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
205 reports, newest first.
Other or unspecified, Sep 15, 2022
UNKNOWN While switching gears from Park to drive and any other gears my gear shift lifts out of the column. Apparently the pins become loose that hold the gear shift together. This causes the gear shift to completely come out of the gear column and may cause you to accidentally shift gears if the shift is hit by and other objects.
Suspension, Sep 5, 2022
Tie road both
Other or unspecified, Aug 25, 2022
My vehicle is a 2020 Nissan Sentra SV | Vin # [XXX] | I have about 7,200 Miles on my vehicle. It is making a weird noise within the front end or sides of the vehicle. I've reported it to the Nissan Dealership by the name of Joeten Motors here in the Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan MP. Where I am residing and they are the Dealership that I've purchased the vehicle. I am still on stand by before anything is being done to help assist figuring out what's wrong with my vehicle. I am afraid that something may happen while driving the vehicle with my kids or just myself. My vehicle is still brand new but I am dealing with this issue. I've brought up the fact that I've reviewed information from the NHTSA but still nothing has been done. I am afraid if I continue to drive my vehicle it may get damaged more or something horrible could happen. Please email me information to provide to them to get this taken care of? My vehicle only has about 7,200 miles on it and all I do is drive from home and work or my kids school. My name is [XXX] or my son as well [XXX]. | address -[XXX] | [M] [XXX] | email. [XXX] Please help us. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
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!!
Forward collision avoidance, Jul 10, 2022
Car suddenly stops while driving down the road. There were no obstacles or other vehicles in front of the car.
Forward collision avoidance, Jun 14, 2022
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 child and husband in the car with me they so scared and were immediately tied by the seat belt. They will were 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. My Child and I spend a great deal of time in my car, and I cannot take the risk that this car imposes.please help me!
Forward collision avoidance, May 10, 2022
Today 5/10/2022 was the second time our car is said there was a malfunction with the Emergency Braking system. We believe we depend on our cars safety features and believe all Nissans should be investigated for possible sensor malfunctions. Thank you.
Steering, May 4, 2022
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 was inspected for the recall, but dealership confirmed issue was not present (see attachment-1). Over the course of 4 months, vibrations continued and issue remained.The car was then brought into service to address the issue again as it did not seem mechanically correct. After inspection the following was noted: "Passenger side has excessive play due to inner tire rod being loose or popped out of place" (see attachment-2). Dealership and Nissan have refused to correct the issue as they do not believe the faulty tire rods are caused by manufacturer defect, although, there is no indication that an outside force has caused such defect. Vehicle was driven on for four months with tire rods that are loose and/or popped out of place as vehicle was not initially inspected properly. A loose tire rod could have caused loss of control to vehicle and/or the tire rod could snap (identical to symptoms of a bent tire rod). Nissan is attempting to argue that this is not covered under the initial tire rod recall as the tire rod is not bent, it is loose and/or popped out of place.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 1, 2022
The radio will turn it volume up own its own and the doors will lock you in the car and sometimes will not let you unlock the doors from inside or outside.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 23, 2022
On three separate occasions, the vehicle stops for no reason. It beeps and flashes the warning and slams on the breaks. There are no vehicles in front of the car when this occurs that would warrant emergency braking to enable. This has occurred when driving at around 30-50 mph.
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?
Latches/locks/linkages, Feb 2, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at speeds above 15 mph the rear passenger side child safety lock did not activate and the 9-year-old grandchild was able to open the rear passenger side door. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The contact indicated that the rear driver-side door was serviced previously for the same failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 39,800.
Wheels, Dec 7, 2021
On July 16 2021, I took my car to the dealer for an oil change and for a recall on a bent tie rod. They told me my tie rod was fine and did nothing. On November 15, I took my car back because my wheel was vibrating. They said my hub bearing assembly is loose so, they will order the part which takes 3 days to come in and advised me "not to drive on highways". Now 4 weeks later, they told me that's not the problem and its my tie rod. I asked how this was misdiagnosed? They said the person who looked at it didn't know what they were doing. This put my children and I at risk!
Forward collision avoidance, Dec 6, 2021
A few times, my car has sensed that there's a car in front of me and suddenly breaked. I find this completely bizarre as there have been no cars in front of me. I took the car to the dealership to see if there was any electrical malfunction. But the dealership did not find anything. However, the issue still appears from time to time. I am concerned because if my car were to suddenly stop again, and there is a car behind me, a car could easily hit me. Aside from this, I have had some issues with the moonroof not closing, and the backup camera freezing too. Both of those issues were solved at the dealership though.
Suspension, Electrical system, Back over prevention, Nov 23, 2021
Vehicle first developed a issue the following day I got it. The first issue was "Engine Malfunction, Power Reduced, Service Now". So I took it to the service center at Mossy Nissan in El Cajon, CA where they service the vehicle, but I continued to get that error on numerous occasions. Another issue, the instrument cluster and infotainment system would randomly restart while driving that has happened numerous times as well. Another issue, the panorama vehicle camera system would crash and not function any more, that occured numerous times. Another issue, while driving the vehicle I noticed the lane keep assist stopped functioning on numerous occasions. Another issue, while deriving the vehicle I felt the car would sway to certain side, I don't remember what side though. All of these issues have been addressed at the service center, but some of them still continued. So I filled a complaint with Nissan Motors and they were initially gonna repurchase the vehicle back as a lemon. But they backed out of the deal. Since I feel the car is unsafe to drive due to electrical issues, the car has been sitting at the Nissan service center since April 2021. They also refuse to address the recent recall associated with the vehicle.
Forward collision avoidance, Nov 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Collision-Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking inadvertently activated. The Automatic Emergency Braking warning light was illuminated. The failure occurred on five separate occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact left a voicemail for the dealer informing them of the failure but had not received a callback. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
Wheels, Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 28, 2021, crash
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.
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Oct 28, 2021
Back-up camera display intermittently displays "blue screen" when car in reverse (has been on-going issue since taking delivery of car 3-2020 and, as a result of current pandemic, do not drive as much as I might otherwise have driven - 9,500 miles on car a this point). Have taken to dealership several times for them to diagnose and fix problem - no success. One visit to dealer they witnessed failure and supposedly documented in their tracking system. As mentioned, this is intermittent problem which makes it all the more aggravating as does not fail all the time. Yes, vehicle is available for inspection, if needed. Currently trying to find convenient time to take car back to shop for additional review as requested by Nissan regional team. Thanks,
Other or unspecified, Oct 17, 2021
When accelerating, the entire vehicle jerks vigorously. Causing the vehicle to temporarily stall. After few seconds it gains control. Big orange error message displays. Saying vehicle malfunction with 6 different error messages.
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.
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 28, 2021
The emergency braking system has gone off on this car 4 times. After the first two we took the car into the dealership and they said that they could not find any problems with it. Yesterday we had two more incidents. I am taking the vehicle in tomorrow. I have asked that they replace the sensors but was told that it is up to Nissan. This is a very dangerous thing especially if you are on the freeway and the brakes go on. On incident 2 I was travelling 45-50 mph. Here is information on incidents 3 and 4 This is the 3rd and 4th incident we have had with the NEB going off while driving our 2020 Nissan Sentra. Documentation on the first two incidents have already been provided to Future Nissan of Folsom. The latest incidents occurred on Sept 27 2021 at approximately 7 pm. Mileage on the vehicle was 2795 at the time of incident 3. Location was zip code 95608- Carmichael CA On both occasions the vehicle was traveling west bound with no traffic in either direction and course driven had no direct sunlight hitting the vehicle. My wife had driven the vehicle approximately 17 miles when the third activation occurred. The maximum speed she had driven the vehicle was 46 mph during the course of the trip. She was on California Ave. and turned right onto Van Alstine. Her speed was between 20 – 25 mph when she encountered a 15mph speed bump. She lowered her speed to 15 mph and just after she crossed the speed bump the NEB went off. I was not jarring but slowed the vehicle down. Approximately 100 feet further a red light went off on the right hand side of the dashboard and there was a beeping but the car did not slow down again. She then stopped at the light on the intersection of Van Alsine and Fair Oaks Blvd. She proceeded west onto El Camino Ave for about 200 yds and reached a speed of approximately 30-35 mph. (Speed limit is 40 mph) when the emergency braking system again went off. She does not recall any light going on.
Power train, Sep 20, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the contact noticed a vibration while depressing on the accelerator pedal. The contact was able to continue to drive to her destination; however, the failure persisted. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer to be inspected however, the dealer was not yet able to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 9, 2021
Nissan Sentra 2020 automatic emergency braking system engages for no apparent reason and brings car to complete stop while driving. This has happened about 10 times within the past year. Appears AEB sensors are faulty. Luckily was not rear-ended during incidents. Informed dealership where I bought the car and was told there was nothing they could do to fix the problem unless there is a recall for this issue.
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.