2009 Nissan SENTRA problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
55 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
57,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: . 48 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 14 of 55 complaints (25.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 13 | 23.6% |
| Steering behavior | 8 | 14.5% |
| Engine operation | 5 | 9.1% |
| Transmission and shifting | 4 | 7.3% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 4 | 7.3% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 1.8% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags | 14 |
| Steering | 11 |
| Service Brakes | 7 |
| Electrical System | 6 |
| Structure:Body | 6 |
| Suspension | 5 |
| Engine | 4 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 4 |
Air Bags: 14; Steering: 11; Service Brakes: 7; Electrical System: 6; Structure:Body: 6; Suspension: 5; Engine: 4; Fuel/Propulsion System: 4
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 12 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 8 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 13 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 9 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 3 |
| 150,000 and above | 3 |
Under 25,000: 12; 25,000 to 49,999: 8; 50,000 to 74,999: 13; 75,000 to 99,999: 9; 100,000 to 149,999: 3; 150,000 and above: 3
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (13). 7 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 6 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 11 |
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
2009: 1; 2010: 6; 2011: 3; 2012: 2; 2013: 4; 2014: 11; 2015: 4; 2016: 4; 2017: 7; 2018: 5; 2019: 3; 2020: 2; 2022: 1; 2023: 1; 2024: 1
Pattern summary
Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 13 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 8 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 5 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10320820 · 2010-03-18 (March 18, 2010)
MY CAR ACCELERATED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WITH ME PUSHING AS HARD AS I COULD. I HAD STOPPED TO GET THE MAIL IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, SO HAD MY SEAT BELT OFF. I HAVE TO ALSO OPEN THE DOOR JUST A TAD, BECAUSE THE PAPER CONTAINER IS DOWN LOWER. WHEN IT WOULDN'T STOP AND MY DRIVEWAY, WHICH IT WAS GOING ACROSS WAS SLIGHTLY HILLY, THE DOOR CAME COMPLETELY OPEN AND I GOT DRAGGED AND THEN I TURNED LOOSE AND THE CAR KEPT GOING. FORTUNATELY THE FRONT RIGHT MIRROR GOT CAUGHT ON A TREE AND IT STOPPED RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF MY NEIGHBORS YARD. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 10,462 miles reported. Look up ODI 10320820 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10339027 · 2010-06-18 (June 18, 2010)
CAR PARKED ON PARKING LOT, TURNED ON, PRESSED BRAKE TO SHIFT TO REVERSE, LET BRAKE PEDAL GO STARTING BACKWARDS MOVEMENT, PRESSED BRAKE PEDAL AND STUCK IN UP POSITION, HIT SEVERAL TIMES THE BRAKE AND BRAKE SYSTEM DID NOT RESPOND, HIT A WALL, PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND SHORTLY AFTER BRAKE SYSTEM RESPONDED. PASSENGER WITNESSED ATTEMPTS TO BRAKE WITH NO SUCCESS. DAMAGE TO BACK CORNER OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE IS 2009 SENTRA, UNDER WARRANTY NOT YET A YEAR AND VERY LOW MILEAGE, REQUESTED VEHICLE TOWING TO LOCAL DEALER SINCE NOT YET A YEAR OLD. NIS…
Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10339027 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10350485 · 2010-08-19 (August 19, 2010)
WHEN STARTING THE CAR YOU HEAR RELAY CLICKING IN AND OUT AND POWER STEERING FAIL SHOWS UP. HAD TO RESTART CAR SEVERAL TIMES TO GET POWER STEERING TO WORK. CAR WAS PUT IN THE SHOP AND DEALER TOLD ME HAD TO REPLACE STEERING COLUNM. CONTACT NISSAN TO FILE A COMPLAINT. FILE # 6901381 TO SEE IF THEY WHERE GOING TO PAY FOR IT, CAR HAS 47395 MILES AND NOT EVEN 1 1/2 YEAR OLD YET. I SEE NO RECALL ON CAR AS OF YET BUT HAD TO PAY THE DEALERSHIP $880.02 TO GET CAR REPAIR. STILL HAVEN'T HEAR FROM NISSAN WHAT IF THEY ARE GOING TO DO ANYTHING. I CAR IN MY MI…
Owner-reported narrative. 47,350 miles reported. Look up ODI 10350485 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10394353 · 2011-04-05 (April 5, 2011)
I PURCHASED AN 09 SENTRA BRAND NEW SEPT 24TH 09 SINCE DAY ONE WHEN I BRAKE THEY GRIND AND THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES THEY FIXED IT AROUND 8200 MILES AND IT STARTED AGAIN 7 THOUSAND LATER. ORIGINALLY THEY SAID THE PADS WERE GLAZED AND THE ROTORS HAD HOTSPOTS! ANYWAY MAYBE ITS THE TYPE OF PADS THEY USE. IM TIRED OF IT AND JUST WANT SMOOTH BRAKING. I RESEARCHED THIS AND FOUND SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS MADE BY 09 NISSAN OWNERS REPORTING THE SAME THING. OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. IF YOU HAVE TO BRAKE FAST THE WHOLE CAR SHAKES.…
Owner-reported narrative. 8,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10394353 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10393882 · 2011-03-31 (March 31, 2011)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE FORWARD, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD NO PRIOR FAILURES AND THIS FAILURE WAS THE FIRST TIME IT HAD OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES AND THAT IF THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN SINCE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE MANUFACTURER NOR WAS T…
Owner-reported narrative. 9,070 miles reported. Look up ODI 10393882 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10746033 · 2015-08-04 (August 4, 2015)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND ALL THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED MANUALLY IN ORDER TO RESTART. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 74,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10746033 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11162005 · 2018-12-17 (December 17, 2018)
WAS TOWED IN AND THE LF BALL JOINT IS RUSTED AND FELL APART. THE STUD AND NUT ARE STILL ATTACHED TO THE KNUCKLE AND THE BALL PULLED OUT OF THE SOCKET. THIS ALLOWED THE SUSPENSION OF DROP THAT CORNER OF THE CAR DOWN AND PULL THE CV AXLE OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. JUST PULLING OUT FROM HOME.
Owner-reported narrative. 76,535 miles reported. Look up ODI 11162005 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11240492 · 2019-07-29 (July 29, 2019)
MY VEHICLES TRANSMISSION WARRANTY ENDED AT 120,000 MILES. MY VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 145,500 MILES. I'VE READ ONLINE THESE VEHICLES WITH CVT TRANSMISSION HAVE ISSUES WITH REPAIR CODE P0744. THEY HAVE A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR OLDER VEHICLES EXCEPT MINE TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY. I CALLED NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND WAS TOLD THEY CANNOT HELP BECAUSE WARRANTY EXPIRED AND VEHICLE IS OLD. ALL I'M ASKING FOR THEM TO COVER MOST OF THE REPAIRS OR ALL OF IT. IN THIS CASE VEHICLE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN. VEHICLES RPM FLUCTUATED? JERKED AND LOST …
Owner-reported narrative. 145,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11240492 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10659094 · 2014-11-18 (November 18, 2014)
DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK WITH CAR REMOTE. BATTERY WAS CHANGED IN REMOTES AND STILL DOES NOT WORK. KEY TO OVERRIDE DOOR LOCKS DOES NOT WORK. AFTER HITTING THE OPEN LOCK BUTTON ON KEY REMOTE FOR 5 MIN NON STOP IT FINALLY OPENED ALL DOORS. EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD. I REFUSE TO LOCK CAR ANYMORE UNTIL I CAN GET TO DEALER TO REPAIR THE LOCKS AND REMOTE LOCK SENSORS. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 58,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10659094 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10660584 · 2014-11-24 (November 24, 2014)
WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ON THE BELTWAY ABOUT 1 MILE PRIOR TO THE EXIT, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF ALONG WITH ANY ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE AND GET TOWED TO A DEALER (NOT NISSAN) WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED A "BLOWN ENGINE". HAD TRANSFERRED THE CAR TO A NISSAN DEALER FOR WARRANTY DISPOSITION AND DIAGNOSIS. HAVE BEEN WAITING OVER 1 MONTH FOR AN ANSWER. WE HAVE TRIED CONTACTING NISSAN CORPORATE AND REGIONAL PERSONNEL AND SEEM TO BE GETTING THE RUN AROUND. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 65,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10660584 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11155793 · 2018-12-03 (December 3, 2018)
TAKATA RECALL CAR STALLS OUT AND DASH BOARD LIGHTS UP WITH EVERY WARNING SIGNAL, EVERY TIME I BRAKE TO QUICKLY WHEN HITTING A RED LIGHT BUT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ISN'T REGULARLY ON. MY PROBLEM MATCHES ANOTHER TYPE OF 2009 NISSAN SENTRA PROBLEM BUT MY EXACT MODEL IS NOT RECALLED. PURCHASED BRAND NEW STARTER, ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY TO NO AVAIL ANOTHER RECALL SAYS MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR AND FUEL PUMP.
Owner-reported narrative. 70,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11155793 at NHTSA ↗