Hyundai Elantra vs Nissan Sentra
Head-to-head reliability comparison from 20,058real NHTSA consumer complaints. Year-by-year breakdown, shared problems, crash & fire rates.
Which is more reliable, Hyundai Elantra or Nissan Sentra?
Verdict from 20,058 NHTSA complaints
Nissan Sentra wins this comparison overall. Nissan Sentra comes out ahead on 3 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 30% lower complaint rate.
Head-to-Head Metrics
Lower is better on every metric. Bar length = relative magnitude. ✓ = winner.
Nissan Sentra wins by 30%
Within 5% — statistical tie
Nissan Sentra wins by 19%
Nissan Sentra wins by 23%
NHTSA Crash Test Ratings
Official NCAP star ratings — government crash test data. Most recent rated model year.
Hyundai Elantra
2025 model yearNissan Sentra
2025 model yearSource: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Lower star = higher injury risk in that crash type.
Complaint Rate per 10K Sold — Year by Year
Lower line = fewer complaints relative to vehicles sold that year. Crossovers reveal which model improved (or got worse) over generations.
Most Reported Problems
Top component complaints for each model. Identical bar lengths = both have the same recurring issue.
Year-by-Year Head-to-Head
Complaints per 10,000 sold that year; lower is better. Click either model column to see that year's full breakdown.
| Year | Hyundai Elantra | Nissan Sentra | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 15.5 | 18.8 | Elantra |
| 2006 | 21.1 | 13.1 | Sentra |
| 2007 | 42.5 | 20.1 | Sentra |
| 2008 | 44.7 | 23.4 | Sentra |
| 2009 | 30.6 | 9.8 | Sentra |
| 2010 | 37.4 | 22.5 | Sentra |
| 2011 | 31.6 | 17.3 | Sentra |
| 2012 | 42.3 | 22.2 | Sentra |
| 2013 | 74.5 | 67.2 | Sentra |
| 2014 | 24.4 | 28.5 | Elantra |
| 2015 | 14.4 | 24.3 | Elantra |
| 2016 | 18.2 | 18.5 | tie |
| 2017 | 53.3 | 15.3 | Sentra |
| 2018 | 19.3 | 13.3 | Sentra |
| 2019 | 18.0 | 18.9 | tie |
| 2020 | 28.7 | 32.6 | Elantra |
| 2021 | 16.3 | 15.7 | tie |
| 2022 | 10.9 | 16.7 | Elantra |
| 2023 | 10.1 | 2.8 | Sentra |
| 2024 | 6.3 | 3.2 | Sentra |
| 2025 | 1.7 | 2.2 | Elantra |
Frequently Asked Questions
Hyundai Elantra vs Nissan Sentra — the most common buyer questions, answered from NHTSA data.
Which is more reliable, the Hyundai Elantra or the Nissan Sentra?
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Nissan Sentra wins this comparison overall. Nissan Sentra comes out ahead on 3 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 30% lower complaint rate. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via VinItel.
Should I buy a Hyundai Elantra or a Nissan Sentra?
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On reliability data alone, the Nissan Sentra is the safer bet — but the actual condition of the specific car matters far more than the model average. Check the VIN of any vehicle you're considering for accident history, title issues, and odometer rollbacks.
What problems do the Hyundai Elantra and Nissan Sentra share?
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Top complaints for the Hyundai Elantra: Engine Problems, Steering Defects, Airbags. Top complaints for the Nissan Sentra: Transmission / Drivetrain, Engine Problems, Electrical Faults. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Which has fewer NHTSA complaints, the Hyundai Elantra or the Nissan Sentra?
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Across all model years, the Hyundai Elantra has 11,868 NHTSA complaints and the Nissan Sentra has 8,190. Normalized for sales volume (complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold), the Nissan Sentra has the lower complaint rate. Raw counts can mislead — a 2× more popular model will naturally collect 2× more complaints. Detailed normalized comparison: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/compare/hyundai/elantra/vs/nissan/sentra
Which is safer in a crash, the Hyundai Elantra or the Nissan Sentra?
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Crash-involvement rate from NHTSA complaints: Hyundai Elantra 10.7% vs Nissan Sentra 10.5% — the Nissan Sentra has the lower crash rate. NHTSA NCAP star ratings (frontal, side, rollover) for both models are also shown on the comparison page. Note: the per-VIN history matters more than the model average — a salvage-title car of any model carries higher crash exposure than the median.
Does the Hyundai Elantra or the Nissan Sentra have more fires?
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Fire-involvement rate based on NHTSA complaints: Hyundai Elantra 2.50% vs Nissan Sentra 2.10%. The Nissan Sentra has the lower reported fire rate. Fire complaints are a relatively rare but important safety signal — they often correlate with electrical-system or fuel-system defects. Check specific recall campaigns at vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/hyundai/elantra and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/nissan/sentra
What years of the Hyundai Elantra are worse than the Nissan Sentra?
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The comparison page renders a year-by-year head-to-head table — for each model year (where both models have data), it shows complaint count or per-10K rate side by side and marks which model fares better that year. Buyers cross-shopping a specific model year should always check the year-level VinItel pages: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/hyundai/elantra/{year} and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/nissan/sentra/{year}.
Where does this Hyundai Elantra vs Nissan Sentra comparison data come from?
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All complaint, crash, fire, and fatality data comes from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) consumer-complaint database — the same source insurance regulators and the federal government use. NCAP star ratings come from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. Sales-volume normalization (per 10K sold) uses US annual vehicle sales. Data refreshes every 6 hours. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Related Reliability Comparisons
Other head-to-head matchups buyers cross-shopping the Elantra or Sentra also look at:
Comparison data refreshed 2026-11-04 from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.·Source: NHTSA ODI
A model average can't see the car you're buying.
Even the Nissan Sentra has cars with hidden accidents, salvage titles, and odometer rollbacks. Check the VIN before you buy — full report $8.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Deep-dive into either model: