Last updated: 2026-10-10

RELIABILITY SCORE: 77/100 (GOOD)

2022 Nissan Sentra Reliability Report

The 2022 Nissan Sentra has good reliability, above most 2022 sedans, but steering vibration and pulling are the problems owners report most.

Full Breakdown Compare Models

Recalls

Complaints

Complaint Rate

9.3per 10,000 sold

Est. Repair Cost

$491

Annual Fuel Cost

$1,800–$1,850

Detailed Score Breakdown

Complaint Severity68/100

Component-weighted complaints normalized by sales volume

Repair Costs80/100

Independent repair cost ratings

Recall Impact80/100

Recall count weighted by severity

Issue Diversity86/100

Breadth of reported problem categories

The Verdict

Consider

Middle-of-the-pack Sentra year with good reliability; steering vibration leads complaints, with two recalls, while 2021 drew more complaints and 2023 rates better.

Top Issues to Watch

STEERING (27)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (17)
POWER TRAIN (4)

Generation & Refresh (US)

Post-Redesign (Year 3)

2022 is year 3 of the Eighth generation (B18).

Redesigned for the 2020 model year.
Well-established in its generation — most early issues should be resolved.
8th generation Sentra (US).

What this means for buyers

Well into the generation cycle — most design and manufacturing issues should be resolved by now.

2020: Eighth generation (B18) Launch

Generation start — new platform.

2022: This Model Year

2022 is year 3 of the Eighth generation (B18).

Should You Buy the 2022 Nissan Sentra?

Reliability is good, and it sits above average among 2022 sedans. Within the Sentra's nine scored years it lands in the middle. Independent repair-cost data puts yearly repairs at $491, under the $526 typical for its class. The 2021 rates about the same but has more complaints and an extra recall. The 2023 rates better with far fewer complaints, though a newer year has had less time to collect them.

Steering is the main weak spot. Owners report a shaking wheel at highway speeds, repeated alignment trouble, and popping from the front when turning. Some say the vibration stayed after parts were replaced. One filing describes a tie rod breaking and the car veering into a barrier. Federal recall records list two recalls, in steering and structure. Electrical complaints center on batteries that die overnight and warning lights that come on together and switch off safety features. Stalling is rare but serious.

Ask for the recall records and confirm any steering work was finished. Look for past alignment or vibration repairs, and check for wheel shake on the highway.

Compared to the 2023 Nissan Sentra, which scored 3 points higher. See also the 2021 Nissan Sentra for an earlier comparison.

Pros

+Acceptable reliability score
+$35 cheaper to maintain than avg compact cars
+Infrequent unscheduled repairs
+Low major repair risk (12%)

Cons

−STEERING: Vibration and pulling lead this category (27 complaints)
−ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: Batteries go dead with no clear cause (17 complaints)

Compare 2022 Nissan Sentra With

2022 Toyota Corolla

Reliability: 82/100

Excellent

2022 Hyundai Elantra

Reliability: 74/100

Good

2022 Honda Civic

Reliability: 66/100

Good

2022 Kia Forte

Reliability: 75/100

Good

2022 Volkswagen Golf

Reliability: 58/100

Mixed

Common Problem Categories

Safety

LOW RISK

2 manufacturer recalls issued

Other

HIGH RISK

STEERING (27)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (17)

See detailed breakdown by component ↓

Recall Overview

recalls on record

The 2022 Nissan Sentra carries 2 recalls — a low count. Authorized dealers repair any open recall free of charge, regardless of warranty status.

NHTSA.gov →

Complaint Breakdown

9.3

per 10,000 sold

Segment avg: 17.8

LowAvgHigh

Low

Safety Incidents

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

★★★★★

NHTSA 5/5 Stars

Data sourced from NHTSA complaint filings and manufacturer recall notices. Complaint narratives are owner-reported.

2022 Nissan Sentra Recall Details

2 recalls have been issued for the 2022 Nissan Sentra. All recall repairs are performed free of charge at authorized dealerships.

23V5810002023-08-15

STEERING

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may bend.

