Electrical, brakes and powertrain issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Nissan has long been a reliable name in car manufacturing, which is why many people trusted the 2019 Nissan Sentra. The newer models claim to help customers “rock every city block,” but research shows this car can’t handle much of anything. From a faulty electrical system to poor visibility and a defective powertrain to malfunctioning service brakes, this car leaves owners scratching their heads.
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With today’s modern systems, cars rely on the electrical system more than ever. Yet, Sentra owners continually find themselves at the shop for electrical problems.
Here’s one such complaint left on the Edmunds website. “I have a 2019 Nissan Sentra SV. I’ve only had the car for a week I’ve already had major problems. Car battery has died 2x, the car is not recognizing the key fob, power steering sensors light on , front radar crash detector light on.”
The issues get even larger when recalls get involved. Nissan issued NHTSA Campaign Number 19V654000, which affects over a million vehicles. This recall states that the back-up camera display isn’t functioning properly, further putting people in danger. I guess the automaker figures drivers can “rock every city block” without going in reverse.
Problems with the Visibility
While looking at the rear visibility, it becomes evident that there are also issues with the forward view.
Another Edmunds user says, “The matte-chrome accents on the vents and ultra-illuminated dash board reflect off the drivers windows and side mirror so much that it obstructs my view. It’s similar to a mirror reflection- and yes, I’ve dimmed the dash lights too. I’ve had to drive with the window DOWN in the RAIN in order to see on the highway when switching lanes.”
The company hasn’t discussed any efforts to correct the poor visibility. At this time, there are no instructions to technicians, nor any plans to create a new design. Basically, Sentra drivers are operating blind, whether they are moving in the forward or reverse position.
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| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Power Train | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Exterior Lighting | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Engine | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Air Bags | |
| Vehicle Speed Control |
Without visibility, one would hope that the vehicle at least moves as it should, but that’s not the case either. The Sentra suffers from serious transmission concerns.
Here is one NHTSA complaint. “I was coasting towards the traffic light wanting to make a left hand turn when the light turned yellow and I was already past the point where I could back up. I had to hit the gas pedal to make the turn in a quick fashion and beat the oncoming traffic. The car just puttered along and I almost got hit by the oncoming traffic. It seems like the CVT transmission gets disengaged when the car is coasting at low speeds (5-10 mpg) and there is a loss of power to the wheels when I hit the gas pedal again. RPM is 3000 and the car still doesn’t move quickly enough to get out of that dangerous situation. The reason I believe that the transmission is the culprit is because when I stop at a light or stop sign and I barely come to a stop and I hit the gas pedal again, it makes a jerking motion, like the transmission didn’t downshift to 1st like it is supposed to. It gets stuck in the high gear and when I hit the gas pedal it downshifts hard. I have to stop a few feet away from the light and then release the brake a little in order for it to downshift to 1st.”
It turns out that Nissan knows this transmission is a piece of junk. Even Service Bulletin #NTB19-068a talks about how the vehicle might exhibit a lack of power and noticeable hesitation with the MIL illuminated. This problem will also set DTC P0868. Yet, owners are currently stuck in intersections around the country, hoping that their little car would go.
The Sentra is a lower-cost car, but it still should come with a reliable engine. Sadly, that’s not the case.
For an example, check out this statement on Edmunds. “I was driving a 2018 Sentra with 18,190 miles on it when this happened. I was driving on the downtown main street going at 10~20mph with frequent stops due to heavy traffic. The engine decided to shut down while I’m still driving, of which I’m so glad of the speed I was driving at that time, otherwise, it would be a lot worse than just honk from the cars behind, I could be in a fatal accident. Having to rush to the court, I had to drive an hour to the court with this known issue with lots of anxiety. I got the car exchanged at the rental car company after attending the court and was talking to an old lady who had five Sentra in her life. She was complaining about newer Sentra (after 2012 or so), she also mentioned her daughter’s Sentra wheel was locked while driving on the freeway and had to spend three thousand dollars to fix it. I am seriously playing safe to avoid Sentra at all costs.”
For once, Nissan has talked about some of the issues plaguing this engine. Service Bulletin #NTB17-082b says that there could be an evaporator leak at the vent control valve O-ring on some engines. While it’s nice to see the company take responsibility for something, it would be far better if the automaker made a better car, which kept the occupants protected and safe. After all, the only “new direction” this car is worthy of is a trip to the junkyard.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Nissan pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
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.
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I have a 2019 sv sentra,it has failed to spin over several times.have replaced battery an ends.no help..also from stop light it feels as if it has to downshift to take off then at about 25mph it real sluggest shift ..my 2016 sv works flawlessly
I bought my 2019 2 years ago at 50k miles Nissan had to change transmission then at 68k miles goes out again and Nissan is refusing to fix they are trying to charge me 5k for a transmission
I as well own a 2019 Nissan Sentra SV and have the same “slipping” RPM issue as stated many times above. Merchants Auto, where I purchased it said there is nothing they can do other than let me trade the car in for a different car, paying another down payment and hassle of finding someone to finance me with unfavorable credit! It’s so hard! I will have had the car for a year next month. Just had to replace most of the muffler for 700 because the baffles came loose and we’re rattling around the muffler. NISSAN SHOULD BE SUED!!!
I currently have a 2019 Nissan Sentra and weeks after purchasing it I started to feel the Rmp go from 1-4 it would skip 2 and 3 .
I asked Nissan to help me with this issue and all they said was they can’t do anything Bc there’s no codes .
I decided to replace my spark plugs and Cvt sensor with my family mechanic and added fuel injector cleaner and it seemed to help but now after a few weeks later it starts to feel the same way .
My 2019 Nissan sentry will not start. Pressing the brake Pedal down the engine will not turn over. This will be at less the fourth time taking it in. Has any other owner had this problem.
When driving on the highway my car will automatically start revving and the Rpms go up without the car moving faster. I brought it in to be serviced and they reset it they said. It worked for a little while but a few months later, I’m having the same problem.
I’ve taken my car in at least 5 times for problems with my sensors. Four of them they supposedly replaced. Also four times for transmission issues and a screeching sound that only does it when in drive idling with foot on the brake pedal. Not while driving or in park. I have lots of video of this sound and while doing 75-80 while in cruise control my rpms go haywire and starting jumping up to the 5-6 rpms. I’ve brought my car in for the first time at 9 months old and treated like a stupid female. Told you can’t feel a cvt transmission shift. I went through putting three transmissions in my 2012 fusion. I know when my freaking transmission is slipping. And when I’m at a stop and I go to turn it feels like what happens when your riding a bike and hit the brake and it skids or drifts for a second. That’s what it feels like when I take off from a light. I keep bringing my car for the same problems and this last time they even charged me for the rental because they said they couldn’t duplicate the problem. And as soon as I leave it’s doing it again. I started bringing it in long before the 36000 part of my warranty was up. I have 45000 miles and it’s still not fixed and now I’m being told that they will charge me a diagnostic fee. This is BS. I originally bought a used Kia from Nissan and was toying with buying a brand new one. They couldn’t get the numbers right in the dealing. I found it really odd. Spent two days on the phone with the bank I financed this car with. Come to find that the contract I signed and had showed the 4000 I put down on the Kia. And the copy Nissan submitted to the bank said I put down 2500. I have both copies proving they pocketed 1500 of my down payment. I should have never bought this 2019 Nissan Sentra SR. I should have sued for fraud instead. Now I can’t even get them to fix this crap and my warranty for the transmission is still active. Plz help me!
Had cvt issues about a month after buying. In 12 months my car cut off a total of three times…the third time actually being the time it won’t cut back on. Nissan won’t offer any help. I have a 3 year warranty and I hate this car.