2020 Nissan Sentra Complaints
Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA
206
Total
8
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Most Reported Components
Owner Complaint Reports
Showing 25 of 206 reports, crash, fire and injury reports first, then the most recently filed. The full set is on NHTSA.gov.
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 07/09/2026
2020 Nissan Sentra , had been affected, Fuel system and or transmission has been affected , I also communicated this with Nissan Consumers affairs on 9/1, case number(57016532) they didn’t bother to help. I also went to the dealer twice . They also were unbothered and monotone . It’s a safety issue since the car stalls in low speeds. CVT transmission is expensive and they don’t want to fix it . I want to give it back to Nissan or the bank .
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 02/02/2025
The back up camera frequently goes blank when the car is put in reverse. This is a safety hazard as I can't see what is behind me when I am backing up. Upon further research, this is common in Nissan Sentras around this time but my specific car was not under the recall. There were multiple reports of faulty wiring causing the same issues. There were no warnings prior to this failure and it has been going on for over a year.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 07/08/2026
3/4 doors will not lock/unlock using fob, or the door controllers. This increases risk of theft, car jacking, and safety as the locks do not engage while driving. Very dangerous. Windows do not roll up/down, which when paired with the doors needing to be locked/unlocked manually can cause one to become trapped, especially with passengers. Dealership charged me $200 to tell me that the locks is were broken wanted to charge me $1200 to fix only two.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 06/20/2026
The power unlock on all four doors of my car doors will no longer operate via key fob, outside lock button or interior power unlock buttons, although the doors can all be locked using those same processes. In addition, the doors have all randomly locked while being inside the car with no key, locking me inside the car and requiring someone getting a key to manually unlock the car to allow me to exit. The doors have also randomly locked with the key inside the car making it unable to access the car without a spare key being manually used to unlock the car. This has caused several very scary incidents including having to nearly break a window to get out of the car on a day when temperatures were over 100 degrees.
STEERING — Filed 06/06/2026
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was off centered and the vehicle vibrated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle vibrated while making a turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a passenger-side rear detached inter-tire rod and bushing and a driver's side rear inter-tire rod and bushing failing. The contact was informed that the driver's and passenger interior rods and bushings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. In addition, the contact stated that in 2021 the vehicle was inspected by the dealer for an unknown recall inspection, which had a similar failure description. In addition, the contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
STEERING — Filed 12/03/2025
I have an Nissan Sentra sv 2020 and steering rack is causing problems when I drive my car, making my whole steering wheel shake when I go 60 on the highway, it also makes noises when I try to gently press on the gas making my wheels shake violently against the road. It’s a really bad safety hazard. If that part breaks. I can or any other drivers can lose control of their car and end up in a bad accident even death. Dealership is asking for about 4k to get that fix
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES — Filed 04/04/2026
The rear driver side door does not lock/unlock when pressing the lock/unlock buttons on the key fob nor the buttons on either of the front seat door panels. It is only able to be locked/unlocked by manually flipping the lock/unlock switch on the (rear driver side) door. No other doors have this issue. I believe either the door switch actuator or faulty wiring is the cause of the issue. I believe it is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of my passengers is put at risk because of the additional step of ensuring the door is locked when departing from the vehicle, creating a more dangerous situation in the event of needing to quickly exit the vehicle, and an increased chance of car hijacking. I have seen reports saying there are 141 similar cases where certain years and models of Nissan vehicles (≈2013-2025 Altima, Rouge, and Sentra) have a similar issue, sometimes with the door not being able to be opened even with manually switching the door lock switch. The problem has been widely reported and confirmed by dealerships. The vehicle and the component have not been inspected by anyone. There were no warning signs or messages. The first sign of failure was April 4, 2026.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 05/14/2024
my vehicle backup camera has been turning blue i didn't know why because the first couple of months i've had it, it's been fine i found out it was a recall on it
STEERING,SUSPENSION — Filed 05/08/2026
Nissan had a recall 2 years ago for a tie rod issue. When I brought the car in for that recall Nissan said that the tie rods showed no sign of bending so they didn't replace them. Two years later my car is not steering correctly and making noises. I find out that Nissan has a new tie rod recall (recall R23B3, NHTSA #23V-581) that requires the tie rods to be changed regardless if they show any sign of bending or damage. I bring my car in to have this completed (2 years from the first recall) and they are telling me the power steering rack has to be replaced as well as the tie rods. The issue is Nissan now knows that by not replacing the tie rods two years ago it's damaging the power sterring rack but they will not acknowledge it as they don't want to pay the additional cost for the power sterring rack. I spoke to Nissan USA consumer affairs and they are taking a hard line on this. It's dangerous as the car dealership service department was going to let me drive my car after the tie rod replacement knowing the power steering rack was also damaged until I pressed the actual technician that worked on the car and he said it's dangerous to drive. Nissan must be reponsible for replacing all the damage caused by not making it mandatory to replace the tie rods in the first recall two years ago. The cost to replace the power steering rack is $3000 and they don't want to pay for that.
SEAT BELTS — Filed 03/02/2026
seatbelt is not matching and staying on as I am driving these vehicle
UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 04/24/2026
There has not been an actual incident, door lock actuator stopped working prematurely.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION — Filed 10/01/2023
2020 Nissan Sentra Backup Camera. The camera periodically goes out only displaying a blue screen. Researched and discovered it was a recall. Went to the dealership and asked them and they said my cars recall was marked as completed back in 2023 to which I had no knowledge of. The issue was not resolved and was just marked as cleared without proper inspection. Dealerships are refusing to fix the recall since it was already (incorrectly) marked as complete.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 04/01/2021
I purchased my car with 7 miles in it. Within 3 months of having it the key fog stopped locking the doors. Went to the dealership and they did nothing but told me it would be $174 a door to fix. With a car on the show room floor you shouldn't be having issues that soon
BACK OVER PREVENTION — Filed 12/15/2023
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rearview camera image failed to display. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was repaired under warranty; however, the failure reoccurred. The same local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired because there was no recall associated with the VIN. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,440.
STEERING — Filed 09/15/2025
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V581000 (Steering) and 21V461000 (Steering). The contact stated that while in reverse(R) and turning the steering wheel, the contact observed a clicking sound coming from under the front of the vehicle. The contact stated there was no warning light or messages displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that the tie rods needed to be replaced. The contact was unsure if the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,900.
BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 02/29/2024
While in reverse, my backup camera does not engage, instead it will display a blue scree or altered fuzzy incomplete image of what's behind me. While parking, parking collision warning will go off displaying a warning and sound with multiple beeps while my automatic emergency braking system will engage my brakes while reversing unexpectedly without obstacles in the way. This causes whiplash, panic, to the driver and sudden stops causing a hazard to other drivers while wearing out my braking system I've had to replace brake pads and roaders due to warping more frequently than normal function. While driving the forward collision warning will display a malfunction warning on my dash and sometimes engages my brakes unexpectedly with no object in front of me. This has led to sudden stops in the middle of the road causing other cars to slam their brakes so they don't rear-end me. I have reported this to a local mechanic while we replaced my shocks, he stated there was wires loose and he secured them causing my backup camera to work for a short time after. It soon went back to being a blue screen or having an altered fuzzy image when reversing. These has been a reoccurring issue but I am in Germany so I have yet to find a dealership willing to inspect the vehicle. I believe the first issues started in March 2024 after I purchased the car from a friend.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 10/24/2025
Unknown
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 06/16/2025
Vehicle had AEB System malfunctioning. The brakes did NOT work. The emergency brake barely worked. We were driving on Fathers Day to a family gathering and the system and brakes malfunctioned, yes we collided with the Curb and debris on the side of the road cause curb rash to the rims. No major damage. This would be the 3rd this has happened to my vehicle in particular. Dealers say the manufacturer doesn’t cover brake line damage or issue even due to factory fault/ defect.
