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2020 Nissan Sentra

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2020 Nissan Sentra do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 116.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

57 reports with mileage · 147 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 55 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 44 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports

What owners actually said

204 reports
Mileage unknown · Jul 23, 2026
Electrical System

3/4 doors will not lock/unlock using fob, or the door controllers. This increases risk of theft, car jacking, and safety as the locks do not engage while driving. Very dangerous. Windows do not roll up/down, which when paired with the doors needing to be locked/unlocked manually can cause one to become trapped, especially with p…

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3/4 doors will not lock/unlock using fob, or the door controllers. This increases risk of theft, car jacking, and safety as the locks do not engage while driving. Very dangerous. Windows do not roll up/down, which when paired with the doors needing to be locked/unlocked manually can cause one to become trapped, especially with passengers. Dealership charged me $200 to tell me that the locks is were broken wanted to charge me $1200 to fix only two.

NHTSA ODI #11752295

Mileage unknown · Jul 8, 2026
Electrical System

The power unlock on all four doors of my car doors will no longer operate via key fob, outside lock button or interior power unlock buttons, although the doors can all be locked using those same processes. In addition, the doors have all randomly locked while being inside the car with no key, locking me inside the car and requir…

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The power unlock on all four doors of my car doors will no longer operate via key fob, outside lock button or interior power unlock buttons, although the doors can all be locked using those same processes. In addition, the doors have all randomly locked while being inside the car with no key, locking me inside the car and requiring someone getting a key to manually unlock the car to allow me to exit. The doors have also randomly locked with the key inside the car making it unable to access the car without a spare key being manually used to unlock the car. This has caused several very scary incidents including having to nearly break a window to get out of the car on a day when temperatures were over 100 degrees.

NHTSA ODI #11749096

140,000 miles · Jul 7, 2026
Steering

The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was off centered and the vehicle vibrated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle vibrated while making a turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a passenger-sid…

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The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was off centered and the vehicle vibrated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle vibrated while making a turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a passenger-side rear detached inter-tire rod and bushing and a driver's side rear inter-tire rod and bushing failing. The contact was informed that the driver's and passenger interior rods and bushings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. In addition, the contact stated that in 2021 the vehicle was inspected by the dealer for an unknown recall inspection, which had a similar failure description. In addition, the contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ODI #11748871

Mileage unknown · Jul 6, 2026
Steering

I have an Nissan Sentra sv 2020 and steering rack is causing problems when I drive my car, making my whole steering wheel shake when I go 60 on the highway, it also makes noises when I try to gently press on the gas making my wheels shake violently against the road. It’s a really bad safety hazard. If that part breaks. I can or …

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I have an Nissan Sentra sv 2020 and steering rack is causing problems when I drive my car, making my whole steering wheel shake when I go 60 on the highway, it also makes noises when I try to gently press on the gas making my wheels shake violently against the road. It’s a really bad safety hazard. If that part breaks. I can or any other drivers can lose control of their car and end up in a bad accident even death. Dealership is asking for about 4k to get that fix

NHTSA ODI #11748419

Mileage unknown · Jun 3, 2026
Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkages

The rear driver side door does not lock/unlock when pressing the lock/unlock buttons on the key fob nor the buttons on either of the front seat door panels. It is only able to be locked/unlocked by manually flipping the lock/unlock switch on the (rear driver side) door. No other doors have this issue. I believe either the door s…

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The rear driver side door does not lock/unlock when pressing the lock/unlock buttons on the key fob nor the buttons on either of the front seat door panels. It is only able to be locked/unlocked by manually flipping the lock/unlock switch on the (rear driver side) door. No other doors have this issue. I believe either the door switch actuator or faulty wiring is the cause of the issue. I believe it is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of my passengers is put at risk because of the additional step of ensuring the door is locked when departing from the vehicle, creating a more dangerous situation in the event of needing to quickly exit the vehicle, and an increased chance of car hijacking. I have seen reports saying there are 141 similar cases where certain years and models of Nissan vehicles (≈2013-2025 Altima, Rouge, and Sentra) have a similar issue, sometimes with the door not being able to be opened even with manually switching the door lock switch. The problem has been widely reported and confirmed by dealerships. The vehicle and the component have not been inspected by anyone. There were no warning signs or messages. The first sign of failure was April 4, 2026.

