2020 Nissan SENTRA

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2020 Nissan SENTRA has 316 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 4.0x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is driver assist/cameras problems (29% of all complaints), specifically: bought this vehicle on 12/8/20; the next day, the aeb light for pedestrian kept flashing in the morning. eventually went off. happened every day thereafter - despite varying weather conditions; brought back to dealer on 12/12 to service department and was told it was a faulty sensor, that it did not.

15 crash reports 3 injuries

316

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

4.0x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

91 complaints

29%

• BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ON 12/8/20; THE NEXT DAY, THE AEB LIGHT FOR PEDESTRIAN KEPT FLASHING IN THE MORNING. EVENTUALLY WENT OFF. HAPPENED EVERY DAY THEREAFTER - DESPITE VARYING WEATHER CONDITIONS; BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER ON 12/12 TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A FAULTY SENSOR, THAT IT DID NOT
• AFTER RETURNING ON 12/12/20 A SENTRA PURCHASED ON 12/8/20 - I SWAPPED OUT WITH ANOTHER SENTRA. REASON FOR RETURN - AEB PEDESTRIAN LIGHT KEPT GOING ON EVERY MORNING DESPITE VARYING WEATHER CONDITIONS (WARM VS. COLD). RECEIVED THIS CAR (GUN METALLIC COLOR) AND ON 12/13/20 - SAME THING HAPPENED! WILL B
• PURCHASED CAR IN OCTOBER 2020. CAR STARTED BRAKING INVOLUNTARY WHILE DRIVING 10-25 MPH. NO OBJECTS WERE IN FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES. THIS HAPPENED ON MY LAST VEHICLE AND NISSAN HAD A MAJOR RECALL TO CHANGE THE SENSORS/CAMERA. AT THIS TIME THERE IS NO FIX. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 6 crashes

“BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ON 12/8/20; THE NEXT DAY, THE AEB LIGHT FOR PEDESTRIAN KEPT FLASHING IN THE MORNING. EVENTUALLY WENT OFF. HAPPENED EVERY DAY THEREAFTER - DESPITE VARYING WEATHER CONDITIONS; BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER ON 12/12 TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A FAULTY SENSOR, THAT IT DID NOT”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

53 complaints

17%

• The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while reversing to park the vehicle, the vehicle spun out. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where she was informed that the driver’s and passenger’s side f
• 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 cal
• Experienced odd vibration in front tires when making a slight turn or on a winding road. This vehicle currently has a recall for bent tire rods (21V-461) so primary concern was that tire rods were either faulty and/or bent. Vehicle was brought into dealership for inspection on January 22, 2022 and

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while reversing to park the vehicle, the vehicle spun out. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where she was informed that the driver’s and passenger’s side f”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

47 complaints

15%

• COLLISION ALARM SOUNDS, BRAKES ARE AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED CAR ALMOST STOPS WHEN THERE IS NOTHING CLOSE TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED ABOUT 4 OR 5 TIMES SINCE I GOT THE CAR IN APRIL 2020. IT HAS HAPPENED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, SOMETIMES IN AN URBAN AREA. THE DEALER TAKES IT ON A TEST DRIV
• CRASH WARNING LIGHT, BLIND SIDE LIGHT, AND LANE DEPARTURE NOT WORKING. ALL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND SYSTEMS NO LONGER OPERATING.. TOOK VEHICLE IN TO GET CAMERA RECALIBRATION. WORKED FOR 2 DRIVING TRIPS, LIGHTS CAME BACK ON FOLLOWING MORNING.
• BACK CAMERA AND FRONT ONE DOES NOT WORK, IN AUGUST WHEN THE WEATHER WENT TO 122 DEGREES CAMARA WENT BLUE, THE I WENT TOOK IT ON THE SECOND WEE OF 10/16/2020. TORRE NISSAN KEPT THE CAR FOR 5 DAYS AND THEN GAVE IT BACK TO ME SAYING THE ENGEENIERS HAVE FOUND NO SOLUTION FOR THE CAR PART. THE BACK CAMER

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“COLLISION ALARM SOUNDS, BRAKES ARE AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED CAR ALMOST STOPS WHEN THERE IS NOTHING CLOSE TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED ABOUT 4 OR 5 TIMES SINCE I GOT THE CAR IN APRIL 2020. IT HAS HAPPENED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, SOMETIMES IN AN URBAN AREA. THE DEALER TAKES IT ON A TEST DRIV”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

42 complaints

13%

• 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
• SYSTEM MALFUNCTION DETECTION ACTIVATED WHILE DRIVING. ICON ADVISING AEB BRAKE FAILURE DETECTED LIGHT ENGAGED AND STAYS ON.
• VEHICLE DELIVERED WITH 220 MILES FROM DEALER AT 5:30PM. AWOKE FOLLOWING MORNING AND IT REGISTERED 221 MILES. VEHICLE WAS KEPT IN LOCKED GARAGE OVERNIGHT AND NEVER DRIVEN.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“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”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

25 complaints

• THIS CAR'S EMERGENCY BRAKE SENSORS HAVE GONE OFF TWICE NOW IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS. THERE IS NO CAR OR ANY OBJECT IN FRONT OF ME AND THE SENSOR APPLIES THE BRAKES WHILE IN MOTION. ALSO, WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO A STOP AT CITY SPEEDS THE CAR JERKS AND/OR SURGES FORWARD AND I HAVE TO APPLY THE BRAKES HARDE
• SYSTEM MALFUNCTION DETECTION ACTIVATED WHILE DRIVING. ICON ADVISING AEB BRAKE FAILURE DETECTED LIGHT ENGAGED AND STAYS ON.
• WE HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR ABOUT 7 WEEKS, ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE AUTOMATIC FRONT COLLISION BRAKING SYSTEM HAS ACTIVATED ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO OBSTACLES IN THE ROADWAY AT THE TIME. ON BOTH OCCASIONS I WAS TRAVELLING AT LESS THAN 25 MPH GOING UP HILL.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“THIS CAR'S EMERGENCY BRAKE SENSORS HAVE GONE OFF TWICE NOW IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS. THERE IS NO CAR OR ANY OBJECT IN FRONT OF ME AND THE SENSOR APPLIES THE BRAKES WHILE IN MOTION. ALSO, WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO A STOP AT CITY SPEEDS THE CAR JERKS AND/OR SURGES FORWARD AND I HAVE TO APPLY THE BRAKES HARDE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 316 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ON 12/8/20; THE NEXT DAY, THE AEB LIGHT FOR PEDESTRIAN KEPT FLASHING IN THE MORNING. EVENTUALLY WENT OFF. HAPPENED EVERY DAY THEREAFTER - DESPITE VARYING WEATHER CONDITIONS; BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER ON 12/12 TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A FAULTY SENSOR, THAT IT DID NOT
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while reversing to park the vehicle, the vehicle spun out. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where she was informed that the driver’s and passenger’s side f
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: COLLISION ALARM SOUNDS, BRAKES ARE AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED CAR ALMOST STOPS WHEN THERE IS NOTHING CLOSE TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED ABOUT 4 OR 5 TIMES SINCE I GOT THE CAR IN APRIL 2020. IT HAS HAPPENED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, SOMETIMES IN AN URBAN AREA. THE DEALER TAKES IT ON A TEST DRIV
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: 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
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)