2020 Nissan Sentra Problems and Top Complaints – Is Your Car A Lemon?

Electrical system and service brakes issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners

Updated on Author: Brian Jones

The 2020 Nissan Sentra is no stranger to the marketplace, as the model has been around for many years. This newer version claims owners should “refuse to compromise.” However, that is all that customers feel like that are doing when dealing with the defective electrical system and faulty service brakes.

Click on other model year to view more problems:  2019   2021   2022

Problems with the Electrical System

While the Sentra isn’t considered a high-end luxury car, owners are still expecting the basics to work as intended, but that’s not the case.

Just read this NHTSA complaint. “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.”

Nissan hasn’t issued any communication about this type of problem. With that said, there is a recall that shows the level of quality put into manufacturing this vehicle. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V507000 says that some vehicles have a right-hand LED headlight that wasn’t aligned correctly during production. Because of this, there is insufficient illumination to the roadway at night, which increases the chance of an accident. When this problem is combined with the one illustrated above, a disastrous event is sure to occur. So, it’s agreed that customers should never compromise, which is precisely the reason it’s time to find another brand to drive.

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2020 Nissan Sentra Complaint Summary

Complaint Category Number of Complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
40
40
Steering
29
29
Electrical System
22
22
Unknown Or Other
22
22
Service Brakes
21
21
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings
18
18
Suspension
6
6
Engine
5
5
Exterior Lighting
4
4
Vehicle Speed Control
4
4

Problems with the Service Brakes

Another basic function that should just work as intended is the service brakes. Yet, the Sentra is just a complete failure in this area.

One more NHTSA complaint reads, “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.”

One has to wonder what is going on at the Nissan plant to create such substantial defects; and these aren’t the only systems suffering. In fact, even the wheels create trouble that Nissan has scrambled to fix. Service Bulletin #PM946 2020 Sentra states that dealerships had to stop selling some Sentra models until the wheels could be replaced. It turns out that steel wheels were incorrectly installed with the wrong center caps and/or pressure sensors. To repair this, dealers had to cease sales and inspect all of the wheels in its inventory. Then, the wheels needed to be replaced with aluminum instead of steel, with the appropriate tire pressure sensors and center caps. What a fiasco that cost dealerships countless hours, just because Nissan couldn’t figure out how to install the right wheels. But, that seems to be commonplace with this automaker, as shown through the other defects. It seems it is Nissan that needs to stop making compromises.

Your Lemon Law Legal Rights

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About the Author:

Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.

See more posts from Brian Jones
7 COMMENTS
  • Marie F

    ‘20 Sentra nightmare from day one of my lease. Emergency braking system deploys on highway going 60mph. System malfunction constantly lit up. I complained numerous times. Radio knobs don’t work. Back door won’t lock Its the end of my lease. The car is a mess. Got in accidents had to replace battery. Replace alternator. And back for another battery again with one week left of lease. I feel Nissan should wipe slate clean with over mileage and cosmetic damages in leu of the car almost killing my son and I many many times

  • Brandee

    Bought my 2020 Nissan new just a little over 75 miles on it. Its hit 44,000 and in the last few months the car has gone crazy. Trying to back out of my driveway it will automatically stop you when there is nothing there, even going forwards it will slam on the brakes and again nothing there. Then hear recently it’s not wanting to start it will act like it doesn’t register the key fob, and you have to turn it on and off multiply times for it to finally start. The check engine light just came on the last time it did it. I went to have the code read to see what was going on and it’s saying the ECM. I have reached out to Nissan but with it being over the 36,000 mark they won’t cover it. Doesn’t make sense to me when the ECM is what makes the car run, if you don’t have that the car is useless. Nissan needs to get a recall or something because I have seen where everyone is having the same problems I am.

  • Zee

    Before switching to an Accord i would say the 2020 Sentra is the absolute most unsafe car. Multiple times have i had the automatic breaks deploy for no apparent reason slowing me to 15mph on 45mph road. Cars have come extremely close to rear ending me. Also the transmission was very wonky, and the engine bay sounded disgusting, not in a good way. I will never go back to another Nissan in my life no matter what. (The Sentra had 8,000 miles when purchased).

  • Alexander T

    Dealer replaced Radio/Back up Display Monitor.
    *Various times screen turned to blackout mode during back up or radio in operation. Few times radio did not turn on at all and of course back up camera did not work. Also, when turning the radio knob/dial static noise heard. One time Front Display flashed white/red warning and car braked unexpectedly but there were no cars in front of me. At times when driving a car is next to me but Alert did not display.

  • Tom M

    My work car is a 2020 Nissan Sentra SV. I received it from my job on July 10th 2020, and after 101,000 miles it still runs like a top. Only issue I have seen was that the main window switch fails at time, and have to bang on it. And my back up camera turns blue at times. But from 2020 till now it has not been in a mechanical shop except for routine maintenance and new tires. Not like my previous company card 2018 Ford Focus SE, so I do not see what other people are talking about

  • Vice

    Had a little bit of snow and rain rip my skidplates off the bottom of my sentra. Its second snow and havent even had it for a year, not including it vears to the right and i have to fight with it

  • Thomas G

    I had it one for a year, intimate wipers work crazy, no room inside, sits way too low..no clearance at all. Can’t see out the back window, watch the trunk so you don’t hit your head.. This vehicle is overall junk… Never again

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