IllustrationI WAS DRIVING DOWN A BACK ROAD AND MY FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WENT OFF THE ROAD INTO THE SAND, CAUSING THE TIE-ROD TO BREAK. THE CAR SHOT TO THE LEFT AND I HIT A BRIM OF SAND AND ROCKS CAUSING THE CAR TO ROLL SEVERAL TIMES OVER. I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND THE FRONTAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *LA
1998 Nissan Sentra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Nissan Sentra are lower than 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: 18 of 58 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 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports2 fire reports10 injury reports
What owners actually said
58 reportsMY CAR LOST POWER,I HAD TO DRIVE MAYBE (6) SIX MILES TO THE DEALER.WENT I GOT THERE I GOT OUT AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FORM TRUNK.I OPEN TRUNK AND SAW THAT THE CARPET WAS SMOKING AND HAD MELTED.THERE WAS A BURNT SPOT WHERE THE CARPET WAS.MY POINT IS THAT I HAD THREE QUARTER TANK OF GAS IN MY CAR.I COULD HAVE BEEN …
Read full complaint
MY CAR LOST POWER,I HAD TO DRIVE MAYBE (6) SIX MILES TO THE DEALER.WENT I GOT THERE I GOT OUT AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FORM TRUNK.I OPEN TRUNK AND SAW THAT THE CARPET WAS SMOKING AND HAD MELTED.THERE WAS A BURNT SPOT WHERE THE CARPET WAS.MY POINT IS THAT I HAD THREE QUARTER TANK OF GAS IN MY CAR.I COULD HAVE BEEN BLOWN-UP IN THAT CAR IF I HAD TO GO MUCH FARTHER.IT REALLY BURNT THAT CARPET GOOD.THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS THAT IT WAS THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND THE CONVERTER,WHICH COMES TOGETHER AND COST $901.87 TO REPAIR.I BOUGHT THIS CAR ONLY A WEEK PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT,FROM THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP ON HWY 70 EAST NO DOUGHT.
CONSUMER STATES FRONT COIL SPRING FAILED CAUSING LOST OF STEERING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS *DT
WE PAID NISSAN $88.75 FOR THE TECHNICIAN TO TELL US THAT WE NEED A NEW GAS TANK ($900) DUE TO A CANISTER LEAKING AND CLOGGING THE AIR FILTER INSIDE THE TANK. THEY WANT US TO PAY $900 TO REPLACE THE GAS TANK! WE THINK IT MUST BE A DEFECT BECAUSE GAS TANKS SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR OR ATLEAST MORE THAN 4 YEARS. WE ARE DRI…
Read full complaint
WE PAID NISSAN $88.75 FOR THE TECHNICIAN TO TELL US THAT WE NEED A NEW GAS TANK ($900) DUE TO A CANISTER LEAKING AND CLOGGING THE AIR FILTER INSIDE THE TANK. THEY WANT US TO PAY $900 TO REPLACE THE GAS TANK! WE THINK IT MUST BE A DEFECT BECAUSE GAS TANKS SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR OR ATLEAST MORE THAN 4 YEARS. WE ARE DRIVING WITH THE SMELL OF GAS UNTIL THIS IS RESOLVED. PLEASE HELP. DT
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE STARTED RACING AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR. *JB
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION OF 30-35 MPH AND NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. NLM
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A 35 MPH COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
THE HEATER CORE OF THE RADIATOR FAILED. DEFROST COOLANT SPILLED INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE IN THE FRONT AND COOLANT GOT INTO THE VENT SYSTEM. WE NOTICED THE DEFECT BECAUSE THE WINDSHIELD WOULD NOT DEFROST. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT OF THE COOLANT IS ETHYLENE GLYCOL. WHEN WE ASKED WHY THE COOLANT WOULD S…
Read full complaint
THE HEATER CORE OF THE RADIATOR FAILED. DEFROST COOLANT SPILLED INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE IN THE FRONT AND COOLANT GOT INTO THE VENT SYSTEM. WE NOTICED THE DEFECT BECAUSE THE WINDSHIELD WOULD NOT DEFROST. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT OF THE COOLANT IS ETHYLENE GLYCOL. WHEN WE ASKED WHY THE COOLANT WOULD SPILL INTO THE CAR AND INTO THE VENTS, THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DIRECTOR INFORMED US THAT "IT IS THE ONLY PLACE IT COULD GO." THE MANUFACTURER TOOK CARE OF THE COST OF REPAIR OF THIS PART. HOWEVER, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE CAR IS DESIGNED SUCH THAT COOLANT WOULD BE LEAKED INTO THE VENTS AND THAT THERE IS NO MENTION OF THIS POSSIBILITY IN THE VEHICLE BOOKLET. WE ARE ALSO CONCERNED THAT PEOPLE WHO SUFFER A SIMILAR SITUATION WILL NOT BE AWARE THAT THEY MAY BE INHALING COOLANT THROUGH THE VENT SYSTEM FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THEY ARE BEING EXPOSED TO THIS COMPONENT.*AK
HIT ANOTHER CAR WITH FRONT OF MINE AND TOTALED MINE. AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
198V093000 · 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.
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.