I have a 1998 nissan sentra and the problems I have with this car is my ignition switch. My key gets stuck in my ignition sometimes and my car doesn't want to start at times. This problem is becoming more and more consistent over the ten years I've had it. I've had problems with my engine multiple times and I've gotten it fixed more than three times.
The worst 1998 Nissan Sentra problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags15
- Visibility14
- Brakes7
- Acceleration6
- Engine4
- Fuel system4
- Suspension4
- Body3
- Electrical3
- Tires3
- Seat belts2
- Lights1
- Seats1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 Nissan Sentra
Recalls 1
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: linkages
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Water can enter and displace the grease in the wiper arm linkage ball joint where the wiper linkage attaches to the wiper motor linkage.
- Risk
- This can result in gradual wear over a period of time inside the joint that could lead to the separation of the wiper linkage assembly from the wiper motor linkage at the ball joint. A loss of windshield wiper function can result in this separation occurs.
- Remedy
- To prevent grease from being washed out of the joint, the dealers will modify by adding a water diversion seal that will prevent water from entering the windshield wiper linkage ball joint area.
Recall number 98V093000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Nissan Sentra 49
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Diagnosis of vehicle pull (DRIFT) and/or steering wheel off-center
- 12 volt battery testing for in-service vehicles service information
- Silicone-based lubricant or grease CAN damage electrical components service information
- Vehicle key not detected / authenticated, engine will not start
- Intelligent key replacement or swapping between vehicles
- Radio intermittently reboots during audio playback via bluetooth connected iphone
- Windshield cracking
- Removing foreign material from the window glass
- Wheel bearing collision damage
- Strut and shock absorber replacement guidelines
1998 Nissan Sentra fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4‑cyl | FWD | 23-25 | 33-35 | 27-29 |
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | FWD | 20 | 27-28 | 23 |
What 1998 Nissan Sentra owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Coming to a stop in a l turn lane, with foot definitely only on brake, at under 3 MPH. Just as I stopped, brake faded, engine raced, and car surged violently forward, simultaneously. I barely controlled this surge with extreme brake pressure. Event lasted approximately 5 seconds. It did not trip a trouble code, or recur. Approximately 255,000 miles on chassis. No damage, but risk of it very high. Mcgregor, texas, turning l off of us 84 eastbound onto tx 317 northbound. Driver is retired but very accomplished engineer, with 3 engineering degrees, and decades of wide-ranging experience. This had absolutely nothing to do with pushing the wrong pedal. I know exactly where my foot was.
1998 nissan sentra was struck by unit 2 struck in the rear as the consumer began having engine trouble and started slowing down. This caused sentra to go off the right side of the roadway and overturn in the ditch. Bf (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0414-89)*jb updated 04/22/11
1998 nissan sentra gxe would not take fuel. At the gas pump, the pump would click off, like the tank was full. It would take less than a gallon of gas at a time. *tr I took it to be serviced and questioned if there was a recall and I was told that there was just a bulletin on it. I never located the bulletin. The pressure sensor was replaced. That part alone, was over $300. Dollars.
Windshield wipers stopped working. It seems to be part of the recall that is part of this make and model, however, nissan claims that while my car is the same make, model, year of recall, and falls within the affected vins that my car is not involved...
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 nissan sentra. While driving 30 MPH, the windshield wipers shut off without warning. The dealer stated that the wiper arm linkage separated from the wiper motor linkage. The dealer stated that the VIN was excluded from the federal safety agency campaign id number 98v093000 (visibility:windshield wiper/washer:linkages). As of september 17, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 120,000.
My wipers have never worked properly. The other day, they completely stopped working. I checked online, and found that my car was part of a recall. I contacted nissan, the manufacture. At first, they said my car was affected, that they would call to make sure that my car had not already been brought in (I am the second owner). I consulted my friend, who I bought the car from. She told me that the wipers were always a little off, but that she never got notice of a recall, and never got them fixed. I also looked further into this issue on this site, where I found the VIN numbers of vehicles affected, and also saw how they would fix the problem. Two days later, [xxx], the rep from nissan, called to tell me that my car's recall was "closed". I asked if he said this meant my car wasn't involved in the recall. He stated that he couldn't tell me that. When I presented to him the information that I got online, which identified all affected VIN #'s, and that mine was one of them, he said he couldn't tell me if my car was involved, but that "the case is closed". I persisted, stating that my friend who was the sole previous owner said the problem was never fixed, and asked chris to provide me with the date/place where the supposed fixing of the recall took place. Again, the information supposedly doesn't exist. All chris would tell me was that I am out of luck. I sincerely believe they are lying. Right now, I am unable to drive my car in the rain or snow. This is due to a defect of design, and this is due to a recall that never got fixed, and instead of doing the right and the lawful thing, nissan is giving me the run-around. *nm information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
I was rear ended by a mercury minivan (estimated speed 30 MPH) and pushed into a dodge minivan. The front bumper got cracked in half, the radiator and battery were also displaced. The trunk was damaged, the rear bumper was almost torn off and the rear drivers side panel shows dents beyond the gas cap. I am being told that because I was rear impacted, and pushed into a vehicle with a higher bumper than my own the air bags may not have been supposed to deploy. A rear impact still throws you forward, and the number of suvs and mini vans on the road makes this seem like a major hazard. Pictures of my car after the accident can be provided upon request.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds with the windshield wipers engaged, the windshield wiper linkages separated at the joint pivot without warning and became inoperative. The contact replaced the windshield wiper linkages which corrected the problem, however afterwards, the linkages separated again with normal use. The manufacturer was alerted. There was a the federal safety agency recall, # 98v093000, regarding the windshield wiper linkage. The vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN.
To whom it may concern: I purchased my 1998 nissan sentra xe/gxe january 27, 2005, from a used auto car dealer. May 18. 2006 defect on the vehicle occurred that caused my vehicle to go up in flames and caused it to be destroyed. The fire started with the head light and leading to other parts of the motor. The fire department was called out to the scene. The description of the fire was that it started from the right head light which had a shortage in the wiring and set off a box behind the light which caused the fire to melt the transmission fluid box which caused the fire to spread.
Compare the 1998 Nissan Sentra
Sentra vs Ford FocusSentra vs Honda CivicSentra vs Toyota CorollaSentra vs Volkswagen JettaSentra vs Hyundai ElantraSentra vs Chevrolet CruzeSentra vs Mazda MAZDA3Sentra vs Subaru Impreza
Other model years
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Questions about the 1998 Nissan Sentra
Is the 1998 Nissan Sentra reliable?
Owners have filed 58 complaints about the 1998 Nissan Sentra, fewer than a typical Sentra model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Nissan Sentra?
Airbags, with 15 complaints. Next is visibility (14).
How many recalls does the 1998 Nissan Sentra have?
1 recall, covering visibility.
What year does the Nissan Sentra have bad airbags?
The Nissan Sentra model years with the most airbags complaints are 2013 (96 complaints), 1996 (53 complaints) and 2008 (53 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1998 Nissan Sentra get?
Official estimates for the 1998 Nissan Sentra range from 23 to 29 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.6L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 23-25 city and 33-35 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1998 Nissan Sentra?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history