BACK OVER PREVENTION — Filed 03/25/2024
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while her son was reversing from a driveway, a Springfield Public School bus crashed into the rear of the vehicle. There was no beeping sound from the camera alerting the driver of an oncoming vehicle. The camera screen was frozen. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment, or fire. A police report was filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Recall Number 23V-628000 (Back Over Prevention). The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 10/21/2023
Car was in a hit and run accident on June 29, 2023 where another car slid up the whole passenger side of the car damaging the front side so car could not be driven. Car was repaired, given back but not performing correctly. Car was taken back and told unsafe to drive. They did more repairs on the car, gave it back and car still not performing correctly. Car taken back for a second time, deemed unsafe, repaired, and given back. Car still didn't seem to be right. On October 21, 2023 daughter was on the way to Nissan to check out a recall on tie rods because we just got a letter in the mail about them. The car started to vibrate. My daughter tried to pull off the road but the steering would not allow her to control the car. The car ended up in the middle median. She was cut out of the car and has hand injuries. Allstate is working on new claim. Car is total loss. Claim # [XXX] Claim agent :Nina Fandaco INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 07/29/2023
I was driving to pick up some body as Rideshare driver on as part time, and i crashed into a car was parking on the side of the road, I still have no idea why is that happend. But i think the Malfunction Warning that was on dash got something to do with it!
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 11/30/2022
My daughter was driving her 2020 Nissan Sentra the other day and was trying to avoid hitting a dog that ran in front of her car she crashed into a park car. Our Nissan Sentra anti brakes did not stop the car nor make a noise before hitting that parked car. No warning from our car to prevent this head on collision. There is so much damage that our insurance has deemed it a total loss. By the grace of God daughter is physically fine but mentally she is not!! As a parent I felt comfortable with my daughter driving this car at first. I have witness the anti brakes work on our 2020 Nissan Sentra before, when we would get near an object the car would automatically stop! We are now out of a car and I'm still going to owe a balance to my finance company once the insurance pay whatever they're going to pay. This is so unfair and heartbreaking that this important feature on this car failed my daughter when she needed it the most. WHY????????
WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 10/25/2021
I had brought my car up to the dealership for an oil change, and they said there was a recall on the tie rods. They said they checked them out, but never gave me paperwork for it. And I’ve looked it up and it said no recall have been serviced on. A week or two later me and another passenger got in my car and put it in reverse, and heard a small pop as I turned the wheel I didn’t think anything of it at first. Then we started heading down the road we got to a stop light and my car was stalling the transmission didn’t sound right for a little while. And then we where going about 35 mph and started slowing down to about 10-15 mph to make a turn, as I started turning the wheel we heard a loud pop. All of a sudden I had lost control of the car, the right front side tire had broke off and barely holding only by the wires and piece of metal. Then we hit the curb almost hitting another car and smoke started coming out of the A/C vents. And also no warning for anything ever came up. the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The dealership has inspected it.
STEERING — Filed 03/17/2021
The contact's daughter owned a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving the vehicle at an unknown rate of speed, she lost control of the vehicle without warning. Her daughter hit a curb which caused the vehicle to flip over. A fellow motorist saw the failure and called the authorities to the scene. The contact's daughter was treated for unknown injuries at the scene. The contact was uncertain if a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was destroyed. The dealer was notified of the failure, the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure The contact recently discovered that her daughter's vehicle had been placed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V461000(STEERING) which she linked to her daughter failure. The vehicle had been destroyed. The failure mileage was unknown.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 05/08/2020
I WAS SWITCHING LANES AND THE CAR BLIND SPOT SENSOR USUALLY TELLS ME WHEN SOMEONE IS IN MY BLIND SPOT BUT WHEN I WAS SWITCHING LANES TODAY IT FAILED TO TELL ME, THEREFORE RESULTING IN ME GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT. *TR
About This Data
Complaints are filed by vehicle owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). They represent individual consumer experiences and do not necessarily indicate a widespread defect.
View on NHTSA.gov