Diagsheet

Compact cars · 9 model years, 2014 to 2026

Honda Civic vs Nissan Sentra: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Civic looks better on 4 and the Sentra on 1, with 2 too close to call.

Honda Civic

Honda Civic

3,883 complaints · 16 recalls

Nissan Sentra

Nissan Sentra

1,971 complaints · 16 recalls

Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026

Counts are not adjusted for sales. The more cars of a model there are on the road, the more complaints it draws, so the raw totals above say a lot about sales. Everything below compares shares of each model's own complaints, the mileage problems start at, recalls per model year and each model's years against its own median.

Scorecard

Measure, 2014 to 2026CivicSentra
Complaints that report a crash5.1%7.7%
Complaints that report a fire0.6%1.2%
Complaints that report an injury2.7%4.6%
Median miles when problems are reported38,00056,000
Recall campaigns per model year1.81.8
Do-not-drive recalls00
NHTSA investigations23

The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.

What owners complain about

The system Civic owners complain about most is steering; for the Sentra it is transmission and drivetrain. Complaints citing steering make up 30% of all Civic complaints, against 7.0% on the Sentra. The Sentra leans the other way on transmission and drivetrain: 34% of its complaints, against 10% for the Civic.

Honda CivicNissan Sentra

Transmission and drivetrain10%34%
Steering30%7.0%
Electrical11%16%
Engine8.4%14%
Brakes6.2%10%
Airbags6.1%8.4%
Collision avoidance3.3%8.5%
Speed control2.1%9.2%
Fuel and propulsion6.7%3.1%
Structure3.8%2.7%

Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

The most reported problems

The most reported problem on the Civic is sticky steering (22% of its complaints). On the Sentra it is transmission shudder (12% of its complaints), against 2.0% on the Civic.

ProblemCivicSentra
Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks22% 862most in 2016 · 45k mi0
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early6.5% 252most in 2016 · 23k mi11% 214most in 2018 · 28k mi
Engine stalls or loses power while driving6.0% 233most in 2018 · 43k mi11% 212most in 2015 · 65k mi
Airbag warning light or recall6.1% 235most in 2015 · 42k mi8.3% 164most in 2014 · 34k mi
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard2.0% 77most in 2015 · 51k mi12% 242most in 2014 · 84k mi
A/C blows warm or the compressor fails13% 508most in 2016 · 40k mi0.4% 7
Transmission fails or needs replacement2.0% 76most in 2015 · 95k mi6.8% 135most in 2015 · 82k mi
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails3.1% 120most in 2016 · 18k mi5.0% 98most in 2019 · 16k mi

Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.

When problems start

Civic owners report problems earlier. Half the Civic complaints that give a mileage come before 38,000 miles; for the Sentra the halfway point is 56,000. 63% of Civic reports and 44% of Sentra reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.

Honda CivicNissan Sentra

Under 25k35%23%
25k to 50k28%21%
50k to 75k18%21%
75k to 100k9.8%18%
100k to 150k6.5%15%
Over 150k2.8%2.6%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 1,636 for the Civic and 1,018 for the Sentra.

Worst and best years

The 2022 Civic draws 3.3 times the complaints of a typical Civic year for its age. No Sentra model year stands out from the rest.

Honda Civic

Every Civic model year

Nissan Sentra

  • Years to avoid: none stands out
  • Best years: 2023 and 2024

Every Sentra model year

Honda CivicNissan Sentra

Each model year against its own model's median. Civic: 2014 0.4, 2015 0.6, 2016 1.8, 2017 1.1, 2018 1.5, 2019 1.0, 2020 0.6, 2021 0.4, 2022 3.3, 2023 1.2, 2024 0.8. Sentra: 2014 1.2, 2015 1.3, 2016 1.1, 2017 1.0, 2018 0.9, 2019 1.2, 2020 1.3, 2021 0.9, 2022 0.7, 2023 0.2, 2024 0.6.2014 Civic: 0.4 times its median2014 Sentra: 1.2 times its median'142015 Civic: 0.6 times its median2015 Sentra: 1.3 times its median'152016 Civic: 1.8 times its median2016 Sentra: 1.1 times its median'162017 Civic: 1.1 times its median2017 Sentra: 1.0 times its median'172018 Civic: 1.5 times its median2018 Sentra: 0.9 times its median'182019 Civic: 1.0 times its median2019 Sentra: 1.2 times its median'192020 Civic: 0.6 times its median2020 Sentra: 1.3 times its median'202021 Civic: 0.4 times its median2021 Sentra: 0.9 times its median'212022 Civic: 3.3 times its median2022 Sentra: 0.7 times its median'222023 Civic: 1.2 times its median2023 Sentra: 0.2 times its median'232024 Civic: 0.8 times its median2024 Sentra: 0.6 times its median'241x

Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.

Recalls and investigations

The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 1.8 campaigns per model year for the Civic and 1.8 for the Sentra. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.

Honda Civic

16 recall campaigns and 2 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: fuel system (3), airbags (3) and transmission and drivetrain (2).

  • 23V-858 (fuel system) covers 6 model years
  • 26V-332 (airbags) covers 6 model years

Investigations

  • EA21002: Desiccated air bag inflator rupture (open)
  • EA19001: Electrical overstress (closed, led to a recall)

Nissan Sentra

16 recall campaigns and 3 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: airbags (5), electrical (3) and exterior lighting (2).

  • 21V-135 (exterior lighting) covers 4 model years
  • 16V-242 (airbags) covers 3 model years

Investigations

  • EA15004: Occupant classification system failure (closed, led to a recall)
  • RQ15001: Occupant classification system failure (closed)
  • PE14014: Excessive brake pedal travel (closed)

Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Crashes, fires and injuries

A larger share of Sentra complaints report a crash: 7.7%, against 5.1% for the Civic. Fire reports: 24 for the Civic and 23 for the Sentra. Complaints on file report 1 death in the Civic and 1 in the Sentra for these model years.

Honda CivicNissan Sentra

Report a crash5.1%7.7%
Report a fire0.6%1.2%
Report someone hurt2.7%4.6%

Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.

Questions

Is the Honda Civic or the Nissan Sentra more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Civic looks better on 4 and the Sentra on 1, with 2 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Civic has 3,883 complaints and the Sentra 1,971 for the 9 model years from 2014 to 2026 that both have on file, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.

Which has more recalls, the Civic or the Sentra?

The Civic has 16 recall campaigns and the Sentra 16 across the 9 model years from 2014 to 2026 that both have on file. The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 1.8 campaigns per model year for the Civic and 1.8 for the Sentra.

What are the most common problems on the Civic and the Sentra?

The most reported problem on the Civic is sticky steering (22% of its complaints). On the Sentra it is transmission shudder (12% of its complaints), against 2.0% on the Civic.

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