2009 Nissan Sentra

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
24–29 mpgcombined; city 21–26, highway 29–34; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$11,200–$16,770U.S. average; Ohio $10,010–$15,800 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Recall campaigns
1over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
55filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Versions

NHTSA's VIN data lists no trims for the 2009 Sentra, so these are the versions EPA tested, by its names. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 55 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Sentra. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air bags15506
Steering11202
Service brakes7204
Electrical system6102
Structure6406
Suspension5000
Engine4000
Fuel/propulsion system4000
Tires4000
Power train3000
Service brakes, hydraulic3201
Unknown or other3102
6 more parts
Engine and engine cooling2000
Latches/locks/linkages2000
Wheels2100
Exterior lighting1000
Seat belts1000
Vehicle speed control1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 2006116
  2. 2007154
  3. 2008167
  4. 200955
  5. 2010144
  6. 2011142
  7. 2012180
  8. 2013638
  9. 2014380
  10. 2015351
  11. 2016270
  12. 2017231
  13. 2018185
  14. 2019222
  15. 2020206
  16. 2021132
  17. 202281
  18. 202320
  19. 202441
  20. 202531
  21. 202618

Every Sentra year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2009 Sentra over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Equipment: electrical

NHTSA campaign 10V401000 · reported Sep 10, 2010 · 7,948 vehicles potentially affected

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.

Risk: OVERHEATED BATTERIES COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY GARMIN TECHNICIANS BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND INSERTING A SPACER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN DIRECTLY AT 1-866-957-1981 OR NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 85 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2009 Sentra, the latest on Apr 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (17), equipment (12), engine and engine cooling (7), fuel system (7), power train (7).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2009 Sentra.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2009 Nissan Sentras for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: midsize cars. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Sentra
Front-Wheel Drive		2.0 L, 4 cylAutomatic (variable gear ratios)Regular Gasoline25 / 33 / 28
Sentra
Front-Wheel Drive		2.0 L, 4 cylManual 6-spdRegular Gasoline24 / 31 / 27
Sentra
Front-Wheel Drive		2.5 L, 4 cylAutomatic (variable gear ratios)Regular Gasoline24 / 30 / 26
Sentra
Front-Wheel Drive		2.5 L, 4 cylManual 6-spdPremium Gasoline21 / 29 / 24
Sentra FE
Front-Wheel Drive		2.0 L, 4 cylAutomatic (variable gear ratios)Regular Gasoline26 / 34 / 29

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data