Model year 2018 · Midsize Cars

2018 Nissan Sentra: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2018 Nissan Sentra at 27–32 mpg combined across 6 versions. NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 185 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

27–32

NHTSA overall rating

4/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Nissan dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2018 Nissan Sentra recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 2 safety recalls for the 2018 Nissan Sentra, newest first.

Exterior lighting: Brake lights: Switch

NHTSA 21V135000 Reported Mar 3, 2021

Filed by: Nissan North America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. PM971)
Units affected: 807,376 (estimate)
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Nissan Sentra vehicles. The brake light switch may become contaminated, preventing the circuit from closing and the brake lights from illuminating.
Risk: The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake light switch and install a protective grommet, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 1, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PM971.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Back over prevention: Sensing system: Camera

NHTSA 19V654000 Reported Sep 12, 2019

Filed by: Nissan North America, Inc.
Units affected: 1,228,830 (estimate)
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2018 Nissan Sentra fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2018 Nissan Sentra EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Sentra	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	Manual 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	26/32/28 mpg	$2,950	318
Sentra	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	CVT (7 modes)	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	27/33/29 mpg	$2,850	307
Sentra	1.8L 4-cyl	Manual 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	27/35/30 mpg	$2,250	297
Sentra	1.8L 4-cyl	Automatic	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	29/37/32 mpg	$2,100	279
Sentra Nismo	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	Manual 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	25/31/27 mpg	$3,050	330
Sentra Nismo	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	CVT (7 modes)	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	25/30/27 mpg	$3,050	330

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2018 Nissan Sentra crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2018 Nissan Sentra NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2018 Nissan Sentra 4 DR FWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars	11.8%	Optional
2018 Nissan Sentra NISMO 4 DR FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	4 stars	11.8%	No
2018 Nissan Sentra Turbo 4 DR FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	—	No

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2018 Nissan Sentra owner complaints

Owners have filed 185 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Nissan Sentra, most recently on Aug 25, 2026. 17 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 10 injured people and 1 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2018 Nissan Sentra complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Power train	46
Service brakes	38
Unknown or other	38
Electrical system	32
Engine	22
Vehicle speed control	19
Exterior lighting	14
Forward collision avoidance: Automatic emergency braking	13
Forward collision avoidance: Warnings	10
Air bags	9

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Nissan Sentra model years

Nissan Sentra by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2027 Sentra	32–33 mpg	—	—	—
2026 Sentra	32–33 mpg	1	19	—
2025 Sentra	33–34 mpg	4	31	5/5
2024 Sentra	33–34 mpg	3	41	5/5
2023 Sentra	32–33 mpg	1	20	5/5
2022 Sentra	32–33 mpg	2	81	5/5
2021 Sentra	32–33 mpg	3	132	5/5
2020 Sentra	32–33 mpg	4	207	5/5
2019 Sentra	27–32 mpg	2	223	4/5
2017 Sentra	27–32 mpg	3	231	4/5
2016 Sentra	30–33 mpg	6	270	4/5
2015 Sentra	30–33 mpg	3	352	4/5

All Nissan Sentra years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2018 Nissan models

2018 Nissan 370Z 2018 Nissan Altima 2018 Nissan Armada 2018 Nissan Frontier 2018 Nissan GT-R 2018 Nissan Kicks 2018 Nissan LEAF 2018 Nissan Maxima 2018 Nissan Murano 2018 Nissan NV200 Cargo Van 2018 Nissan NV200 NYC Taxi 2018 Nissan Pathfinder 2018 Nissan Rogue 2018 Nissan Titan 2018 Nissan Versa

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Nissan.