FaultScore

1996 Nissan Sentra electrical problems

12 of the 177 complaints about the 1996 Nissan Sentra are about the electrical system — 7% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 70,000 miles.

B

12

Complaints

0

Crashes

1

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Electrical System 4 33.3%
Fuses AND Circuit Breakers 2 16.7%
Alternator/Generator/Regulator 2 16.7%
Ignition 1 8.3%
Wiring 1 8.3%
Module 1 8.3%
Interior/Under Dash 1 8.3%

Electrical System across every Nissan Sentra year

1992 14 1.8%
1996 12 1.5%
1997 11 1.4%
1999 14 1.8%
2000 30 3.9%
2001 48 6.2%
2002 54 6.9%
2003 37 4.8%
2004 28 3.6%
2005 18 2.3%
2006 11 1.4%
2007 11 1.4%
2008 11 1.4%
2010 50 6.4%
2011 34 4.4%
2012 13 1.7%
2013 44 5.7%
2014 32 4.1%
2015 25 3.2%
2016 44 5.7%
2017 33 4.2%
2018 32 4.1%
2019 65 8.4%
2020 44 5.7%
2021 38 4.9%
2022 24 3.1%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 71,000 miles Avondale, AZ

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ALL POWER LOST, INCLUDING ENGINE, POWER BRAKES, AND POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS. CAUSE IS AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ON WIRING HARNESS INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING AN OPEN CIRCUIT ON A POWER WIRE. IN PARTICULAR, THE FAULTY CONNECTOR IS E104 ON THE HEC (THE BACK OF THE FUSE PANEL IN DRIVER SIDE COMPARTMENT). FAILURE OCCURS MORE OFTEN IN HOT WEATHER. FAILURE HAS OCCURRED TWICE WHILE DRIVING, AND DOZENS OF TIMES WHEN PARKED. JIGGLING THE CONNECTOR OFTEN RESTORES POWER. ALSO, A SIMILAR POWER WIRE OPEN CIRCUIT OCCURS ON ANOTHER CONNECTOR ON THE SAME HEC THAT CAUSES ALL LIGHTING TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND MOST INTERIOR LIGHTING TO FAIL. FAILURE HAS OCCURED AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS, PREVENTING THE DRIVER FROM SEEING HOW FAST THEY ARE TRAVELING.

NHTSA complaint #11083168 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Avondale, AZ

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CPSP: MY CAR, A 1996 NISSAN SENTRA, LOST ALL POWER WHILE DRIVING. NO POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES, ENGINE TURNED OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE WHILE DRIVING, AND NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN I GO TO START UP THE CAR AND NOTHING HAPPENS. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FAULTY INTERMITTENT CIRCUIT. UPDATED 10/16/2017

NHTSA complaint #11033749 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 70,000 miles Murray, KY

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, THE DISTRIBUTOR HAS MALFUNCTIONED 4 TIMES SINCE MY OWNERSHIP OF THIS VEHICLE. CAR FAILS TO START, WITH IT BEING IN THE FIRING SYSTEM THIS PRESENTS A FIRE HAZARD.

NHTSA complaint #10173922 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 70,000 miles Murray, KY

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, THE DISTRIBUTOR HAS MALFUNCTIONED 4 TIMES SINCE MY OWNERSHIP OF THIS VEHICLE. CAR FAILS TO START, WITH IT BEING IN THE FIRING SYSTEM THIS PRESENTS A FIRE HAZARD.

NHTSA complaint #10173922 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 47,000 miles Dayton, OH

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MY 1996 NISSAN SENTRA HAS A DEFECTIVE ODOMETER. MY UNIT IS BEING REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT CARS WITH FAULTY ODOMETERS ARE BOTH A SAFETY HAZARD AND A CONSUMER FRAUD PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10073238 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Orlando, FL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS

THERE WAS A SHORT CIRCUIT IN TAIL LIGHTS. CONSUMER STARTED TO SMELL SMOKE AND NOTICED DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS HAD STOPPED WORKING.

NHTSA complaint #885217 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cincinnati, OH

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS. PARTS HAD TO BE ORDERED. HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES BEFORE. THE CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED.AK

NHTSA complaint #832719 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Springdale, MD

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

THE COMPLETE DASH LIGHT GOES OUT -- SOMETIMES BLINKING ON AND OFF... MOSTLY OFF. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT FOR THE DRIVER, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A DISTRACTION WITH THE BLINKING LIGHT, TEMPORARILY DISTORING VISION. IT HAS ALMOST THE SAME EFFECT AS A STROBE LIGHT! NISSAN MECHANICS SAID NISSAN IS FULLY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT UNWILLING TO PAY FOR FIX. TOTALLY UNFAIR AND UNSAFE FOR CONSUMER. PLEASE MAKE NISSAN ACCOUNTABLE -- ISSUE RECALL IMMEDIATELY. IT MAY SAVE A LIFE (OR MORE).

NHTSA complaint #704063 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Brick, NJ

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR DIED, PUT IN PARK AND TRIED TO START, CAR WOULD NOT TURN OVER, THE ENTIRE DISTRIBUTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, WHEN THE CAR WAS TOWED, THE PART WAS ORDERED FROM NISSAN. *AK

NHTSA complaint #828131 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cuyahoga Falls, OH Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

WHILE DRIVING AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE WIRING CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY DETAILS.

NHTSA complaint #823651 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EL Cajon, CA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

ALTERNATOR FAILED TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE.

NHTSA complaint #603791 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Athens, GA

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS

HORN WORKS INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO FAULTY WIRING.

NHTSA complaint #810590 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1996 Nissan Sentra problems

← Full 1996 Nissan Sentra report