2020 Nissan Sentra
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Forward collision avoidance is the leading concern among 205 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 9th highest complaint count among 26 Sentra model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 8 involved a crash. 2 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraSep 8, 2023
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23C3.
Campaign 23V628000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, linkages, tie rod assemblyAug 15, 2023
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may bend.
A bent tie rod can break and cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Owners are advised to contact their dealer for transport assistance if they are experiencing an off-center steering wheel or vibration. As an interim repair, dealers will inspect and replace any bent or broken tie rods, free of charge. Once newly designed parts are available, dealers will replace both left and right tie rods, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed November 27, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23B3. This recall replaces and expands recall number 21V-461. Vehicles previously repaired under 21V-461 will need to have the new remedy completed.
Campaign 23V581000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lighting, headlightsApr 13, 2022
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Sentra vehicles, equipped with LED headlights. The right-hand headlight aim may be misaligned. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamp, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
An improperly aimed headlight may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the right-hand headlight, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 10, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R20B4.
Campaign 22V244000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, linkages, tie rod assemblyJun 17, 2021
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may be bent.
A bent tie rod can break, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and replace the left and/or right tie rods as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 5, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PM985.
Campaign 21V461000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: service brakes
25 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Jun 26, 2025, crash
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.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Jun 24, 2025
On June 10 2025 the brake sensor malfunctioned for my 2020 Nissan Sentra This was the secound timeThe first time was about one week before..The brake peddle went down , car brakes ,brakes.I was driving speed limit of 20.There were no cars on the street or object.A yellow triangle appeared on the dash board..It scared me ,This is a safety hazard that can cause a accident.The next morning my car didn't start.There were a few symbols on the dashboard..I had it towed to the car dealer.They put a new battery.I just bought it May 04 2025.I was told no sensors were on, Mechanic didn't find anything. As of now I have bot picked up my car from the car dealer. 06/24/2025
Service brakes, Apr 15, 2025
Brake caliper piston popped out of brake caliper
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Jun 5, 2024
There has been numerous battery drains, can't charge phone without draining battery. I got and error code P062F Internal Control Module EEPROM. ERROR. and a battery power supply error code
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 20, 2024
AEB system has been malfunctioning when driving applying brakes without warning.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 2, 2024
On a few occasions, while driving, the forward collision warning came on causing the car to automatically brake when there were no cars in front of or around the car. Brought the car to dealer and was quoted $2057.50. After that, all 4 automatic door locks stopped working. Brought car to dealer again and was quoted $1375.00 to replace the door actuators for a grand total of $3658.78. Nissan consumer affairs was called and they said they would only cover 50% of the repairs. These items are huge safety issues and Nissan should cover the entire bill.
Service brakes, Aug 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle sporadically braked. Additionally, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact to replace the battery. The battery was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 29, 2023
I was traveling on a multi lane road at a speed of approximately 45 mph. There were cars directly behind me. Multiple pedestrian crossings were in front of me but the pedestrians had already crossed the road and were safely on the sidewalk. However, the caution lights from the crosswalk were still illuminated from the pedestrians that had previously crossed. As I reached the pedestrian crossing, the vehicle’s front collision warning system activated and immediately applied heavy brake pressure. There was nothing I could do to override it and since there was nothing in front of my vehicle, the cars behind me were not expecting a sudden stop. The car behind me was able to stop in time but narrowly avoided a collision with the rear of my vehicle as a result.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 2, 2023
Automatic Emergency Braking and Front Collision Avoidance system has caused the vehicle to brake when there is nothing in front of vehicle, or show "System Malfunction" on the dash. Dealer unable to duplicate but said it happens to most Nissan Sentra's. Found it happens more frequently when there is rain or bad weather.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 23, 2022
At 5:44 on Hwy 50/Elizabeth Ave in Pueblo, CO. The automatic emergency braking system locked up with no reason for it to do so. Thankfully we were not rear ended. I have documented via photograph of this system error alert coming on several times a week while driving this vehicle. It has been to the dealership now twice for this issue and will be making yet another appt to get the car back in again.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 3, 2022, crash
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????????
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 12, 2022
My car on two occasions came to a stop while driving . Nothing was in front of me at all. A flashing light came on on the dashboard and my car came to a hault. This was very frightening and now I am afraid to drive the car. The dealership said nothing they can do. This issues needs to be addressed and fixed and a recall needs to be done. This is a huge safety issue!!
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Mar 14, 2022
Locks on doors would not work with remote, and to get out keys to get fixed. When to Nissan 2 times for them to fix. Dark at night could not get in car safely. No warning signs Windows would not go up or down, had to get windows fixed, due to rain can hinder my vison while driving. No warnings, Nissan fixed after going back two times Back up Camera had to be replaced or fixed. Car would not start. Said it was a break lamp sensor, which was recalled on 2019 and prior Nissan Sentra's. I have a 2020 no recall yet No incident has happened yet, but could cause grave danger if not fixed! This whole car needs to be recalled!
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 2, 2022
I was driving down the highway and my Automatic emergency brakes system decided to kick in. Scared the hell out of me. nobody was hurt thank God! Luckily there was no cars around me. Or im sure i could have been seriously hurt or even killed. I took the vehicle to nissan dealership they kept my car for 3 months and supposedly they fixed the problem. But i have proof of the messages and lights on my dash telling me malfucntion. Like wth?
