2004 Nissan Sentra recalls and problems

The 2004 Nissan Sentra has 4 safety recalls and 197 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Nissan dealer.

Urgent: recall 20V-747 carries a "do not drive" warning. Contact a dealer before driving.
Recalls
4
Complaints
197
Crashes / fires
20 / 0
Injuries / deaths
18 / 1

Recalls may cover only some 2004 Nissan Sentra vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2004 Nissan Sentra recalls

Recall 20V-747: Air Bags

Do not driveReported Dec 1, 2020 · 3,930 vehicles affected · Nissan North America, Inc.

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2002-2006 Sentra vehicles whose passenger air bags were previously inspected and may have been released without replacing the Takata air bag inflator. In the event of a crash, Takata frontal passenger air bag inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been completed. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will re-inspect the vehicle and, if necessary, replace the air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PM964.

Recall 20V-008: Air Bags

Reported Jan 9, 2020 · 307,962 vehicles affected · Nissan North America, Inc.

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated, frontal passenger air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 888-737-9511 or Infiniti customer service at 888-810-3715.

Recall 15V-287: Air Bags

Reported May 15, 2015 · 1,090,569 vehicles affected · Nissan North America, Inc.

Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. Note: On December 18, 2015 Nissan informed NHTSA of an amendment of this recall to remove 2004-2005 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 vehicles.

Recall 06V-242: Engine and Engine Cooling

Reported Jul 7, 2006 · 294,166 vehicles affected · NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crank angle sensor is affected by temperature variations. Under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.

Risk: If the interruption in the signal from the sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (Ecm) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. The recall began on august 21, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

2004 Nissan Sentra problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Engine and Engine Cooling61
Air Bags32
Electrical System28
Engine26
Fuel System, Gasoline25
Fuel/Propulsion System8
Power Train7
Vehicle Speed Control7
Service Brakes, Hydraulic6
Steering5
Structure4
Service Brakes4

Most reported parts

  • Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine — 16
  • Power Train › Automatic Transmission — 4
  • Air Bags › Frontal — 3
  • Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump — 3
  • Structure › Body — 3
  • Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System — 3
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 2
  • Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control › Crankcase (Pcv) — 2

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 77,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2004 Nissan Sentra complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Electrical System · at 70,000 miles · reported Oct 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic, the vehicle was diagnosed computer system failure, causing the vehicle to fail to start. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V287000 (Air Bags), which was associated with the VIN. The manufacturer had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The dealer notified the manufacturer that the contact had refused to pay for a diagnostic test. The vehicle…
Air Bags · reported Mar 15, 2025
I have been getting recall notices for over 2 years on my 2004 Sentra concerning airbag replacement. I called the number on the recall mailing and was told on multiple occasions that the car was dangerous to operate. I am a [XXX] and was assured that the Nissan recall team offered a mobile repair service and that my repair was in the range of mobile repair service technicians and that a repair tech could be sent to my location. I agreed to the time line that they suggested. I just requested the exact time and date of the repair work. Nissan agree to the repair service arrangements and I…
Air Bags · reported Jul 25, 2023
1.) Both driver and passenger airbag replacement replacements. 2.) If I get into a reck then me and my passenger have a chance of death due to the recall on the airbags. 3.) Yes. 4.) No. 5.) Unknown. Every time I schedule to get the recall fixed either the shops don’t have the parts or they don’t have the time to do it.
Air Bags · reported Mar 15, 2023
Went into the dealership to talk about the air bag issue, turns out they fixed the check engine light. Next on the paper it says they found there was no airbag and tried to perform recall, and that they could not perform the recall
Seats · reported Sep 2, 2022
The back metal frame that connects to the driver front seat is broken. The seat is not stable because when you drive it it goes to the back by itself. It is very dangerous to drive it like that. I just bought this car last january.

Other Nissan Sentra years

Compare all Nissan Sentra years · All Nissan models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2004 Nissan Sentra have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2004 Nissan Sentra: 20V-747 (air bags), 20V-008 (air bags), 15V-287 (air bags), 06V-242 (engine and engine cooling). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Nissan Sentra?

Owners report engine and engine cooling problems most often (61 reports), followed by air bags (32). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 77,000 miles.

Are Nissan recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Nissan dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.