2011 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 28–34; 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
4 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
2over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
142filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 142 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 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
Electrical system34030
Engine30333
Air bags20906
Power train18000
Unknown or other18103
Electronic stability control (ESC)17111
Service brakes8201
Steering8000
Structure7504
Fuel/propulsion system6110
Vehicle speed control6000
Service brakes, hydraulic5101
11 more parts
Visibility5100
Engine and engine cooling4000
Tires3000
Wheels3000
Seats2000
Equipment1000
Latches/locks/linkages1000
Seat belts1101
Service brakes, electric1100
Suspension1000
Visibility/wiper1000

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 2 recall campaigns for the 2011 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.

Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery

NHTSA campaign 11V579000 · reported Dec 15, 2011 · 33,803 vehicles potentially affected

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 DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM).

Risk: 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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery

NHTSA campaign 10V555000 · reported Nov 12, 2010 · 13,737 vehicles potentially affected

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 VEHICLE AND COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE.

Risk: 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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 107 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2011 Sentra, the latest on Apr 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (22), equipment (20), wheels (12), power train (11), service brakes (9).

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 2011 Sentra.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2011 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 Gasoline26 / 34 / 29
Sentra
Front-Wheel Drive		2.0 L, 4 cylManual 6-spdRegular Gasoline24 / 30 / 26
Sentra
Front-Wheel Drive		2.5 L, 4 cylAutomatic (variable gear ratios)Regular Gasoline23 / 30 / 26
Sentra
Front-Wheel Drive		2.5 L, 4 cylManual 6-spdPremium Gasoline21 / 28 / 24

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