2017 Nissan Sentra · symptom sheet
Engine stalls or loses power while driving
- 27owner reports
- 30,000median miles
- $1,078median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Dec 24, 2025 · checked Oct 2, 2026
135 of the 230 complaints on this car are about the engine. 27 of those describe stalling, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2017 Sentra.
Tick what matches of 27 reports
Stalling on other Sentra years
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: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2026.
What this problem usually is
Stalling reports are some of the most alarming on the site. The engine quits while the car is moving, sometimes on a highway and sometimes at a stop. Many owners say it restarted right away and the dealer found no stored code, which is part of why these complaints pile up before anything gets fixed.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (4 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the engine covers the 2017 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
In these models, over time, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
All 3 recalls on the 2017 Nissan Sentra, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Sentra
Stalling problems. Closed apr 11, 1985.
None of these investigations covers the 2017 model year.
What owners paid
6 of the 27 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $270 to $1,078.
When it happens
Too few of these reports state a mileage to give a range.
What owners wrote
“Car just lost power in highway. Car starts but will barely move as pushing down on gas.”
Filed Dec 24, 2025
“Vehicle lost power and down shifted to first gear and got stuck in it while going 60mph and with traffic all around and behind me. Will not drive or shift out of first gear and transmission must be replaced now. No warning lights ever came on, no warning of it happening, it just slipped down into first and stalled there, wouldnât go when pressing the gas peddle.”
Filed Mar 7, 2024
“Transmission stalled out when I was on the Rt 30 bypass. I was traveling at 55 miles per hour in rush hour and the car suddenly would not go forward. Causing sudden traffic issues. This is a known problem with 2017 sentras. Exton Nissan sold me this vehicle knowing it's unsafe. I've trying to get in touch with them for a month about this. I'm seeking for them to buy back this unsafe and dangerous car”
Filed Jan 5, 2023
“TRYING TO MAKE LEFT TURN IN TRAFFIC VEHICLE REVED BUT LOST POWER cvt TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T ENGAGE”
Filed Nov 29, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 27 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 Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Airbag warning light or recall 26 reports
- Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 25 reports