Consequence

A bent tie rod can break and cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Owners are advised to contact their dealer for transport assistance if they are experiencing an off-center steering wheel or vibration. As an interim repair, dealers will inspect and replace any bent or broken tie rods, free of charge. Once newly designed parts are available, dealers will replace both left and right tie rods, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed November 27, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23B3. This recall replaces and expands recall number 21V-461. Vehicles previously repaired under 21V-461 will need to have the new remedy completed.

23V4210002023-06-12

STRUCTURE

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2022 Sentra vehicles. The driver's side cowl area may have a missing or improper seal, which can allow water to leak inside the vehicle and corrode electrical components.

Consequence

Corrosion of the electrical components could result in failure of various electrical systems, such as loss of wiper motor function or exterior lighting, inoperative air bags, or the ability to shift into gear without applying the brake pedal. Any of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash. In addition, an electrical short-circuit may occur, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, reseal the driver's side cowl. If moisture or corrosion is found, the main harness and engine room harness will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 26, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

VIN History Report

Buying a used 2022 Nissan Sentra? Check its history first

Steering problems lead owner complaints about the 2022 Nissan Sentra, and 2 recalls were issued for it. A VIN check shows whether this car's recall work was done, plus accident, title, and odometer history.

Accidents
Open Recalls
Title History
Odometer Rollback

2022 Nissan Sentra NHTSA Safety Ratings

Overall Safety Rating

Crash Test Results by Configuration (expand)

Gas Powertrain

Driver: 5/5Passenger: 3/5

Rollover risk: 9.9%

Safety Technologies

Dynamic Head Restraints (Not Available)Head Restraint (Driver, Front Passenger, Rear Seat)Advanced Belt Feature (Standard)Adjustable Upper Belt Anchorage (Driver, Front Passenger)Seat Belt Reminder System (Driver, Front Passenger, Rear Seat)Frontal Air Bag (Driver, Front Passenger)Curtain (Driver, Front Passenger, Rear Seat)Torso/Pelvis (Driver, Front Passenger, Rear Seat)Knee (Driver, Front Passenger)Additional Air Bags (N/A)Meets Side Air Bag Out-of-Position Requirements (Yes)LATCH Locations (Rear Seat)Safety Power Windows (Anti-Pinch) (Not Available)Safety Power Windows (Anti-Pinch) locations (Not Available)

View full safety data on NHTSA.gov →

Nissan SentraRepair Costs & Maintenance

Maintenance Rating

Based on NHTSA complaint patterns, recall severity, and publicly available cost benchmarks.

Est. Annual Maintenance

$491

vs $526 avg for compact cars

vs $652 avg for all vehicles

Repair Frequency

0.2

unscheduled repair visits per year

Severe Repair Probability

12%

chance of a major repair

Annual Cost Comparison

Sentra

$491

Category Avg

$526

All Vehicles

$652

Category-level averages derived from publicly available industry reports (AAA, CarMD). Model-level estimates produced by Auto Reliability Index.

Nissan Sentra Resale Value

The Nissan Sentra is estimated to retain about 73.7% of its original value after 5 years, based on observed used-car listings.

This benchmark covers the Nissan Sentra model overall and is not specific to the 2022 model year.

Value Retained: 73.7%
Depreciation: 26.3%
Listings Analyzed: 720

Listings observed in June 2026. Actual resale value varies by trim, mileage, condition, and location.

Explore Nissan Sentra depreciation and resale value on CarResaleValue.com

MPG & Annual Running Costs

Gas

32–33 MPG

Running cost: $2,300–$2,350/yr

Fuel + repair

28–29 city / 37–39 hwy MPG

Running cost includes EPA fuel-cost estimate and independent repair-cost data (repair cost estimated at model level). Excludes routine maintenance, depreciation, and insurance. Data as of 2022 EPA label cycle.

Gas trims

Trim	Drive	Trans.	City	Hwy	Comb	Fuel Cost
Sentra 2.0L 4-cyl	Front-Wheel Drive	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	29	39	33	$1,800
Sentra SR 2.0L 4-cyl	Front-Wheel Drive	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	28	37	32	$1,850

Used Buying Checklist

Key things to inspect or verify before purchasing a 2022 Nissan Sentra.

Check federal recall records by VIN and confirm the tie rod recall 23V-581 was completed.
Drive at 60 mph and feel for steering wheel or floorboard vibration and any pull to one side.
Turn the wheel fully both ways in a parking lot and listen for popping or knocking up front.
Drive at 20 to 30 mph in traffic and watch for false automatic emergency braking.
Ask for battery and service records, and have the battery and charging system tested for parasitic drain.
Pull trouble codes and look for EGR valve faults or records of stalling and hesitation repairs.
Lift the front floor mats and check the carpet on both sides for dampness.
Test every window from the driver master switch, and set the parking brake on a slope.

2022 Nissan Sentra Common Problems by Component

72 owner complaints grouped by vehicle system.

STEERING (27)ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (17)UNKNOWN OR OTHER (7)POWER TRAIN (4)SERVICE BRAKES (3)FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE (3)VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (3)WHEELS (2)Other (6)

STEERING

27 complaintsSafety-related

Vibration and pulling lead this category. Owners describe a shaking steering wheel at highway speeds, a car that keeps going out of alignment, an off-center wheel, and popping or knocking from the front when turning. Many tie these symptoms to federal recall 23V-581 for weak tie rods. Some say the vibration continues after the tie rods, alignment, struts, or rack and pinion are replaced, and some dealers blame engine mounts. One filing reports a tie rod breaking and the car veering into a barrier. Other owners say dealers told them their car was not part of the recall.

27 complaints total1 crash3 injuries

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

17 complaints

Batteries go dead with no clear cause. Owners report the car draining overnight or after short trips, a message saying the key is not near the start button, and repeated jump starts. Dealers often find nothing wrong or simply replace the battery. A second pattern is a burst of warning lights at once, including collision sensors, traction control, ABS, and master warning, which turns off safety features. Other reports include headlights shutting off or dimming at night, windows locking on their own, and the car shutting off at an intersection and refusing to restart.

17 complaints total

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

7 complaints

Stalling and hesitation show up here as well. Owners describe the engine dying at red lights and the car refusing to go when the gas is pressed, then surging, even after throttle body and transmission replacement on a nearly new car. Water on the front floors is a second theme, with wet carpet or droplets on the driver and passenger sides. Other reports cover noise when turning linked to the tie rod recall, windows that stop working because of a faulty driver master switch, and a recall still open after a dealer said it was done.

7 complaints total

POWER TRAIN (4 complaints)

POWER TRAIN

4 complaints

Stalling while driving is the most serious report. It happens at speeds from neighborhood streets up to highway speeds, sometimes with a "Vehicle Stalled Stop Safely" message and sometimes with no warning, and the driver loses power and gets stiff steering. Other owners describe the car hesitating when the gas is pressed, revving and nearly stalling at stops, and lunging forward when braking. Complaints also mention hard shifting and cruise control setting off collision warnings. Several problems start within the first few thousand miles.

4 complaints total

SERVICE BRAKES (3 complaints)

SERVICE BRAKES

3 complaints

The brake booster bursts with a very loud bang, leaving insulation hanging under the car. Dealers say they had not seen this failure before, and one replacement booster failed again within 1300 miles. Stopping still worked, but owners see a serious risk at highway speeds. A separate complaint describes a parking brake that will not engage on inclines, revs the engine when applied, and sometimes releases on its own after the car is shut off. The dealer could not reproduce it.

3 complaints total

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE (3 complaints)

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

3 complaints

Automatic emergency braking engages with nothing in the way. Owners report the car braking hard at around 20 to 30 mph, sometimes several times, in cars with low mileage. Another pattern is the pre-collision system light turning on and off along with malfunction alerts saying the system is not working. A dealer found and repaired a fault in one case. False braking is a rear-end crash risk in traffic.

3 complaints total

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (3 complaints)

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

3 complaints

The car fails to accelerate or slows sharply on its own, and owners describe near rear-end collisions at expressway speeds. These complaints include 4 injuries. One owner says a dealer traced the failure to a defective EGR valve with no repair date and no dashboard warning for the driver. Another problem involves regular cruise control: the car slows on gentle curves without turning on the brake lights, so following drivers get no warning.

