2019 Nissan Sentra: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
221 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 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. 2019 specifically: a year the record favours — 221 complaints, score 75/100. 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 2019 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 221 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 31.57
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while his daughter attempted to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start immediately. The contact's daughter pressed the engine Auto Start/Stop button again, the vehicle restarted. The contact had AAA test that the battery, which had no failure, and it was determined that the brake light switch had failed. The cruise control later failed to operate …
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 78,129. It was later discovered from a Carfax Report that the mileage was 86,239.
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the transmission had previously been replaced twice. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the transmission needed to be …
Recalls: 2 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V135000 | Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Nissan Sentra vehicles. |
| 19V654000 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera | 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. |
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.
- Electrical System64 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Power Train54 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other45 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Service Brakes38 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Forward Collision Avoidance35 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Exterior Lighting28 complaints · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$1,380
Other Nissan Sentra years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2019 Nissan Sentra?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (64 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2019 Nissan Sentra a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 75/100, computed from 221 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2019 Nissan Sentra's most common problem?
64 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2019 Nissan Sentra sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 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 2019 Nissan Sentra cost to run per year?
About $4,849 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $24,245 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 2019 Nissan Sentra have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2019 Nissan Sentra, 1 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 2019 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 — 221 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 221 NHTSA complaints on record (31.6/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (26.2/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems