Used Nissan Sentra 6th Gen (2013-2019): Buyer's Guide

CarComplaints.com put an "Avoid Like the Plague" stamp on the 2013 through 2017 Nissan Sentra. The reason: a continuously variable transmission that a meaningful share of owners say shudders, hesitates, or fails outright, sometimes before 60,000 miles. Nissan eventually settled a class action over it and extended CVT warranty coverage across the generation. The 2018 and 2019 cars share the same transmission family. Whether a specific Sentra is a good buy or a five-figure gamble comes down to which year, which trim, and how well it was maintained, not the badge on the trunk.

This Generation at a Glance

The 6th generation Sentra (B17 platform) ran from the 2013 through 2019 model years in the US, replacing the outgoing B16 car with a longer wheelbase, a roomier back seat, and Nissan's Xtronic CVT as the default transmission across the lineup. Nissan gave the car a mid-cycle refresh for 2016: a reshaped hood, fenders, and V-shaped grille with boomerang-style headlights that echoed the larger Altima and Maxima, plus restyled rear bumper and taillights, per Autoblog's review of the 2016 model. For 2017, Nissan added sport-oriented SR Turbo and NISMO trims with a turbocharged engine, the first real performance variants this generation had seen. The car was replaced by an all-new 7th generation (B18) for 2020.

MPG figures are EPA combined ratings pulled per year and trim from CarScout's market data. The base 1.8L engine and CVT combination is what the vast majority of used listings will have. The turbo cars are a small slice of total production and worth a closer look in their own section below.

Powertrain & Trim Breakdown

The 1.8L MRA8DE and Xtronic CVT: the one that earned the reputation

This is the powertrain in every S, SV, SR, and SL trim from 2013 through 2019, and it's the one behind the CVT horror stories. Owners report a judder or shudder under light acceleration, hesitation or a momentary loss of power when merging or climbing a grade, and in the worst cases complete transmission failure, frequently in the 50,000 to 90,000 mile range. The issue is common enough that it has its own OBD-II code, P0846 (transmission fluid pressure sensor/switch circuit range/performance), documented across multiple 2013-2017 Sentra owner reports.

Nissan's response came in two parts. First, a technical service bulletin covering "2013-2017 Sentra; enhanced diagnostic logic for CVT" that reflashed the transmission control software to change how the CVT reacts to judder. Second, and more significant for a used buyer, a class action settlement (Martinez v. Nissan North America) that covered the Sentra alongside the Altima, Versa, and Versa Note, extending CVT warranty coverage well past the standard powertrain warranty. Nissan reissued a warranty extension notice on this settlement as recently as 2022, per Valero Law's coverage of the case. This was a manufacturer customer service campaign and class action remedy, not an NHTSA safety recall, so it won't show up on a VIN recall check. Ask the seller directly whether the CVT was ever serviced, reflashed, or replaced, and if so, whether it was done under this extended warranty.

Nissan Forums and Mirage Forum both carry dedicated owner threads on 2013 and 2014 Sentra CVT failures, and the progression described across independent sources is consistent: a whine or shudder at low speed or during a gentle merge shows up first, then worsens over time into a hard hesitation under acceleration, and in the worst cases the transmission stops engaging entirely. CarComplaints.com's own complaint pages for this generation echo the same order of symptoms. That consistency across separate, unaffiliated sources is part of why the CVT issue is treated as a known, generation-defining risk rather than a handful of isolated bad units.

CarScout's complaint data (sourced from NHTSA) shows power train issues as the single largest complaint category in every model year with available data: 119 of 347 total complaints for 2015, 48 of 228 for 2017, 34 of 183 for 2018, and 32 of 219 for 2019. That's a declining trend as the generation matured, but the category never stopped being the top complaint bucket. RepairPal's aggregate reliability data puts the Sentra at 4.0 out of 5.0, 14th out of 36 compact cars, with an average annual repair cost of $491 and unscheduled shop visits at 0.2 per year (versus 0.3 for compact cars generally). Read that alongside the CVT complaints and the picture is consistent with what mechanics describe: most Sentras don't have a transmission failure, but when one does happen, it's a severe, expensive repair, not a minor annoyance. Estimates for a full CVT replacement run from roughly $2,500 on the low end to $6,000 or more depending on the shop, parts sourcing, and model year, per repair-cost aggregators including Kelley Blue Book's transmission repair estimator.

A separate, lower-stakes issue on the same engine: RepairPal flags timing chain noise on higher-mileage Sentras that can progress to chain or tensioner wear if ignored. A 2018 Sentra timing chain tensioner replacement runs about $994 to $1,313 according to RepairPal's estimator. It's worth a cold start listen on any test drive, turbo or not.