3 complaints total4 injuries

WHEELS (2 complaints)

WHEELS

2 complaints

Front axle and wheel bearing failures appear early. In one report the front passenger axle broke and came off at low speed with no warning light, and the manufacturer said the car was out of warranty at 26,319 miles. Another owner lists wheel bearings wearing out before their expected life, CVT shafts stripped from the factory that had to be replaced with them, new struts, and an EGR valve failure that kept the car from starting.

2 complaints total

TIRES (1 complaints)

TIRES

1 complaint

2023-10-14

Kinergy [XXX] . My tire indicated low air in my passenger side rear tire. When I went to put air in the tire I noticed a huge bulge and or separation of the sidewall of the tire. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

SEAT BELTS (1 complaints)

SEAT BELTS

1 complaint

2022-10-02

Passenger seatbelt is hard to use and difficult to insert, due to the it resting below the seat itself. It is also difficult to release because it is lower than the seat and close close to the center console.

Best & Worst Nissan Sentra Years

Best Nissan Sentra Years to Buy

Based on reliability index score

Top Pick

Excellent

2023

1Recalls

14Complaints

Good

2024

3Recalls

23Complaints

Good

2022

(Current Model)

2Recalls

72Complaints

Nissan Sentra Years to Avoid

Good

2020

4Recalls

193Complaints

See full Nissan Sentra years-to-avoid analysis

Nissan Sentra Reliability Score Trend

Scores 0–100. Higher is better. Current year highlighted.

Nissan Sentra reliability scores by year
Year	Score	Rating
2018	77/100	Good
2019	75/100	Good
2020	71/100	Good
2021	76/100	Good
2022	77/100	Good
2023	80/100	Excellent
2024	79/100	Good
2025	78/100	Good
2026	88/100	Excellent

Nissan Sentra Reliability Compared to Other Years

Reliability scores compared across model years
Year	Score	vs Prior Year	Rating	Recalls	Complaints
2026	88/100	+10	Excellent	0	0
2025	78/100	-1	Good	3	15
2024	79/100	-1	Good	3	23
2023	80/100	+3	Excellent	1	14
2022(selected)	77/100	+1	Good	2	72
2021	76/100	+5	Good	3	119
2020	71/100	-4	Good	4	193
2019	75/100	-2	Good	2	212
2018	77/100	—	Good	2	181

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 2022 Nissan Sentra reliable?

Yes, it has a good reliability standing and rates above average against other 2022 sedans. Among the nine scored Sentra years it sits in the middle. Owners filed 72 complaints, mostly about steering and the electrical system. It also earned 5 of 5 stars in the federal crash test.

What are the most common problems with the 2022 Nissan Sentra?

Steering leads, with 27 complaints about a shaking wheel at highway speeds, pulling, alignment that will not hold, and popping when turning. Electrical problems come next, mainly batteries that die with no clear cause and warning lights that appear all at once. Power train and speed control complaints are fewer but more serious.

Does the 2022 Nissan Sentra have steering problems?

Yes. Steering is the largest complaint category. Owners describe vibration, an off-center wheel, and a car that keeps going out of alignment. Some say the shake continued after parts were replaced. One filing reports a broken tie rod and the car veering into a barrier. Federal recall records also list a steering recall.

Does the 2022 Nissan Sentra have stalling problems?

A few owners report it. Four power train complaints describe stalling while driving, from neighborhood streets to highway speeds, sometimes with a stalled message and sometimes with no warning. Drivers lose power and the steering gets stiff. It is uncommon in the data, but it is a safety issue worth asking a seller about.

Is the 2022 Nissan Sentra better than the 2021 or 2023?

The 2021 rates about the same but has more complaints and three recalls against two for the 2022. The 2023 rates better as excellent, with far fewer complaints and one recall. The 2023 has also had less time to collect complaints, so compare vehicle history too.

Don’t buy a 2022 Nissan Sentra without checking its VIN first — hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls could cost you thousands.

Look Up a VIN →

How we score the 2022 Nissan Sentra

Of the four inputs behind this score, the 2022 Nissan Sentra does best on how many systems draw complaints (86/100) and worst on complaint severity (68/100). Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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