IllustrationVEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR IMPACT ACCIDENT. THE DRIVER HURT HEAD/ CHIN AND CHEST BECAUSE THE HEADREST DID NOT PROPERLY FUNCTION. DEALER NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
1997 Nissan Sentra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Nissan Sentra do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 116.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sentra years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 24 of 108 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
26 crash reports1 fire reports17 injury reports
What owners actually said
108 reportsBRAKES HAD A GRINDING NOISE. ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN DRIVING 20-25 MPH. APPLIED THE BRAKES AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE OCCURRED, AND FRONTAL IMPACT OCCURRED. PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE, AFFECTING VISIBILITY AND CAUSING A FRONTAL ACCIDENT. THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANTS IN THIS ACCIDENT. ALSO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER WERE SEATBELTED, BUT THE SHOULDER BELT DID NOT LOCK UP, CAUSING THE OCCU…
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WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE, AFFECTING VISIBILITY AND CAUSING A FRONTAL ACCIDENT. THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANTS IN THIS ACCIDENT. ALSO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER WERE SEATBELTED, BUT THE SHOULDER BELT DID NOT LOCK UP, CAUSING THE OCCUPANT TO HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND SUSTAIN INJURIES. PRIOR TO ACCIDENT, HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES, WHICH HAD BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES, AND WITH THE AUTOMATIC WINDOW GOING OFF TRACK. *AK.ET.
LARGE BUBBLES AND TEARS IN TIRES ARE CAUSING THEM TO FAIL.(MANUFACTURER- AMERI G45 GENERAL ALL SEASON, TIRE SIZE- P175/70R13)
ALL FOUR DOORS ARE NOT ALIGNED PROPERLY. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED BY DEALER, BUT CONDITION APPEARED NOT TO BE CORRECTED. WIND/RAIN STILL LEAKS WITHIN DOOR FRAMES, EVEN WHEN THE WINDOWS ARE CLOSED. DEALER WILL NOTACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIRS UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. *AK
DURING FRONTAL IMPACT AT 35 TO 40 MPH, THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
IT SEEMS THAT THE BRAKES WERE PUSHING TOO HARD AND THE SO NARROW TIRES COULDN'T RESIST THE BRAKE PRESSURE, LOCKING UP CONTINIOUSLY. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT IT HAD JUST FINISHED RAINING. I WAS GOING AT A SPPED OF 20 TO 25 MPH WHEN I APPLEED THE BRAKES THEY LOCKED UP HITTING A VAN IN FRONT OF ME. THIS HAVE HAD HAPPENED IN MA…
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IT SEEMS THAT THE BRAKES WERE PUSHING TOO HARD AND THE SO NARROW TIRES COULDN'T RESIST THE BRAKE PRESSURE, LOCKING UP CONTINIOUSLY. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT IT HAD JUST FINISHED RAINING. I WAS GOING AT A SPPED OF 20 TO 25 MPH WHEN I APPLEED THE BRAKES THEY LOCKED UP HITTING A VAN IN FRONT OF ME. THIS HAVE HAD HAPPENED IN MANY OCCATIONS BEFORE.
VEHICLE FAILS TO START ON OCCASIONS.
LEFT AND RIGHT STRUTS CAUSED EXCESSIVE WEAR ON BOTH FRONT TIRES.
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED AT LOW SPEEDS , THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE. DRIVER HAS TO PUT VEHICLE INTO PARK TO STOP THE VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
Official recalls
398V093000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages
May 5, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. WATER CAN ENTER AND DISPLACE THE GREASE IN THE WIPER ARM LINKAGE BALL JOINT WHERE THE WIPER LINKAGE ATTACHES TO THE WIPER MOTOR LINKAGE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN GRADUAL WEAR OVER A PERIOD OF TIME INSIDE THE JOINT THAT COULD LEAD TO THE SEPARATION OF THE WIPER LINKAGE ASSEMBLY FROM THE WIPER MOTOR LINKAGE AT THE BALL JOINT. A LOSS OF WINDSHIELD WIPER FUNCTION CAN RESULT IN THIS SEPARATION OCCURS.
Remedy: TO PREVENT GREASE FROM BEING WASHED OUT OF THE JOINT, THE DEALERS WILL MODIFY BY ADDING A WATER DIVERSION SEAL THAT WILL PREVENT WATER FROM ENTERING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE BALL JOINT AREA.
98V008000 · Exterior Lighting:tail Lights
Jan 21, 1998
THESE VEHICLES DO NOT MEET THE ILLUMINATION REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FOLLOWING VEHICLES MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT IS STOPPING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH TWO NEW LIGHT BULBS FOR THE STOP/TAIL LAMPS WHICH ARE BRIGHTER THAN THE ORIGINAL BULBS. A LABEL WITH THE NEW BULB NUMBER WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED FOR INSERTION INTO THE OWNER'S MANUAL. IF AN OWNER SO DESIRES, A DEALERS CAN INSTALL THE LIGHT BULBS FOR THEM.
97V110000 · Structure:body:door
Jul 22, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. ONE OF THREE STYROFOAM PADS LOCATED IN EACH REAR DOOR AS PART OF THE DESIGN FOR ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS NO. 214, "SIDE DOOR STRENGTH," WAS NOT INSTALLED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, AN OCCUPANT WOULD NOT BE PROPERLY PROTECTED INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE MISSING PAD IN EACH REAR DOOR.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.