2011 NISSAN SENTRA — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
4/5
Safety Rating
199
Owner Complaints
2
Recalls
5
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2011 NISSAN SENTRA
The 2011 NISSAN SENTRA has received a total of 199 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 2 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES. 5 technical service bulletins have been issued by Nissan North America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Electrical System (30 complaints), Engine (30 complaints), and Air Bags (20 complaints).
Recalls for the 2011 NISSAN SENTRA
NHTSA has recorded 2 recalls for the 2011 NISSAN SENTRA, potentially affecting up to 47,540 vehicles.
Recall 11V579000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
| 33,803 vehicles affected
Defect: NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010-2011 SENTRA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MR20 ENGINES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 11, 2010, TO MAY 22, 2010, AND JULY 8, 2010, TO OCTOBER 25, 2010. THE ZINC COATING APPLIED TO THE TERMINAL STUD BOLT WAS THICKER THAN SPECIFICATION. THIS CAN RESULT IN A VOLTAGE DROP THAT MAY CAUSE DIFFICULTY STARTING THE VEHICLE AND COULD CAUSE...
Consequence: THIS ISSUE CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AFTER IT STOPPED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL AND COVER, FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALLBEGAN ON JANUARY 23, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
View full details →Recall 10V555000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
| 13,737 vehicles affected
Defect: NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010-2011 SENTRA VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 22, 2010, THROUGH JULY 8, 2010. DUE TO A MACHINING IRREGULARITY, THE BOLT/WASHER SURFACE ON THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL CABLE END MAY ALLOW FOR A GAP TO OCCUR IN THE CONTACT AREA OF THE TERMINAL. THIS CAN RESULT IN A VOLTAGE DROP THAT MAY CAUSE DIFFICULTY STARTING THE...
Consequence: THIS ISSUE CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AT LOW SPEED WITH A DIFFICULT OR NO START INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL CABLE END WITH A NEW ONE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN PN NOVEMBER 29, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2011 NISSAN SENTRA
199 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2011 NISSAN SENTRA. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
I purchased a Nissan vehicle that was represented as reliable and safe. Considering I’m a single mother also still young enough to wanna live not be on the highway and have my car declined speed and a tractor trailer almost hit me like that’s already happened. This is a known problem. Yeah I can’t get any help However, the vehicle has ongoing transmission problems that significantly impact its drivability and safety. Upon reviewing the paperwork, I discovered the vehicle was previously with a salvage company, a fact that was not disclosed to me at the time of purchase. This lack of transparency is unacceptable and has caused me considerable distress and unexpected repair costs. I am requesting Nissan’s urgent attention to this matter, including a thorough investigation into the vehicle’s history and any potential recalls or service bulletins related to these transmission issues. As a consumer, I expect better disclosure and support from Nissan, especially regarding vehicles with known defects or salvage histories. I urge you to take responsibility and help resolve this matter promptly to ensure customer safety and trust. Thank you for your immediate attention to this serious concern.
To Whom It May Concern, I’m writing to express my deep frustration and disappointment with Nissan over the CVT failure in my 2011 Nissan Sentra. There are no active recalls listed for my vehicle, yet I’m experiencing the same transmission failure thousands of others have reported—jerking, hesitation, loss of power, and check engine codes P1778 and P0776. I purchased this car 3–4 months ago as a single mother trying to rebuild my life. I chose this vehicle specifically because I thought it would be a dependable, affordable option to get back on my feet. Instead, I’m now stuck with a car that’s barely driveable, a dangerous transmission, and no support. It feels like punishment for trying to do things the right way. I understand warranties expire, but Nissan is a million-dollar company, and the CVT transmission issues are a known and ongoing defect. You should not continue to profit while customers are left stranded and burdened with thousands in repairs due to faulty engineering. It’s not just inconvenient—it’s harmful. This kind of failure makes life significantly harder for people who are already struggling. I’ve contacted Consumer Affairs. I was disconnected mid-call and haven’t received help opening a case. I now need reliable transportation to care for my child and maintain the progress I’ve worked so hard for. I’m requesting that Nissan review this case and offer some form of goodwill assistance or reimbursement. I should not have to choose between feeding my family and fixing a transmission that should have never failed this early. Please take responsibility. Do better for the people who trusted your brand.
