2016 Nissan Sentra · symptom sheet

Transmission fails or needs replacement

29owner reports
96,400median miles
$5,200median quote
0involved a crash

Newest report Apr 21, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026

127 of the 270 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 29 of those describe transmission failure.

No recall on this systemas of Oct 2, 2026

No crash reportedin 29 reports

Tick what matches of 29 reports

lost drive or would not move

warning lights came on first

it was replaced under warranty

I paid for it myself

a second transmission also failed

Transmission failure on other Sentra years

201435 reports 201537 reports 201629 reports

Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2026.

What this problem usually is

This is the end of the road for a transmission: the car stops moving under its own power, or a shop says the unit has to be replaced or rebuilt. Half of the owners here mention a warning light or message, and a quarter mention it happening again or to a second unit.

Read the full explainer · Which cars report it most

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the transmission (29 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2016 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.

What owners paid

6 of the 29 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $4,000 to $5,300.

$4,000$5,200$5,300

$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 64,000 and 114,000 miles, from the 18 reports that gave a mileage.

What owners wrote

“Had the Sentra in the dealership three different times for transmission slipping while under warranty. Each time they came back saying there was nothing wrong and couldnât duplicate any issues. Now out of warranty the transmission failed. Contacted Nissan corporate and their response was nothing we can do. Let them know that I had it in the dealership three times but it made no difference.”
Filed May 26, 2022

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 29 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.

Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found