2020 Nissan SENTRA: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
204 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
28,879 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2020 model year. Data snapshot: . 57 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 54 of 204 complaints (26.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 51 | 25.0% |
| Steering behavior | 45 | 22.1% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 14 | 6.9% |
| Transmission and shifting | 7 | 3.4% |
| Engine operation | 3 | 1.5% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Steering | 54 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 50 |
| Unknown Or Other | 47 |
| Electrical System | 43 |
| Service Brakes | 25 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 22 |
| Suspension | 10 |
| Engine | 9 |
Steering: 54; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 50; Unknown Or Other: 47; Electrical System: 43; Service Brakes: 25; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 22; Suspension: 10; Engine: 9
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 27 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 14 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 10 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 4 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 2 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 27; 25,000 to 49,999: 14; 50,000 to 74,999: 10; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 2; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (27). 147 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 32 |
| 2022 | 21 |
| 2023 | 41 |
| 2024 | 56 |
| 2025 | 33 |
| 2026 | 11 |
2020: 10; 2021: 32; 2022: 21; 2023: 41; 2024: 56; 2025: 33; 2026: 11
Pattern summary
Steering leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 51 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 45 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 14 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11323929 · 2020-05-08 (May 8, 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
Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11323929 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11331732 · 2020-06-30 (June 30, 2020)
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 DRIVE, AND PROCLAIMS "NO TROUBLE FOUND". THIS HAPPENED AT 45 MPH AND LESS THAN 30. TIME OF DAY DOESN'T SEEM TO MATTER, NOR DOES WEATHER. LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS ABOUT 2 OR 3 JUNE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 11,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11331732 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11337109 · 2020-07-02 (July 2, 2020)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. 4,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11337109 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11340801 · 2020-07-22 (July 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.
Owner-reported narrative. 2,710 miles reported. Look up ODI 11340801 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11361437 · 2020-09-28 (September 28, 2020)
SYSTEM MALFUNCTION DETECTION ACTIVATED WHILE DRIVING. ICON ADVISING AEB BRAKE FAILURE DETECTED LIGHT ENGAGED AND STAYS ON.
Owner-reported narrative. 5,010 miles reported. Look up ODI 11361437 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11365387 · 2020-10-20 (October 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.
Owner-reported narrative. 450 miles reported. Look up ODI 11365387 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11365390 · 2020-10-20 (October 20, 2020)
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 CAMERA SOMETIMES WORKS BUT SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT. BUT I CAN NOT SEE THE FRONT OF THE BACK CARS. I CAN CRASH AGAINST THEM.
Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11365390 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11366284 · 2020-10-25 (October 25, 2020)
THE BACK UP CAMERA FAILS TO DISPLAY. THE CAMERA GOES OUT FOR DAYS AT A TIME. WHEN IT COMES BACK ON IT WORKS FOR A WHILE THEN FAILS AGAIN
Owner-reported narrative. 3,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 11366284 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
4 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
21V461000 · Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly
Reported: 2021-06-17 (June 17, 2021)
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may be bent.
Consequence: A bent tie rod can break, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA campaign record ↗22V244000 · Exterior Lighting:Headlights
Reported: 2022-04-13 (April 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."
Consequence: An improperly aimed headlight may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA campaign record ↗23V581000 · Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly
Reported: 2023-08-15 (August 15, 2023)
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may bend.
Consequence: A bent tie rod can break and cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA campaign record ↗23V628000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
Reported: 2023-09-08 (September 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."
Consequence: A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA campaign record ↗