2018 Nissan Sentra: problems, recalls and what it’s worth
Known weak spot on this generation: CVT transmission (Jatco). 2 recall campaigns to confirm with a dealer. A lot of owner complaints, 25% about transmission & drivetrain.
Cold test drive: hesitation off the line, judder under light throttle at 30–45 mph, a whine that rises with speed, or the tach flaring without acceleration. Look for a CVT replacement or reprogram in the service history.
Known problems on the 2018 Nissan Sentra
CVT transmission (Jatco) $3,300–$5,000 to fix
The Jatco CVT on this generation is a documented failure point — shudder around 30–45 mph, RPM flare, whining, then failure, frequently 60k–120k mi. Nissan extended the powertrain warranty to 84 mo / 84k mi on many of these and settled class actions.
Check for: Cold test drive: hesitation off the line, judder under light throttle at 30–45 mph, a whine that rises with speed, or the tach flaring without acceleration. Look for a CVT replacement or reprogram in the service history.
Basis: NHTSA complaint clusters; Nissan CVT extended-warranty program; multiple class-action settlements
Known patterns for this year and model, not findings about one car. A well-kept example may already have had the fix. Costs are rough US shop prices.
2018 Nissan Sentra recalls
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2018 Nissan Sentra. Repairs are free at a dealer for the brand, and a dealer can confirm by VIN which were already done.
- Lights
The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.
Details 21V135000
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.
Fix: 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.
- Driver-assist systems
The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Details 19V654000
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."
Fix: 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.
2018 Nissan Sentra safety investigations and free repairs
No open safety investigations.
Free repairs to ask about (warranty extensions):
- Transmission: CVT Class Action Owner Notification In mid-December, current and former owners and lessees of the following vehicles will receive a postcard from a…
A dealer for the brand can check these by VIN.
Source: NHTSA, Sep 24, 2026.
2018 Nissan Sentra safety and fuel
From NHTSA’s crash tests and the EPA’s fueleconomy.gov.
What owners complain about
185 complaints filed with NHTSA for this year and model, which is a lot.
Share of complaints that mention each area. One complaint can mention several.
Other Nissan Sentra years
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
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