I was driving at low speed 20 mph , stopped at the stop sign , when I pressed acceleration the vehicle did not respond . I checked Dash and I could see all engine warnings light up. I switched off the vehicle and started again it started back with no issues and started running again. The vehicle sounds normal .there was no engine related warnings afterwards.
I was in the highway at about 60 mph and the air bag light came on also the check engine light and I heard a sound and my car lost power I was able to get to the side lane then when it stopped all the way I started the car but would not go pass 30 mph and would barely go on reverse took it to mechanic they said it was the transmission tried to charge me $ 4,700 haven’t drove it since
I was in the highway at about 60 mph and the air bag light came on also the check engine light and I heard a sound and my car lost power I was able to get to the side lane then when it stopped all the way I started the car but would not go pass 30 mph and would barely go on reverse took it to mechanic they said it was the transmission tried to charge me $ 4,700 haven’t drove it since
Safety Rating for the 2011 NISSAN SENTRA
The 2011 NISSAN SENTRA received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2011 NISSAN SENTRA
Nissan North America, Inc. has issued 5 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2011 NISSAN SENTRA. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
NTB09020F — EQUIPMENT
SERVICE INFORMATION If one or more of these EVAP leak DTCs are stored (P0442, P0455, P0456) on a 2007 through 2011 Nissan vehicle, a loose fuel fill cap may be the cause. Use the following resources to perform diagnostics and confirm the cause of stored DTCs. ASIST: - Appropriate Service...
NTB13008 — SEATS
SERVICE INFORMATION If you confirm there is a need to replace the steering wheel switches on an Applied Vehicle for any reason: - Do not replace the driver air bag module. The steering wheel switches are now available as a separate service part. - Refer to the Service Procedure in...
NTB12102 — EQUIPMENT
SERVICE INFORMATION If you confirm there is a need to replace the driver and/or front passenger seat side air bag module in an Applied Vehicle for any reason: * Do not replace the entire seatback assembly if only the side air bag needs to be replaced. The side air bag...
NTB-11-070 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
NISSAN: 2011 SENTRA. THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT IS ON WITH A TROUBLE CODE STORED. *RM
NTB-10-076 — FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM
NISSAN: FUEL GAUGE ISSUES AND/OR DTC P0461/P0461/P0462/P0463. THE FUEL GAUGE IS ERRATIC, INACCURATE, OR INOPERATIVE. THE MIL IS ON WITH DTC STORED IN SELF DIAGNOSIS. REPLACE THE FUEL LEVER SENSOR UNIT. *PE UPDATED ON 08-11-2011. *KB
NHTSA Investigations for the 2011 NISSAN SENTRA
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the NISSAN SENTRA
- 2006 NISSAN SENTRA — 155 complaints
- 2007 NISSAN SENTRA — 214 complaints
- 2008 NISSAN SENTRA — 233 complaints
- 2009 NISSAN SENTRA — 81 complaints
- 2010 NISSAN SENTRA — 212 complaints
- 2011 NISSAN SENTRA (current)
- 2012 NISSAN SENTRA — 260 complaints
- 2013 NISSAN SENTRA — 866 complaints
- 2014 NISSAN SENTRA — 522 complaints
- 2015 NISSAN SENTRA — 488 complaints
- 2016 NISSAN SENTRA — 395 complaints
Other NISSAN Models
- NISSAN ALTIMA — 20,037 total complaints
- NISSAN PATHFINDER — 10,111 total complaints
- NISSAN ROGUE — 9,608 total complaints
- NISSAN MAXIMA — 8,834 total complaints
- NISSAN MURANO — 7,410 total complaints
- NISSAN VERSA — 4,436 total complaints
- NISSAN FRONTIER — 4,425 total complaints
- NISSAN TITAN — 4,412 total complaints