The 2006 Nissan Sentra has 5 recalls, the most serious being a passenger-side airbag inflator that can rupture on deployment and send metal fragments into the cabin, with the potential for serious injury or death.
Three of the five recalls concern this same airbag danger. The inflator, made by Takata, can build excessive internal pressure and burst rather than inflate normally, scattering sharp metal pieces toward the passenger seat. One recall specifically targets vehicles that were previously inspected under an earlier remedy attempt but may not have had the inflator actually replaced, meaning some cars went back into service still carrying the defective part.
On the mechanical side, both remaining recalls address the same engine problem affecting 2.5-liter four-cylinder models: the piston rings do not seat properly, causing the engine to burn through oil faster than normal. If the oil level drops too far and goes unnoticed, the engine can sustain serious internal damage, and in the worst cases that damage can lead to an engine fire. Owners of 2.5-liter-equipped cars should pay close attention to oil levels between service intervals, as the consumption may not trigger a warning light before the level becomes critically low.
