2024 Nissan Sentra Recalled Over Driveshaft That May Not Be Fully Seated

In addition to not being fully seated, the driveshaft may have a loose or missing retaining clip. Instead of the supplier, Nissan is to blame for this mistake, with Nissan acknowledging a potential installation error during a retrofit activity. To whom it may concern, the Sentra for North America is assembled in Mexico at Nissan Aguascalientes Plant II.

How did the Japanese automaker identify this concern? As it happens, Nissan North America received a warranty report on January 24, with said report alleging a distance sensor warning light coming on while driving. The dealer identified transmission fluid leak at the driver-side front axle, and further investigation determined that said leak originated at the front left-hand side of the CVT.

Upon removing the left driveshaft, the retaining clip was missing. Prior to filing the recall documentation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the company received a further eight reports. In case of driveshaft disengagement, Nissan has confirmed the driveshaft does not fully separate from the continuously variable tranny.

Thankfully for both owners and Nissan's legal team, the automaker isn't aware of any crashes or injuries related to the recall condition. A grand total of 9,645 vehicles have been recalled in the United States of America. Dealers are required to inspect the front left-hand driveshaft assembly. If not fully seated, both the left-hand driveshaft assembly and the JATCO-supplied transmission will be replaced.

Inspection takes roughly half an hour, whereas inspection and replacement may take up to seven hours (provided that parts are in stock). Owners have a number of ways to determine if their sedans have been recalled or not, chief among which is the 17-character vehicle identification number. The VIN search tool is free to use on the Japanese automaker's website and the NHTSA's website.

Slotting between the subcompact Versa and the mid-size Altima, the Sentra is currently listed at $21,180 (sans freight) by the build & price tool. Sentra moved 109,195 units last year, whereas the Altima ended 2023 with 128,030 deliveries to its name. However, the Rogue crossover remains Nissan's best-selling vehicle in this part of the world, clocking 271,458 deliveries last year.

Codenamed B18 and marketed as the Sylphy in places like China and Taiwan, the eighth-generation Altima comes in three distinct flavors. The Sentra S is joined by the $22,110 Sentra SV and $24,270 Sentra SR, with all of them packing the very same 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine.

Good for 149 ponies and 146 pound-feet (198 Nm) at full chatter, the direct-injected motor promises up to 34 miles per gallon (6.9 liters per 100 kilometers) on the combined test cycle. The Sentra's main rivals are the segment-leading Toyota Corolla (232,370 units delivered in 2023 stateside), Honda Civic (200,381 sales), and Mazda3 (30,531 deliveries).