2016 Nissan Sentra Recalls, Problems & MPG

NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 270 owner complaints for the 2016 Nissan Sentra. The EPA rates it 30 to 33 MPG combined, depending on engine and drivetrain.

Recalls
6
Owner complaints
270
Crashes / fires reported
18 / 2
EPA combined
30–33 MPG

2016 Nissan Sentra recalls

  • Exterior LightingMar 3, 2021 · NHTSA 21V135000+

    Risk: The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.

    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.

    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.

  • Air BagsApr 13, 2017 · NHTSA 17V253000+

    Risk: In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag doesn't deploy properly, it can increase the risk of injury to passengers.

    Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error within the air bag inflators, the passenger frontal air bag may not properly deploy in the event of a crash.

  • Electrical SystemJun 29, 2016 · NHTSA 16V485000+

    Risk: If the engine room harness loses connection to the ECU, the vehicle may not start or the engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the terminal pin on the engine room harness, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sentra vehicles manufactured April 11, 2016, through April 26, 2016. The engine room harness may have a terminal pin too large to maintain a connection with the Engine Control Unit (ECU).

  • Air BagsJun 15, 2016 · NHTSA 16V436000+

    Risk: If the wiring harness disconnects, the passenger air bag may not to deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiring harness connector for proper engagement and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag module and main body harness, free of charge. The recall began on August 9, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 LEAF vehicles manufactured February 24, 2016, to March 23, 2016, and Sentra vehicles manufactured February 9, 2016, to March 4, 2016. The wiring harness connector may disconnect from the dual-stage passenger air bag.

  • Air BagsApr 26, 2016 · NHTSA 16V244000+

    Risk: If the passenger frontal air bag does not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, the passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

    Fix: Nissan will notify their owners. Chevrolet City Express owners will be notified by General Motors. Dealers will reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) in Altima, Maxima, Murano, Rogue, and Sentra vehicles, and replace the OCS ECU in LEAF, NV200, NV200 Taxi, Pathfinder, Infiniti Q50, JX35, and QX60 and Chevrolet City Express vehicles, free of charge. Interim notices were sent to owners on May 31, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669, Infiniti customer service at 1-888-833-3216 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano Hybrid, and Chevrolet City Express, 2014-2015 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles. In these vehicles, the front seat passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) may incorrectly classify an adult passenger as a child or classify the seat as empty despite it being occupied. As a result, the passenger frontal air bag may be turned off and not deploy in the event of a crash.

  • Air BagsApr 26, 2016 · NHTSA 16V242000+

    Risk: If the frontal passenger air bag deploys in the event of a crash when a child seat is installed in the front passenger seat, there will be an increased risk of injury to the child in the CRS.

    Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reinforce the seat belt bracket as well as reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) and OCS Electronic Control Unit (ECU), free of charge. The recall began on June 13, 2016. Owners are warned not to install a CRS in the front seat. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Sentra vehicles manufactured June 4, 2012, to April 9, 2016. The front passenger seat belt bracket may become deformed if it is used to secure a Child Restraint System (CRS). The deformed seat bracket may cause the Occupant Classification System (OCS) to incorrectly classify the installed CRS, resulting in the front passenger air bag to not be turned off as designed when a CRS is in the seat.

Recall repairs are free. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours still needs one.

Most reported 2016 Nissan Sentra problems

Owner complaints to NHTSA by system. One complaint can name more than one system.

  • Power Train127
  • Engine48
  • Electrical System45
  • Unknown or Other43
  • Vehicle Speed Control27
  • Air Bags24
  • Service Brakes21
  • Fuel/Propulsion System18

2016 Nissan Sentra gas mileage

EPA ratings for each version (city / highway / combined).

VersionEngineCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Sentra FE1.8 L 4 cyl, Automatic (variable gear ratios)303833$1,950
Sentra1.8 L 4 cyl, Automatic (variable gear ratios)293732$2,000
Sentra1.8 L 4 cyl, Manual 6-spd273530$2,150

Real-world mileage depends on how and where you drive. Logbay compares your actual MPG with these EPA numbers.

Questions

Does the 2016 Nissan Sentra have any recalls?

Yes. NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2016 Nissan Sentra, most recently for the exterior lighting (Mar 3, 2021). Recall repairs are free at a dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common 2016 Nissan Sentra problems?

Owners filed 270 complaints with NHTSA. The most reported areas are power train (127), engine (48), electrical system (45).

What gas mileage does the 2016 Nissan Sentra get?

The EPA rates the 2016 Nissan Sentra at 30 to 33 MPG combined (best version: 30 city / 38 highway).

Sources: NHTSA recalls and owner complaints (api.nhtsa.gov), EPA fuel economy (fueleconomy.gov). Updated Oct 26, 2026. Complaint counts are unverified owner reports.