Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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).
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. …
Transmission; I have had to change the CVT transmission on my Nissan Sentra twice in the space of a year. Before the last change I suffered a transmission leak that entailed me adding fluid when a whining noise starts. Steering; power steering is hard and does not move with ease unlike other cars I have driven. Speedometer; speed is inaccurate. I got speeding tickets because my speedometer did not accurately depict my speed. It was wrong and off by ~5 MPH when speed started to exceed 20mph
My 2007 Nissan Sentra was purchased new in December 2006. After having to bring in my car on several occasions for minor glitches (a rear-view mirror falling off, one of the sun-visors fell off), I finally had a big problem. In February 2008, while driving on a straight, flat road, while approaching an intersection I prepared to stop my vehicle for a light. I was about 4 car lengths behind the car ahead of me, and was only traveling about 35 MPH. When I pressed the brake pedal softly, nothing happened. Then I pushed the brake pedal down all the way, and still nothing happened. I had a wide shoulder to my right, so I tried turning the wheel and it had locked up. At this point, I made contact with the car ahead of me. My car was immediately taken to a repair shop and had the steering column replaced, as well as the hood of the car and various other parts needing to be fixed. …
I own a 2007 Nissan Sentra - within the first year of ownership the power steering failed - the dash light would come on and the car could not be driven because of the lack of power steering. I took it to don williamson Nissan and they erased the failure light and said nothing was wrong with it. This has happened again (3rd time) - now the warranty has expired, the ps light has come on approximately 7 times within the last week, the power steering does not engage when the car is turned on - I turn the car on and off approximately 6 times and the ps does engage, however now the gears within the steering column grind for approx 1minute before the car operates. …
Tl contact owns a 2007 Nissan Sentra. In March of 2008, the vehicle made a grinding sound when making left turns. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, but no failures were found. Immediately after leaving the dealer, the contact noticed that the front wheels were unstable. He returned the vehicle to the dealer a week later and a diagnostic test indicated that there was an alignment failure. The mechanic stated that the failure had been previously repaired on the vehicle. Immediately after leaving the dealer the second time, he noticed that the vehicle would stop abruptly when the brake pedal was depressed. This was a persistent failure. He currently must avoid crashing into other vehicles as a result of the brake failure. He took the vehicle to the dealer again and they advised the contact to go to the original dealer to receive any repairs. …
I own a 2007 Nissan Sentra, the power steering light (ps) continues to come on and the electric power steering does not work on occasion - it has failed beginning at 1 year of ownership and has continued to fail even this morning - August 12, 2009. Don williamson Nissan will not replace the faulty electric motor (pulled by computer code from the car) even though I have documentation of the faulty code at 32,043 miles which was still under warranty. This is a safety hazard - Nissan USA will not fix the problem because the car is now out of warranty. I will never buy another Nissan and I currently own 3 - they have a dishonest service department and are unwilling to satisfy their warranty.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that the power steering and engine warning lights would illuminate intermittently, followed by a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer advised that since the vehicle was no longer under warranty and the power steering and engine lights did not remain illuminated consistently, there was nothing that could be done to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer would not repair the failure unless the power steering light and engine light remained illuminated. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 44,000.
1-9-07 I purchased a 2007 Nissan Sentra on 1-13-07 the ps light came on and the power steering was out. It corrected itself and drove okay until 1-18, 2007 I took the car to the dealer. The porter drove the car and confirmed the power steering was not working. I had to argue with the service clerk to demand that the vehicle be checked, after talking with the service manager and the sales manager they agreed to keep the vehicle overnight. The next day I receive a call stating that a problem was found and the part had to be ordered. I have not been told what the part is. I still do not have the auto. They are still waiting for part .
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Nissan Sentra. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the steering wheel seized with the illumination of the power steering warning indicator. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road and the engine was turned off. When the engine was restarted the vehicle resumed normally. The failure occurred thirty times. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to manuver. The contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder of the road. After restarting, the vehicle regained normal steering function. The failure occurred on three different occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The technician was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 46,581.
Steering complaints in other Sentra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2007 Nissan Sentra?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the steering of the 2007 Nissan Sentra, 19% of the model year's 154 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist system (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Nissan Sentra steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2007 Nissan Sentra, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2007 Nissan Sentra steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 49,000 miles, and 26% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to steering 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.