2017 Nissan Sentra: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
230 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The seventh-generation Sentra (2013–2019) shares the Altima's CVT problem, and the 2013 model year carries 638 complaints, most of them transmission shudder, overheating and failure. Nissan extended the CVT warranty on these cars. Read the full note on the model page. 2017 specifically: a year the record favours — 230 complaints, score 76/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Nissan's CVT problem: the Altima, Sentra, Rogue and Pathfinder years to avoid, including 2017 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 230 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 25.56
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
My 2017 Sentra is suffering from the exact silicone outgassing defect detailed in Recall 21V135000. My replacement switches keep failing because the car requires the updated protective grommet, but Nissan is excluding my VIN from receiving the campaign kit.
The contact owns a 2017 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving the vehicle he could tell the vehicle gears were slipping, on a different occasion the vehicle downshifted on its own suddenly almost causing a crash. The contact stated there were times where the vehicle would downshift suddenly and would slow all the way down causing the vehicle to come to a stop, having to shift into neutral then back into dri…
I have been experiencing the cvt transmission slipping the last two weeks. I contacted Nissan so see if my vin was a vehicle affected by 2017 cvt transmission recalls. They advised me it was not affected because my vin did not match their systems affected vehicles. Today my vehicle transmission broke down completely on my way home and had to get towed home. This could have been prevented had Nissan honored my veh…
Recalls: 3 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V135000 | Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Nissan Sentra vehicles. |
| 17V253000 | Air Bags | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 LEAF and 2014, 2016 and 2017 Sentra vehicles. |
| 18V551000 | Electrical System:Ignition | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2018 Frontier, Versa Note, and Versa Sedan vehicles that have a mechanical (physical) key ignition system. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 29 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,600
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train76 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine48 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other37 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System33 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Vehicle Speed Control32 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Air Bags26 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
Other Nissan Sentra years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2017 Nissan Sentra?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (76 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2017 Nissan Sentra a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 76/100, computed from 230 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2017 Nissan Sentra's most common problem?
76 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2017 Nissan Sentra sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2017 Nissan Sentra cost to run per year?
About $5,015 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $25,075 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2017 Nissan Sentra have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2017 Nissan Sentra, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/03/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2017 Nissan Sentra really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 230 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 230 NHTSA complaints on record (25.6/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (26.2/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems