2025 Nissan Sentra Safety Rating

Small cars Β· Historical model-year record Β· IIHS source checked 2026-07-28

Complete evidence record

This is the 2025 record, kept for reference. The current listing is the 2026 Nissan Sentra at 92.2/100. The 2025 results below are the exact ratings IIHS published for this model year (score 54.0/100 under the same formula).

Which build and equipment does this score describe?

Latest applicable build; standard AEB and lowest current-trim headlight rating. Headlights use the lowest rating among applicable current trims; this is a conservative equipment baseline, not a claim that every trim has identical results. Confirm the production date and equipment of the car you are buying.

Headlights: baseline Poor
  • Poor β€” (1) Trim level(s): S trim, SV trim
  • Poor β€” (2) Trim level(s): SR trim
Pedestrian crash prevention: baseline Marginal
  • Marginal β€” standard Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection; of the following trim lines: S trim, SV trim. Rating applies to 2024-25 models
Vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention 2.0: baseline Poor
  • Poor β€” standard Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection. Rating applies to all 2025 models

Optional-system results are shown separately. Combining the best rating from different packages does not establish that one purchasable configuration earns them all. Check IIHS equipment details.

54.0
Safety score / 100
Complete record
No award
IIHS award
No current award
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…
NHTSA overall
Reference only, not scored
$22,600
Starting MSRP
Approximate base trim
54
Class driver death rate
per million vehicle-years; all vehicles 38

IIHS crash-test results

Front Crash Prevention: PedestrianMarginal
Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-VehiclePoor
Small Overlap Front Good
Moderate Overlap Front: Updated Test Marginal
Side: Updated Test Acceptable
Headlights Poor
Seat Belt Reminders Good
Latch Ease Of Use Good
Detailed results by test (53 entries)

IIHS publishes these under the test they belong to, so the same label can appear more than once. Rear restraints and kinematics, rear head protection, structure and safety cage, and front restraints are the four that count toward the score (25%).

Small overlap front

Rating applies to 2024-25 models

Overall driver-side evaluation Good
Structure and safety cage Good
Driver injury measures
Head/neck Good
Chest Good
Hip/thigh Good
Lower leg/foot Good
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics Good

Small overlap front

Rating applies to 2024-25 models

Overall passenger-side evaluation Good
Structure and safety cage Acceptable
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck Good
Chest Good
Hip/thigh Good
Lower leg/foot Good
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics Good
Driver injury measures
Head/neck Good
Chest Good
Hip/thigh Good
Lower leg/foot Good
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics Good

Moderate overlap front: updated test

Rating applies to 2025 models

Overall evaluation Marginal
Structure and safety cage Good
Driver injury measures
Head/neck Acceptable
Chest Good
Thigh/hip Good
Leg/foot Good
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics Good
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck Good
Chest Good
Thigh Good
Rear passenger restraints and dummy kinematics Poor

Side: updated test

Rating applies to 2020-25 models

Overall evaluation Acceptable
Structure and safety cage Acceptable
Driver injury measures
Head/neck Good
Torso Acceptable
Pelvis Acceptable
Driver head protection Marginal
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck Good
Torso Good
Pelvis Good
Rear passenger head protection Good

Headlights

Β· (1) Trim level(s): S trim, SV trim

Overall rating Poor

Headlights

Β· (2) Trim level(s): SR trim

Overall rating Poor

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0

Rating applies to all 2025 models Β· standard Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection

Overall evaluation Poor

Front crash prevention: pedestrian

Rating applies to 2024-25 models Β· standard Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection; of the following trim lines: S trim, SV trim

Overall evaluation Marginal

Seat belt reminders

Rating applies to 2025 models

Overall evaluation Good

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2020-25 models

Overall evaluation Good
View the IIHS report

Opens on iihs.org in a new tab

How the score is built

Primary IIHS tests (55%)
60.0
4/4 reported Β· small overlap, updated moderate overlap, updated side, headlights
Occupant-protection details (25%)
55.0
4/4 reported Β· rear restraints, rear head, safety cage, front restraints
Pedestrian front crash prevention (10%)
25.0
IIHS pedestrian AEB result: Marginal Β· vehicle-to-vehicle: Poor (shown, not scored)
Class context (10%)
47.5
Damped class-level driver death-rate term; award status is shown above but carries no weight
Rear-seat-priority score
48.0
Family safety view: extra weight given to rear-seat passenger protection
Injury-measure average (tiebreak only)
90.0
Average of 40 IIHS injury ratings across frontal and side tests (used only as a tiebreaker).