The 1.6L DIG-T Turbo: SR Turbo and NISMO, 2017-2019 only

Nissan introduced the turbocharged 1.6L DIG-T four-cylinder for 2017, exclusive to the SR Turbo and NISMO trims. It makes 188 hp and 177 lb-ft, a real step up from the 1.8L's 130 hp, and runs on premium fuel. The NISMO adds a stiffer chassis, monotube rear dampers, and upgraded front springs and struts on top of the SR Turbo's mechanicals. Reviewers who tracked the NISMO found it fun on back roads but noted the suspension and chassis weren't fully sorted for hard track use, with more body roll than the sport-trim looks suggest, per CarBuzz's safety and reliability writeup. For 2019, EPA fuel economy filings show the plain SR Turbo dropped its manual transmission option and became CVT-only, while the NISMO kept both manual and CVT through the end of the generation.

Documented failure reports concentrate heavily on the 2013-2017 model years and the base 1.8L CVT, since that combination represents the overwhelming majority of Sentras on the road and the years the class action explicitly named. That doesn't mean the turbo cars are CVT-immune: they use a related Xtronic CVT (badged AV-S7, a 7-speed manually shiftable variant), and the Martinez settlement's Sentra coverage wasn't limited by engine. There's simply a much thinner public record of turbo-specific transmission complaints, mostly because there are far fewer SR Turbo and NISMO cars in the used market to begin with. Budget for the same CVT scrutiny regardless of which engine is under the hood.

The manual transmission is the one meaningful way to sidestep the CVT question entirely on any trim, base or turbo. A 6-speed manual Sentra has none of the failure modes described above, at the cost of a smaller pool of listings to choose from, since most Sentras in this generation left the factory with the CVT. If a manual example turns up in your search and the rest of the car checks out, it's worth a real premium over an equivalent CVT car, not a discount.

Steering and brakes: the generation-wide wear items

Independent of engine choice, two other components come up repeatedly across the whole 2013-2019 run. The electric power steering (EPS) motor can fail, producing a sudden loss of power assist, heavy steering, and an EPS warning light on the dash, sometimes intermittent before it fails for good, according to Go-Parts' steering column failure guide for 2013-2019 Sentras. A separate and unrelated failure point is the steering column clock spring, which can trigger an airbag warning light and kill the steering wheel's audio and cruise control buttons. Owners also report strut and strut bearing wear that produces a popping or clunking noise when turning the wheel at low speed. On brakes, Consumer Reports has scored the Sentra's brake performance poorly across this generation, and CarComplaints has a dedicated cluster of complaints from 2013 owners describing a brake pedal that needs to travel further than expected before the car actually slows.

None of these three, EPS motor, clock spring, or strut wear, are the subject of a recall on this generation. They're wear-and-tear or component-quality issues that show up often enough in owner complaints and repair forums to be worth a specific check, but they're not the kind of catastrophic, walk-away failure the CVT represents. Budget a few hundred dollars for any one of them if it turns up during a PPI, and treat the car's asking price accordingly rather than treating any single one as disqualifying on its own.

Trim Levels

For 2019, SR, SL, and NISMO trims picked up an updated NissanConnect infotainment system, a meaningful usability upgrade if you're cross-shopping model years within the generation and want modern phone connectivity without stepping up to the redesigned 2020 car. The 2016 facelift is the other dividing line worth knowing: it changed the front and rear styling but didn't touch the powertrain lineup, so a pre-2016 and post-2016 1.8L car have identical mechanical risk profiles. Choose between them on styling and price, not on any expectation that the facelift fixed anything under the hood.

Across all six trims, the practical differences that matter most to a used buyer are the engine (1.8L versus 1.6L turbo), the transmission, and whether the car has the 2016 facelift styling or the earlier front and rear treatment. Cloth versus leather, moonroof presence, and infotainment screen size vary by trim and by year within this generation, but none of them change the ownership risk profile the way the powertrain does. Don't pay a premium for feature content on a Sentra without first confirming the CVT and steering items above check out.

Which Model Years to Target Within This Gen

The clearest split in this generation is 2013-2016 versus 2017-2019. The earlier cars are the ones CarComplaints singled out by name, and CarScout's own complaint data shows a real decline in power train complaints from 2015 to 2019 even though NHTSA didn't track every individual year in between. If you're set on this generation and want the least CVT drama, shop 2017 or newer. 2013 and 2014 model years aren't in CarScout's snapshot catalog at all, so treat any recall or complaint claim about those two years from a third party with the same skepticism you'd apply to an unsourced forum post.

Inventory also favors the later years. Among the model years CarScout actively tracks, 2019 has the largest pool of used listings by a wide margin, which means more room to shop on condition, mileage, and CVT service history rather than settling for the only example in your area. 2015 has the thinnest tracked inventory and the highest power train complaint count of any year with available data, a combination that argues for extra caution rather than treating scarcity as a reason to compromise on inspection standards.

Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

All engines:

• Cold start the car and listen for a rattle or ticking noise from the timing chain area that quiets down as the engine warms up. Persistent chain noise at operating temperature points toward tensioner wear, a roughly $1,000-$1,300 repair on this generation.
• Ask if the CVT was ever serviced, reflashed, or replaced, and whether the seller has any paperwork tied to the Martinez v. Nissan class action settlement. A documented CVT replacement under warranty is a point in the car's favor, not against it.
• Drive it through a full range of speeds, including a gentle uphill pull if you can find one. Feel for a shudder, hesitation, or flare in RPM that doesn't match road speed. That's the classic CVT judder complaint.
• Turn the steering wheel lock to lock at low speed and listen for a popping or clunking noise from the strut area. Check for an EPS warning light on the dash and confirm the steering effort feels consistent, not heavy in one moment and light the next.
• Test every button on the steering wheel (audio, cruise, phone) while checking that the airbag warning light is off. A dead cluster of buttons paired with an airbag light points to a failed clock spring.
• Push the brake pedal firmly and confirm it engages promptly without excessive travel before you feel resistance.
• Run the VIN through the recall lookup tool and confirm any open campaigns, particularly the brake light switch recall (21V135000) that covers 2016-2019 cars, have been completed.

SR Turbo and NISMO specifically:

• Confirm premium fuel has actually been used; these engines are tuned for it and running regular gas over time isn't good for a turbocharged engine.
• On NISMO cars, check the rear dampers and front struts for leaks or excessive body roll during a hard cornering test, since these parts see more stress than the standard suspension.

Running Costs

RepairPal's $491 average annual repair figure and 0.2 shop visits per year are aggregated across the whole Sentra lineup, not broken out by generation or powertrain, so treat it as a floor rather than a guarantee if you end up needing a CVT replacement.

FAQ

Is the 2013-2019 Nissan Sentra's CVT reliable? Not consistently. CarComplaints.com labeled the 2013-2017 Sentra "Avoid Like the Plague" over CVT failures, and Nissan settled a class action (Martinez v. Nissan) that extended CVT warranty coverage. Complaint volume drops noticeably by 2017-2019, but the same transmission family is still under the hood.

What year Nissan Sentra should I avoid? 2013 and 2014 draw the most CVT failure complaints in independent owner data and aren't in CarScout's tracked snapshot catalog, making them harder to verify. If you want this generation with the least documented CVT drama, look at 2017 or newer.

How many miles does a 6th gen Nissan Sentra last? There's no generation-specific mileage ceiling documented in NHTSA or RepairPal data. The bigger risk isn't the engine wearing out, it's the CVT failing well before high mileage, frequently reported in the 50,000 to 90,000 mile range on affected cars.

Is the Nissan Sentra SR Turbo or NISMO worth buying used? The 188 hp turbo engine is a real step up from the base 130 hp 1.8L, and NISMO adds real suspension hardware, not just badges. Documented CVT complaints concentrate on the base engine and earlier years, but the turbo cars share the same transmission family, so the same inspection caution applies.

Was the Nissan Sentra CVT issue ever an official recall? No. Nissan addressed CVT judder through a technical service bulletin (a software reflash) and separately through the Martinez v. Nissan class action settlement, which extended warranty coverage. Neither shows up as an NHTSA safety recall, so a standard VIN recall check won't surface it. Ask the seller directly.

Bottom Line

A 2018 or 2019 Sentra with full CVT service records is a reasonable used buy: complaint volume is at its lowest for the generation, and the 2019 cars added updated NissanConnect infotainment on the higher trims. A 2013 or 2014 car without documentation of CVT work is the one to walk away from or negotiate hard on, given how concentrated the failure reports are in those years. Whichever year you're looking at, always confirm CVT history before price. Run the VIN through a recall check first. CarScout members can set up a daily email digest to track price movement on Sentras matching a specific year and trim at usecarscout.com.

Data sourced from NHTSA recalls and complaint data (via CarScout's market intelligence database), EPA fuel economy filings, RepairPal reliability and repair-cost estimates, and reporting from CarComplaints.com, Go-Parts, CarBuzz, and coverage of the Martinez v. Nissan CVT class action settlement. See the full Nissan Sentra market data for pricing and inventory.