Brake complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2025 | 2 | 6% | 0 miles |
| 2024 | 6 | 15% | — |
| 2023 | 2 | 10% | — |
| 2022 | 4 | 5% | — |
| 2021 | 25 | 19% | 17,000 miles |
| 2020 | 25 | 12% | 5,000 miles |
| 2019 | 38 | 17% | 16,000 miles |
| 2018 | 40 | 22% | 30,000 miles |
| 2017 | 22 | 10% | 42,000 miles |
| 2016 | 21 | 8% | 48,000 miles |
| 2015 | 18 | 5% | 24,000 miles |
| 2014 | 35 | 9% | 12,000 miles |
| 2013 | 97 | 15% | 20,000 miles |
| 2012 | 7 | 4% | 2,000 miles |
| 2011 | 14 | 10% | 18,000 miles |
| 2010 | 1 | 1% | 165,000 miles |
| 2009 | 10 | 18% | 10,000 miles |
| 2008 | 21 | 13% | 24,000 miles |
| 2007 | 20 | 13% | 48,000 miles |
| 2006 | 5 | 4% | 130,000 miles |
| 2005 | 12 | 7% | 39,000 miles |
| 2004 | 10 | 5% | 85,000 miles |
| 2003 | 7 | 4% | 53,000 miles |
| 2002 | 9 | 3% | 41,000 miles |
| 2001 | 24 | 10% | 30,000 miles |
| 2000 | 10 | 6% | — |
| 1999 | 7 | 12% | 101,000 miles |
| 1998 | 7 | 12% | 255,000 miles |
| 1997 | 15 | 14% | 121,000 miles |
| 1996 | 10 | 7% | — |
| 1995 | 25 | 21% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I had this car for seven months and in June 13,2024 car failed and caused accident.Prior to the accident the car was shutting off in traffic .Then June 13,2024 caused accident when going to work Car lost control due to computer issues.My vehicle camera and reporter recorded the whole thing and my foot was on break all way to accident.State farm insurance has a recorder and was shown. I'm reporting that before crash air bags sprayed out steam and burnt my arm.The airbags failed to deploy.When car was bounced on flate bed truck they deployed,not until then I was injured with burnt face and arm and cut knee. Please acknowledge to Nissan. I told them but they didn't report issue or investigated. The Nissan central have tie rod problems.
I was turning into a parking spot at a store when I tried to break the vehicle accelerated, then was forced into the wall and the vehicle, then went backwards, losing control, and continue to accelerate. The only way I was able to stop. The car is to put it and park and shut the engine off after hitting another vehicle behind me. I could not get out of the vehicle as the door was jammed when I got out of the vehicle it looks as if the steering column shaft came out of its place. It was exposed and stuck below the brake and gas pedals
On May 9, 2025, my car was idling in my driveway. I put my foot on the brake to leave and heard an explosion so loud it was mentioned in multiple Facebook groups and heard in at least 3 towns. There was insulation hanging from the bottom of my car. It has been towed to the Nissan dealership and they said my brake booster exploded and confirmed that they had never seen that before. I believe this is a safety issue as had I been on the highway it could have caused a fatal accident. It is still at the dealership so I do not yet have documentation or receipts, but I was told to submit a report ASAP.
Parking brake fails to engage the first few times and when attempting to engage it the rpms rev high. System seems confused and thinks it's still driving hence the difficulty for the brake to be applied (mostly on an incline). In other instances the parking brake disengages on its own after the vehicle is turned off. Something isn't right. Dealership can't duplicate because no incline exists.
The contact owned a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in cruise control mode, the brakes applied independently without being depressed. The check engine and ABS warning lights were illuminated, and the cruise control mode was deactivated. The contact made a local dealer aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact then stated that while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle in front suddenly braked and the contact applied the brake pedal but they failed to respond and he rear-ended the vehicle. The contact stated that all air bags had deployed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and was deemed totaled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 17,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the emergency brake warning light had illuminated. In addition, the contact stated while depressing the brake pedal the vehicle did not come to a complete stop and rolled forward. The contact stated that they had crashed into a vehicle in front of them. No police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front vehicle sensory and the bumper needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal failure reoccured on several occasions. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
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.
Related recalls (3)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2008 sentra passenger vehicles equipped with Bosch master cylinders. Brake fluid May leak from the master cylinder. If the amount of brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoir decreases to below the minimum level, the brake system warning indicator will illuminate as designed and the…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the master cylinder brake booster assembly free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2009. Owners May contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
The anti-lock braking system (ABS) hydraulic actuator was not properly purged of all air during the fill and evacuation process causing air bubbles to get into the brake system.
Remedy: Dealers will bleed the ABS hydraulic actuator to remove any air bubbles in the brake system.
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…
Excessive Brake Pedal Travel
On May 20, 2014, ODI opened PE14-014 based on eight complaints alleging incidents of excessive brake pedal travel in model year (MY) 2013 through 2014 Nissan Sentra, Versa Sedan and Versa Note passenger cars (Figure 1) and information in Early Warning Reporting field reports indicating issues with master cylinder internal seals.In response to an information request letter sent by ODI, Nissan identified a condition…
Frequently asked questions
Which Nissan Sentra years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2013 (97), 2018 (40), 2019 (38), 2014 (35) and 1995 (25) model years. Brake complaints make up 15% of all complaints for the 2013.
Is there a recall for Nissan Sentra brake problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 09V-431 (master cylinder, Nov 3, 2009); 08V-311 (master cylinder, Jul 11, 2008); 95V-028 (antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, Mar 1, 1995). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Nissan Sentra brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 29,000 miles; 74% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the foundation components (39 mentions), followed by the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (32).
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.