81 complaints reported

2016 Nissan Sentra Power Train

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
81
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
1

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Nov 2025

Car stalls on and off especially driving up hills… the car jolts… speed dominator is fluctuating up and down… car is showing codes on OBD scanner (P2589) and (P0965) it was a recall for the 2013-2017 Sentra for cvt trouble actually a law suit that was won…. Since I didn’t own the car at the moment does that disqualify the fixing of a world wide issue or because my vin number doesn’t match the ones eligible, it is of total dishonorment to ignore my vehicle which is suffering from the same recall claim cvt gone bad goon bad has gone bad… I need my car repair… I need justice for my Nissan…[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2025
Oct 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The vehicle hesitated and lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact became aware of an abnormal burning odor. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated the indicator on the instrument panel was moving independently. The vehicle was not taken to the local dealer or independent mechanic. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 50 MPH uphill, the vehicle jerked and failed to properly accelerate. After several attempts, the vehicle moved slowly and was able to drive up the hill. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was not driven since the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the warranty on the vehicle had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2024
Aug 2025

Transmission failed after used car purchase. Called regarding fluid on driveway and was told normal after oil change. Continued fluid leak past 30 day warranty. Tried to get Nissan dealer to look at it but was told must go back to used dealer (same company) next door as they sold it. Dozens of calls later, no return calls, wrong transfers, etc. then cancelled appts, got to shop and was told bad transmission. Called Nissan Corp. nothing. Back to dealer who has car that can’t be driven and told best can do is split cost of used or rebuilt $5300-6400. Online forums show there is definitely an issue with Nissan CVT transmissions. Nissan should extend warranty to used car purchasers for at least one year.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2025
Jun 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission started slipping. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed CVT transmission kit. The contact was informed that the CVT transmission kit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2025
Jun 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle briefly jolted and shook abnormally before losing motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jul 2025
Jun 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while approaching a traffic light, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The driver depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle paused and lost motive power. The vehicle was able to restart. However, the vehicle failed to move. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT); and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2025
Jun 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while approaching a traffic light, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The driver depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle paused and lost motive power. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the vehicle failed to move. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT); and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2025
Jun 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while approaching a traffic light, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The driver depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle hesitated and lost motive power. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the vehicle failed to move. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2025
May 2025

My 2016 Nissan Sentra SV has had two complete CVT transmission failures. I purchased the vehicle used with somewhere between 30,000 - 40,000 miles. The transmission failed shortly after, and was replaced under warranty. Now, at 139,447 miles, the replacement transmission has also failed less than 70,000 miles later. The car lost acceleration and came to a complete halt while driving, stopping on train tracks, I had to quickly put the car in park and back in drive and the car drove again. This is clearly a pattern of defective manufacturing. CVT failure results in sudden jerking, loss of acceleration, and stalling all of which are dangerous while driving. Nissan is refusing to offer assistance since the car is out of warranty, but two major transmission failures in under five years indicates a serious safety issue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc. Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 9999 TBD_Test TBD_Test, Manufacturer: ODI Demo Co
Incident: Nov 2025
May 2025

CVT Transmission -available upon request to inspect. Safety was at risk as I was in flow of traffic and suddenly lost power to the transmission slowing suddenly, Cars behind me had to swerve to keep from hitting my car. Car has not been inspected at this time, there were no warnings or symptoms prior to the failure. During normal operation at interstate speed Speed over 60 mph. The cvt transmission slips and experiences a sudden loss of power making it difficult to safely operate on the interstate. This condition also occurs when leaving a stop. the vehicle loses power and does not want to accelerate properly under normal operation. Causing cars behind me to have to slow down to prevent accidents.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2025
Apr 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the accelerator pedal made an abnormal vibrating grinding sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Ray Automotive, where an air flow sensor was replaced; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an air flow sensor was replaced under warranty; however, the failure recurred increasingly. The contact stated that the transmission was slipping while driving. The vehicle was taken to Ray Automotive, where the transmission fluid was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic determined that the transmission had failed. The vehicle was then taken to Richard Automotive, where it was determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Aug 2024
Apr 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle erratically jerked and the vehicle stalled. The contact noticed an abnormal whining sound. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that days later, while attempting to start the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into reverse and the engine seized. The contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2025
Jan 2025

The transmission gave out. There was no warning lights given, no issues.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2025
Dec 2024

While driving my car on the turnpike in [XXX] , my Sentra began surging with RPMs jumping higher then lower. Decelerating with heavy traffic around and behind me. Exited at the first opportunity. Car began to lunge forward and decelerate again. Car began making grinding noises. Able to slowly get car to my house before it stopped driving all together. Difficulty placing car into drive. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2024
Sep 2024

My Nissan Sentra 2016 (CVT) Transmission Failed while driving in middle of road. Riverside Nissan in Hackensack, NJ and Nissan Consumer Affairs denies allegations, denies the occurrence of the class action lawsuit in 2017, refuses to take accountability, lured me to the Nissan dealership under false pretenses to squeeze money out of me, and denies my right to repairs to a faultily manufactured Nissan transmission, which was undisclosed to me 2 years ago upon purchase of vehicle at full price. In addition to, when I went back to contact the dealership that I purchased the vehicle from, Autoholding 46, 74 US-46, Mountain Lakes, NJ, they were closed down. My attached PDF, "NHTSA General- Nissan" consists of the general description and details for your review. Please convey whatever else is needed.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jul 2024
Jul 2024

This incident occurs when driving between 65-75mph on the interstate. When there is a slight incline or hill that requires the transmission to downshift, it seems the transmission gets stuck trying to find the right gear and loses power. The transmission tries to shift gears a few times, which causes the vehicle to slow down to about 50-55mph. I then have to fully step on the accelerator to get the transmission to stop shifting and actually accelerate up the remainder of the hill. This nearly caused an accident as I was passing a slow vehicle up the hill. When my vehicle slowed down due to the transmission trying to continuously shift gears, a semi truck that was following too closely came dangerously close to rear ending me. I don't frequent the interstate, but this incident has happened a handful of times since I've owned this vehicle. I've adjusted my driving habits by trying to not accelerate up hills while going at those higher speeds. However, if it becomes necessary to accelerate to avoid a collision, I fear my vehicle will not accelerate properly.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2024
Jun 2024 Crash

My transmission has been acting up since 40k miles . I have took it to Nissan dealer update tcm same problems . I’ve also too it too ford apple dealership York pa and still have open ticket because they couldn’t figure it out . Me and my family are on our way home from Myrtle beach Sc and our transmission gives out at 60k miles causing us to lose control on highway hours away from home stranded.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2024
Jun 2024

I was driving about 55 mph in the left lane on Hwy 45S bypass and the transmission just stop working in the middle of the intersection causing traffic to have merge right then it would not accelerate in Drive but would go in Reverse. I had to push the car across traffic to side of the road and have it towed. This was the 3rd transmission that had been put in this vehicle. The Nissan manufacturers have admitted to transmissions are defective but would replace mine because it would have been the 4th transmission put in this vehicle.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2024
Jun 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact pulled off the highway and attempted to shift the vehicle into park(P) however, the vehicle started moving backwards. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2024
Jun 2024

No indicator light came on, I was crossing a dangerous intersection and I lost all ability to drive the RPMs stopped increasing and my foot was pressed on the gas hard!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2024
May 2024

The CVT Transmission Bands unaligned themselves around 75,000 miles. Nissan refuses to replace their defective transmission in my vehicle due to not going to Nissan Service Centers for regular maintenance but instead going to smaller more affordable certified mechanics for my regular maintenance. When I did take it to Nissan in June of 2023 I was told to change my transmission fluid and filter and the issues would be resolved. I went to my private mechanic and had this done and my issues were not resolved. Upon further investigation it was a defective transmission and the extended powertrain warranty had expired by time and mileage. I was told to call Consumer Affairs for Nissan and they refused to provide any assistance due to my inability to afford paying for my regular maintenance to be done through their service centers. The cost of their synthetic oil changes is 80$ more than my reputable mechanic charges me. I am a single mother of two kids, a full time employee, and college student I live paycheck to paycheck as is and need to save money where I am able. I am being punished for not paying their outlandish prices for their sub-par mechanics.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: May 2024
May 2024

DTC Code P285A Dealer said out of warranty

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: May 2024
Apr 2024

I bought a 2016 Nissan Sentra brand new. It has 120,000 miles and the transmission needs replacement. This is a CVT so no way to check on fluid or anything. I was having pickup issues and brought it to the dealership and they are saying that it needs a new transmission which will cost $5600, which is more than the cars worth. This seems to be a defect on their CVT technology from what I understand, now I need help with resolving this issue since I don’t think it’s anything I have done.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Apr 2024
Mar 2024

Ref: NTB19-075 dated October 2019. Hello, I purchased this vehicle 08/03/2019. Less than one year later (April and October 2020), we had to take the vehicle to Nissan of Van Nuys, California for transmission service with only 58,596 miles. Today the vehicle has only 117.000 miles and my transmission is giving me problems again. The faulty transmission code is P17F4, which is considered a manufacturer defect according to NTB19-075, Nissan Service Bulletin Classification AT19-011. Basically, it seems that for this vehicle, the transmission breaks down every 58,000 miles. As mentioned, this is the third time it happens since we purchased the vehicle in 2019.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2024
Jan 2024

Transmission stopped producing power in the middle of the highway. I was unable to accelerate and could have gotten into a serious accident with another vehicle. This is the 2nd time this has happened. Nissan had a class action lawsuit against them but now they won’t do anything else even though it’s the same issue as before.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2024

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Quick Summary

The 2016 Nissan Sentra has 81 Power Train complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.