Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 Nissan Sentra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My daughter was driving her 2020 Nissan Sentra the other day and was trying to avoid hitting a dog that ran in front of her car she crashed into a park car. Our Nissan Sentra anti brakes did not stop the car nor make a noise before hitting that parked car. No warning from our car to prevent this head on collision. There is so much damage that our insurance has deemed it a total loss. By the grace of God daughter is physically fine but mentally she is not!! As a parent I felt comfortable with my daughter driving this car at first. I have witness the anti brakes work on our 2020 Nissan Sentra before, when we would get near an object the car would automatically stop! We are now out of a car and I'm still going to owe a balance to my finance company once the insurance pay whatever they're going to pay. …
Vehicle had AEB System malfunctioning. The brakes did NOT work. The emergency brake barely worked. We were driving on Fathers Day to a family gathering and the system and brakes malfunctioned, yes we collided with the Curb and debris on the side of the road cause curb rash to the rims. No major damage. This would be the 3rd this has happened to my vehicle in particular. Dealers say the manufacturer doesn't cover brake line damage or issue even due to factory fault/ defect.
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle sporadically braked. Additionally, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact to replace the battery. The battery was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
I was traveling on a multi lane road at a speed of approximately 45 mph. There were cars directly behind me. Multiple pedestrian crossings were in front of me but the pedestrians had already crossed the road and were safely on the sidewalk. However, the caution lights from the crosswalk were still illuminated from the pedestrians that had previously crossed. As I reached the pedestrian crossing, the vehicle's front collision warning system activated and immediately applied heavy brake pressure. There was nothing I could do to override it and since there was nothing in front of my vehicle, the cars behind me were not expecting a sudden stop. The car behind me was able to stop in time but narrowly avoided a collision with the rear of my vehicle as a result.
On June 10 2025 the brake sensor malfunctioned for my 2020 Nissan Sentra This was the secound timeThe first time was about one week before..The brake peddle went down , car brakes ,brakes.I was driving speed limit of 20.There were no cars on the street or object.A yellow triangle appeared on the dash board..It scared me ,This is a safety hazard that can cause a accident.The next morning my car didn't start.There were a few symbols on the dashboard..I had it towed to the car dealer.They put a new battery.I just bought it May 04 2025.I was told no sensors were on, Mechanic didn't find anything. As of now I have bot picked up my car from the car dealer. 06/24/2025
Locks on doors would not work with remote, and to get out keys to get fixed. When to Nissan 2 times for them to fix. Dark at night could not get in car safely. No warning signs Windows would not go up or down, had to get windows fixed, due to rain can hinder my vison while driving. No warnings, Nissan fixed after going back two times Back up Camera had to be replaced or fixed. Car would not start. Said it was a break lamp sensor, which was recalled on 2019 and prior Nissan Sentra's. I have a 2020 no recall yet No incident has happened yet, but could cause grave danger if not fixed! This whole car needs to be recalled!
Driving 40 mph car for no reason slams on break. Flashing large Red warning across the screen.The car is Unsafe to drive. Can cause a fatal accident. Passenger and driver at risk for injury due to unaware sudden stop on road while driving. When this happened Driver has no control of car. Before the car was purchased I saw a yellow buzzing light. The seller said to leave it over night for repair. The next day I was told by the seller the car was inspected and repaired by manufacturer. The seller said the car was fixed. When I drove it off the lot, the yellow light was still coming on buzzing. Then the car malfunctioned on the road.
I was driving the 60mph speed limit on the highway. The car automatically braked and said an object was on the road. The cruise control was not available due to the error message that popped up. My safety and the safety of my 3 children were at risk because if there were a car behind me, they would have rear ended me, especially going for 60mph to a sudden jerking stop such as that. I was told that some nissan's distance sensors are malfunctioning this way, but my car is not added to the recall, so I will have to save up to get it corrected. I bought this car brand new last year.
On a few occasions, while driving, the forward collision warning came on causing the car to automatically brake when there were no cars in front of or around the car. Brought the car to dealer and was quoted $2057.50. After that, all 4 automatic door locks stopped working. Brought car to dealer again and was quoted $1375.00 to replace the door actuators for a grand total of $3658.78. Nissan consumer affairs was called and they said they would only cover 50% of the repairs. These items are huge safety issues and Nissan should cover the entire bill.
I was driving down the highway and my Automatic emergency brakes system decided to kick in. Scared the hell out of me. nobody was hurt thank God! Luckily there was no cars around me. Or im sure i could have been seriously hurt or even killed. I took the vehicle to nissan dealership they kept my car for 3 months and supposedly they fixed the problem. But i have proof of the messages and lights on my dash telling me malfucntion. Like wth?
Brake complaints in other Sentra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2020 Nissan Sentra?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the brakes of the 2020 Nissan Sentra, 12% of the model year's 206 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2020 Nissan Sentra brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2020 Nissan Sentra, though it has 4 recalls 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 2020 Nissan Sentra brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 5,000 miles, and 78% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 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.