Diagsheet

Compact cars · 9 model years, 2014 to 2026

Nissan Sentra vs Toyota Corolla: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Sentra and the Corolla split evenly (3 each, the rest too close to call).

Nissan Sentra

Nissan Sentra

1,971 complaints · 16 recalls

Toyota Corolla

Toyota Corolla

1,681 complaints · 11 recalls

Newest report Sep 22, 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 2026SentraCorolla
Complaints that report a crash7.7%19%
Complaints that report a fire1.2%0.8%
Complaints that report an injury4.6%12%
Median miles when problems are reported56,00033,000
Recall campaigns per model year1.81.2
Do-not-drive recalls00
NHTSA investigations32

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 Sentra owners complain about most is transmission and drivetrain; for the Corolla it is airbags. Complaints citing transmission and drivetrain make up 34% of all Sentra complaints, against 13% on the Corolla. The Corolla leans the other way on airbags: 23% of its complaints, against 8.4% for the Sentra.

Nissan SentraToyota Corolla

Transmission and drivetrain34%13%
Airbags8.4%23%
Engine14%15%
Electrical16%11%
Brakes10%8.4%
Speed control9.2%7.6%
Steering7.0%5.5%
Collision avoidance8.5%2.2%
Fuel and propulsion3.1%6.0%
Structure2.7%6.2%

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 Sentra is transmission shudder (12% of its complaints). On the Corolla it is airbag problems (22% of its complaints), against 8.3% on the Sentra.

ProblemSentraCorolla
Airbag warning light or recall8.3% 164most in 2014 · 34k mi22% 378most in 2014 · 36k mi
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early11% 214most in 2018 · 28k mi8.5% 143most in 2016 · 19k mi
Engine stalls or loses power while driving11% 212most in 2015 · 65k mi5.5% 93most in 2019 · 29k mi
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard12% 242most in 2014 · 84k mi1.4% 2339k mi
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails5.0% 98most in 2019 · 16k mi4.3% 72most in 2014 · 55k mi
Engine overheats or leaks coolant08.3% 140most in 2020 · 50k mi
Seat belt or seat problems1.5% 3023k mi6.7% 113most in 2016 · 30k mi
Transmission fails or needs replacement6.8% 135most in 2015 · 82k mi0.6% 10

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

Corolla owners report problems earlier. Half the Corolla complaints that give a mileage come before 33,000 miles; for the Sentra the halfway point is 56,000. 44% of Sentra reports and 65% of Corolla 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.

Nissan SentraToyota Corolla

Under 25k23%40%
25k to 50k21%25%
50k to 75k21%19%
75k to 100k18%7.5%
100k to 150k15%6.4%
Over 150k2.6%1.8%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 1,018 for the Sentra and 816 for the Corolla.

Worst and best years

No Sentra model year stands out from the rest. The 2020 Corolla draws 2.2 times the complaints of a typical Corolla year for its age.

Nissan Sentra

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

Every Sentra model year

Toyota Corolla

Every Corolla model year

Nissan SentraToyota Corolla

Each model year against its own model's median. 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. Corolla: 2014 0.9, 2015 0.9, 2016 1.0, 2017 0.9, 2018 0.8, 2019 1.3, 2020 2.2, 2021 1.6, 2022 1.0, 2023 0.9, 2024 1.1.2014 Sentra: 1.2 times its median2014 Corolla: 0.9 times its median'142015 Sentra: 1.3 times its median2015 Corolla: 0.9 times its median'152016 Sentra: 1.1 times its median2016 Corolla: 1.0 times its median'162017 Sentra: 1.0 times its median2017 Corolla: 0.9 times its median'172018 Sentra: 0.9 times its median2018 Corolla: 0.8 times its median'182019 Sentra: 1.2 times its median2019 Corolla: 1.3 times its median'192020 Sentra: 1.3 times its median2020 Corolla: 2.2 times its median'202021 Sentra: 0.9 times its median2021 Corolla: 1.6 times its median'212022 Sentra: 0.7 times its median2022 Corolla: 1.0 times its median'222023 Sentra: 0.2 times its median2023 Corolla: 0.9 times its median'232024 Sentra: 0.6 times its median2024 Corolla: 1.1 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 Sentra draws more recalls: 1.8 campaigns per model year against 1.2 for the Corolla. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.

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)

Toyota Corolla

11 recall campaigns and 2 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: airbags (2), equipment (2) and fuel system (2).

  • 20V-024 (airbags) covers 6 model years
  • 19V-503 (equipment) covers 3 model years

Investigations

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

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

Crashes, fires and injuries

A larger share of Corolla complaints report a crash: 19%, against 7.7% for the Sentra. Fire reports: 23 for the Sentra and 14 for the Corolla. Complaints on file report 1 death in the Sentra and 4 in the Corolla for these model years.

Nissan SentraToyota Corolla

Report a crash7.7%19%
Report a fire1.2%0.8%
Report someone hurt4.6%12%

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 Nissan Sentra or the Toyota Corolla more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Sentra and the Corolla split evenly (3 each, the rest too close to call). NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Sentra has 1,971 complaints and the Corolla 1,681 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 Sentra or the Corolla?

The Sentra has 16 recall campaigns and the Corolla 11 across the 9 model years from 2014 to 2026 that both have on file. The Sentra draws more recalls: 1.8 campaigns per model year against 1.2 for the Corolla.

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

The most reported problem on the Sentra is transmission shudder (12% of its complaints). On the Corolla it is airbag problems (22% of its complaints), against 8.3% on the Sentra.

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