NHTSA ODI #11741828

Mileage unknown · May 26, 2026
Electrical System

my vehicle backup camera has been turning blue i didn't know why because the first couple of months i've had it, it's been fine i found out it was a recall on it

NHTSA ODI #11740142

Mileage unknown · May 14, 2026
SteeringSuspension

Nissan had a recall 2 years ago for a tie rod issue. When I brought the car in for that recall Nissan said that the tie rods showed no sign of bending so they didn't replace them. Two years later my car is not steering correctly and making noises. I find out that Nissan has a new tie rod recall (recall R23B3, NHTSA #23V-581) tha…

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Nissan had a recall 2 years ago for a tie rod issue. When I brought the car in for that recall Nissan said that the tie rods showed no sign of bending so they didn't replace them. Two years later my car is not steering correctly and making noises. I find out that Nissan has a new tie rod recall (recall R23B3, NHTSA #23V-581) that requires the tie rods to be changed regardless if they show any sign of bending or damage. I bring my car in to have this completed (2 years from the first recall) and they are telling me the power steering rack has to be replaced as well as the tie rods. The issue is Nissan now knows that by not replacing the tie rods two years ago it's damaging the power sterring rack but they will not acknowledge it as they don't want to pay the additional cost for the power sterring rack. I spoke to Nissan USA consumer affairs and they are taking a hard line on this. It's dangerous as the car dealership service department was going to let me drive my car after the tie rod replacement knowing the power steering rack was also damaged until I pressed the actual technician that worked on the car and he said it's dangerous to drive. Nissan must be reponsible for replacing all the damage caused by not making it mandatory to replace the tie rods in the first recall two years ago. The cost to replace the power steering rack is $3000 and they don't want to pay for that.

NHTSA ODI #11737805

Mileage unknown · May 12, 2026
Seat Belts

seatbelt is not matching and staying on as I am driving these vehicle

NHTSA ODI #11737308

Mileage unknown · May 8, 2026
Unknown Or Other

There has not been an actual incident, door lock actuator stopped working prematurely.

NHTSA ODI #11736490

Mileage unknown · Apr 16, 2026
Back Over PreventionUnknown Or Other

2020 Nissan Sentra Backup Camera. The camera periodically goes out only displaying a blue screen. Researched and discovered it was a recall. Went to the dealership and asked them and they said my cars recall was marked as completed back in 2023 to which I had no knowledge of. The issue was not resolved and was just marked as cle…

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2020 Nissan Sentra Backup Camera. The camera periodically goes out only displaying a blue screen. Researched and discovered it was a recall. Went to the dealership and asked them and they said my cars recall was marked as completed back in 2023 to which I had no knowledge of. The issue was not resolved and was just marked as cleared without proper inspection. Dealerships are refusing to fix the recall since it was already (incorrectly) marked as complete.

NHTSA ODI #11731636

Official recalls

4

23V628000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Sep 8, 2023

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23C3.

23V581000 · Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly

Aug 15, 2023

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may bend.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A bent tie rod can break and cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Owners are advised to contact their dealer for transport assistance if they are experiencing an off-center steering wheel or vibration. As an interim repair, dealers will inspect and replace any bent or broken tie rods, free of charge. Once newly designed parts are available, dealers will replace both left and right tie rods, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed November 27, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23B3. This recall replaces and expands recall number 21V-461. Vehicles previously repaired under 21V-461 will need to have the new remedy completed.

22V244000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights

Apr 13, 2022

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Sentra vehicles, equipped with LED headlights. The right-hand headlight aim may be misaligned. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamp, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An improperly aimed headlight may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the right-hand headlight, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 10, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R20B4.

21V461000 · Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly

Jun 17, 2021

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may be bent.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A bent tie rod can break, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the left and/or right tie rods as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 5, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PM985.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.