See our full scoring methodology and rules β†’

NHTSA 5-star rating

2025 Nissan Sentra 4 DR FWD

Overallβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…
Frontal crashβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†
Side crashβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…
Rolloverβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… 9.9% risk

NHTSA stars are shown for reference and carry no weight in the score. NHTSA source. Why the two programs disagree β†’

IIHS crash-test videos

These videos are embedded on IIHS’s ratings page for this model. The tested vehicle may be an earlier model year or a related version whose results IIHS applies to this vehicle. Check the test description and source for the exact coverage.

Load a player to watch on this page, or use the YouTube link. Video footage helps explain the test; the published injury measurements and ratings are the basis for comparison.

Real-world context

MeasureResultWhat it covers
Class driver death rate54 per million registered vehicle-yearsSmall cars as a class, adjusted for driver age and sex (Farmer, 2023); all vehicles average 38. Class context only.

Other model years of the Nissan Sentra

Model yearStatusIIHS awardPrimary tests reportedScore
2026 Nissan Sentra Current listing TSP+ 4/4 92.2

Each model year keeps its own record. Ratings from one year are never copied to another unless IIHS states the test applies.

Our analysis

The 2025 Nissan Sentra belongs to the Small cars class. This class has an above-average driver death rate compared with the national average of 38 deaths per million registered vehicle-years, which usually reflects lighter weight and smaller size in multi-vehicle crashes. The class figure is adjusted for driver age and sex, which removes a large part of the selection effect in raw death rates. It is still a class average, not a measurement of this model.

The Nissan Sentra has no IIHS Top Safety Pick award in the 2026 award cycle. That can mean a result below the award threshold in one test, or tests IIHS has not completed. Absence of an award is not evidence that the vehicle is unsafe.

Across the 6 IIHS rating categories reported, the Nissan Sentra earned 3 Good ratings. Results below Good deserve attention, especially the updated frontal and side tests that IIHS toughened in 2022 and 2023. Our updated crash test analysis explains what changed.

This analysis is produced independently; we have no affiliation with Nissan or any manufacturer. Read the full methodology or learn more about us.

Safety recalls for the 2025 Nissan Sentra

We do not have a verified NHTSA recall lookup for this model and year. An unmatched or unavailable lookup is not evidence of a clean recall record.

Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A recall applies to a range of build dates, not necessarily every car of this model year, so confirm against your own VIN. Recalls do not affect the safety score on this page.

Questions about the 2025 Nissan Sentra

Is the 2025 Nissan Sentra a safe car?

IIHS has published 4 of the 4 primary tests and 4 of the 4 occupant-protection details for the 2025 Nissan Sentra. Available results are shown below. Only current models with all required results enter the ranking.

What is the 2025 Nissan Sentra IIHS rating?

IIHS reports: small overlap front = Good; moderate overlap front: updated test = Marginal; side: updated test = Acceptable; headlights = Poor; seat belt reminders = Good; latch ease of use = Good.

Is the 2025 Nissan Sentra an IIHS Top Safety Pick?

No. The 2025 Nissan Sentra does not hold an IIHS Top Safety Pick award for the 2025 model year, which can reflect a result below Good in a qualifying test or tests that IIHS has not yet completed.

What is the 2025 Nissan Sentra NHTSA rating?

NHTSA gives the 2025 Nissan Sentra 4 DR FWD an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars (frontal 4, side 5, rollover 5). NHTSA stars are shown for reference and are not part of our score.

How does the 2025 Nissan Sentra compare with other small cars?

The class leader is the 2026 Hyundai Elantra at 94.1/100. The comparison table on this page lists the closest-scoring current small cars with complete records.