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 30, 2021
I was driving the 60mph speed limit on the highway. The car automatically braked and said an object was on the road. The cruise control was not available due to the error message that popped up. My safety and the safety of my 3 children were at risk because if there were a car behind me, they would have rear ended me, especially going for 60mph to a sudden jerking stop such as that. I was told that some nissan's distance sensors are malfunctioning this way, but my car is not added to the recall, so I will have to save up to get it corrected. I bought this car brand new last year.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 2, 2021
While driving my 2020 nissan sentra, my car proceeded to brake on its own while i was depressing the accelerator. A red warning light flashed across the dash that looked like 2 cars colliding. I was able to maintain control of the vehicle, even though it was acting erratically. The braking occurred abruptly startling me and the drivers around me. Thankfully, the car did not cause a collision. The incidence scared me immensely causing my heart to palpitate and raising my blood pressure. I looked for the indicator light in my manual after I had come to a complete stop and was able to calm down after the scare. The warning was the automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection system warning light. The thing was, there were no pedestrians anywhere near my vehicle, nor were there any other vehicles or objects that could've possibly set the system off. It was clear that this system in my car was malfunction. I'm truly scared to drive my car now. I took the car to the dealer to have it looked at and fixed, however, a couple of weeks later, the same incidence occurred. This time I had my elderly mother in the car with me. She was able to witness what I had previously experienced. It scared her as well. This malfunction is going to cause unnecessary collisions that will result in harm to someone. This malfunction could easily induce an accident. It is also causing unnecessary wear and tear on vehicle due to the forceful nature of the abrupt braking. I will likely be trading this car in because the dealership cannot seem to remedy the problem. i spend a great deal of time in my car, and I cannot take the risk that this car imposes.
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 4, 2021
Driving 40 mph car for no reason slams on break. Flashing large Red warning across the screen.The car is Unsafe to drive. Can cause a fatal accident. Passenger and driver at risk for injury due to unaware sudden stop on road while driving. When this happened Driver has no control of car. Before the car was purchased I saw a yellow buzzing light. The seller said to leave it over night for repair. The next day I was told by the seller the car was inspected and repaired by manufacturer. The seller said the car was fixed. When I drove it off the lot, the yellow light was still coming on buzzing. Then the car malfunctioned on the road.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 11, 2021
THE FRONT RADAR (OBSTRUCTION DETECTOR) IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE CAR WILL RANDOMLY BREAK EVEN WHEN THERE IS NO OBSTRUCTION IN FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN FEBRUARY 2021. EACH TIME I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY INITIALLY BRUSHED ME OFF AND BLAMED SNOW, RAIN AND SOOT. I CALLED NISAN CORPORATE OFFICE AND THE TOLD THE DEALERSHIP TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE DETECTOR WAS CHANGED. HOWEVER, THREE WEEKS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN TWICE WITHIN A TWO-WEEK PERIOD. A SUDDEN BREAK, THE DETECTOR WARNING FLASHING AND NO OBSTRUCTION. EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. FORTUNATELY, I WAS DRIVING ON LOCAL ROADS AND I WAS NOT GOING OVER 45 MILES PER HOUR BECAUSE THIS CAN PRESENT A SERIOUS PROBLEM. I CAN BE REAR ENDED. THE CAR LITERALLY CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 7, 2021
THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGES THE BRAKING SYSTEM WHILE IN MOTION, EACH TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET BETWEEN 25-40MPH. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO NISSAN SERVICE CENTER 3 TIMES AND THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THE ISSUE.
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 12, 2021
THE CAR BRAKES ON ITS OWN WHEN NOTHING IS AROUND . I WAS ON CITY STREET
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 17, 2021
I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN FEBRUARY OF 2020. I HAVE HAD THREE INCIDENTS WHERE MY CAR HAS ENGAGED THE EMERGENCY BREAKING SYSTEM WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD. TWO TIMES I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND THE LAST TIME I WAS DOING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. DURING THESE TIMES, I WAS DRIVING WITH NO OTHER CARS AROUND ME. THE CAR SLAMS ON THE BRAKES AUTOMATICALLY. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT FOR SERVICE WITH NISSAN TONIGHT.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 6, 2021
WHEN DRIVING IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM KICKS IN RANDOMLY. HAS HAPPENED OVER 10 TIMES NOW SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR A FEW MONTHS AGO EACH TIME ON A CITY STREET. YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING 45 IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON A CITY STREET (HEADING SOUTHBOUND ON EL CAMINO AVE AT SAN BRUNO AVE IN SAN BRUNO CA) THE EMERGENCY FRONT BRAKING SYSTEM TURNED ON RANDOMLY, CAUSING MY CAR TO SUDDENLY BRAKE AND ALMOST CAUSING A TRAFFIC COLLISION.
Service brakes, Oct 20, 2020
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.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Sep 28, 2020
SYSTEM MALFUNCTION DETECTION ACTIVATED WHILE DRIVING. ICON ADVISING AEB BRAKE FAILURE DETECTED LIGHT ENGAGED AND STAYS ON.
Power train, Service brakes, Engine, Jul 22, 2020
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 HARDER OTHERWISE THE CAR CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD.