AT 90,000 NOW, SO YA, IT'S BEEN ROUGH.

Mileage: 60,000

20200724SERVICE BRAKES

MASTER CYLINDER IS LEAKING AND BRAKE LIGHT IS COMING ON

Compare 2008NISSANSENTRA to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2008 NISSAN SENTRA have?
The 2008 NISSAN SENTRA has 233 NHTSA complaints, 31 crashes, 7 fires, 27 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2008 NISSAN SENTRA?
Yes, the 2008 NISSAN SENTRA has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 NISSAN SENTRA?
The most-complained component for the 2008 NISSAN SENTRA is AIR BAGS with 53 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2008 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.