Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Nissan Sentra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2007 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that when the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a routine oil change, the mechanic informed her that during the test drive, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond, and was depressed to the floorboard. The contact stated that the mechanic used the parking brake to prevent the vehicle from crashing inside the shop. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed that the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 155,000.
When I discovered the car was not stopping after depressing the peddle and the brake light was coming on. I checked the fluid level and fluid was needed. I topped the fluid level off and it did not solve the problem. I then took it to a mechanic and ask to have the brakes checked. he then replaced the front pads. Once they were replaced he bled the system according to the mfg. recommendations. I now have a solid peddle but still do not have brakes. The peddle moves less than an inch when applied. He checked on line @ NHTSA for a recall and discovered the Recall number PM813 for the Master Cylinder and the car's VIN number had an Unrepaired Recall. I would like to get this recall taking care to keep my family safe.
Lost brakes on the highway luckily was able to stop safely. As you can see in the pic the rear left brake line completely corroded in 1 spot and another spot was ready to completely fail, those spots are incidentally the spots where the line attaches to the body for support, those points don't have the corrosion protection that the entire line has.
I was driving my car on the freeway and saw a small group of cars stopped in the road. I went to put on my brakes and nothing happened so I kept trying to brake pushing all the way down to the floor. I wedged myself between the SUV in front of me and the truck next to me. Also got rear ended by another vehicle. Air bags deplloyed and I received a few scratches bruises and muscle strain. I went to look up recalls about a month ago for my vehicle. Apparently my VIN is an invalid number. I received a ticket for failure to maintain my speed.
Tl contact owns a 2007 Nissan Sentra. While accelerating from a stop, the vehicle accelerated at a high speed on its own. The vehicle struck a fence, crashed into and removed the side rear of another vehicle, and drove over a sidewalk. None of the air bags deployed and there were no injuries. The contact pumped the brakes, but nothing happened. The vehicle began to slow down and the contact turned off the engine and engaged the parking brake. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop. The insurance company diagnosed the vehicle. The dealer stated that they never heard of this type of failure and was very interested in the matter because they want their products to be safe. There are no recalls for this vehicle; however, NHTSA campaign id number 08V311000 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder) was referenced. …
While going on up and down steep hills in a city all of a sudden the engine stalls and the breaks stop working. This happened to me several times and to my luck as there was no traffic I got escaped without any accidents. Both the times I stopped the vehicle by shifting it to the parking mode. Some times the steering also automatically shifts to manual mode and the steering becomes tight. So the issues are with both the brakes and steering and this could be a computer/communication glitch which is not communicating with the brakes properly. When I stop the vehicle and restarts after sometime again brakes works normally and everything works fine. But after some days this issue repeats. Right now I am taking the vehicle to the nearby dealer to get more information on the vehicle condition. …
I found while researching an issue on my Nissan Sentra 2007 that there was a recall on the master cylinder in 2008 because the same issue that just happened to me could happen. I never received a recall notification and apparently I was not on the list but my brake light came on and I had the maintenance shop check my brakes they said my pads were fine. That I was probably having an issue with the warning light. 2 weeks ago I got in my car and when I went to brake I had to push my foot all the way to the ground. I eventually made my way to my local Firestone and had them check my brakes only tho find that the master cylinder and the boosters needed to be replaced. When they pulled them they said they were full of brake fluid. That is why I had no brakes. This is the exact issue listed in the recall. …
Tl contact owns a 2007 Nissan Sentra. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for routine maintenance and informed them that the brakes were not working properly. The dealer stated that the vehicle did not have an ABS recall and it was not covered under the warranty. On November 5, 2008, while driving approximately 30 MPH, the brakes failed when the contact attempted to stop. She swerved and crashed the front end into another vehicle. Two occupants were injured. A report was filed with the manufacturer and they stated that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign id number 08V311000 (service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder). The manufacturer will send an investigator to the contact's home. The failure and current mileages were 1,063. Updated 12/11/08 updated 12/11/08.
My wife was involved in an accident last night in our 2007 Nissan Sentra, she rearended the car in front of her that stopped short, she slammed on the brakes when it happened and there was no response(the car didn't slow down at all) and the air bags did not go off, she hit the car in front of her between 30-40 MPH, and she hit her head on the steering wheel, luckily there was no severe injuries, but in contacting Nissan they didn't seem to care to much(expected that they aren't going to take any blame) but when I contacted the dealership they told me the car needs to be checked out to see why this happened.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Nissan Sentra. While driving at high speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel without warning. In addition, the brake light flickered on and off and when the brakes were applied and the vehicle responded slower than usual. The contact experienced the same failures explained in NHTSA campaign number: 08V311000 (service brakes), but the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
Nissan is recalling 169,202 my 2007-2008 sentra passenger vehicles equipped robert Bosch master cylinder. Due to the machining irregularity by the supplier, the internal seal groove in the body of some brake master cylinders May allow for a gap in the groove contact area of the seal.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the master cylinder/brake booster assembly and if brake fluid leakage is detected, the master cylinder will be replaced with a new one free of charge. The recall began on August 20, 2008.
NHTSA investigations
Scope of Recalls 08V311 and 09V431
Nissan conducted safety recalls 08V-311 and 09V-431 to remedy leaking master cylinders on certain MY 2007 and 2008 Nissan Sentra vehicles.The recall populations were determined based on production changes to the master cylinder which were fully implemented into production on April 18, 2008.NHTSA utilized vehicle owner questionnaire (VOQ) reports and did not request field information from Nissan.ODI identified two MY…
Brake complaints in other Sentra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2007 Nissan Sentra?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the brakes of the 2007 Nissan Sentra, 13% of the model year's 154 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Nissan Sentra brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 08V-311 (master cylinder, Jul 11, 2008). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2007 Nissan Sentra brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 48,000 miles, and 31% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 1 fire and 9 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.