What 180 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Nissan Sentra

The rearview mirror fell off the windshield and was hanging by the wires, which was found when entering the vehicle to drive; when touched, the wires and everything fell the rest off the way off the windshield. Glass from the windshield broke off with the rearview mirror. This was hazardous to be missing while driving and has prevented visibility and impacted safety. A mechanic is repairing the vehicle and has never seen anything like this issue, but upon looking up this specific problem, it appears many Nissan Sentra owners have experienced the same issue.

NHTSA ODI 11608044

AFTER GOING TO THE BANK WE STOPPED FOR BREAKFAST.....IT WAS ABOUT 40 DEGREES AND LIGHT SNOW WAS FALLING.....WHILE EATING OUR SUN ROOF EXPLODED......IT HAD A CONE SHAPE UPWARDS AND GLASS WAS ALL AROUND ON THE ROOF AND HOOD OF THE VEH. ....VEH WAS PARKED LUCKY FOR US...... BUT IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT AND GLASS WENT FLYING.....

NHTSA ODI 10700898

SPOUSE PARKED AND WAITING IN THE CAR AT AIRPORT ARRIVAL CURB AROUND 8:30PM. AS I WAS WALKING TOWARDS THE CAR, I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION, SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT. THEN I NOTICED THE CAR SUNROOF PIECES SHATTERED ALL OVER. NO CARS PASSING BY. TEMP AROUND 90F. LUCKILY NO PASSENGERS CLOSE BY TO THE CAR. SPOUSE WAS IN SHOCK AND LUCKILY THE SUNROOF COVER WAS CLOSED. I COULD NOT FIND A CAUSE OTHER THAN SUSPECTING THIS IS A VEHICLE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE ONLY DAMAGE PART WAS SUNROOF ITSELF. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT DEEM A SAFETY RECALL OF SUNROOF REPLACEMENT. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED. REPORTED THE ISSUE TO NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIR AND WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10640510

2012 NISSAN SENTRA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO INADEQUATE CABIN HEAT IN WINTER. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE NOTICED THIS PAST WINTER, THE VEHICLE DID NOT HEAT UP TO NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURES ON A TIMELY BASIS WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS ROUGHLY 15 DEGREES OR COLDER. INSTEAD, THE COOLANT TEMPERATURE GAUGE MOVED ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY AND JUST STAYED THERE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF 20 MINUTES OR MORE. AS A RESULT, THE HEATER PUT OUT ONLY MINIMALLY WARM AIR. EVENTUALLY, THE VEHICLE FULLY WARMED UP AND THE HEAT OUTPUT WAS NORMAL. THE DEALER WAS AWARE THERE WAS A PROBLEM, BUT WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT IT, AND THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY TECHNICAL ADVICE OR ASSISTANCE FROM NISSAN. *JB NISSAN INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE CONDITION WAS IDENTIFIED IN OTHER SENTRA'S, BUT THAT WAS HOW THE ENGINE WAS DESIGNED, AND IT WOULD NOT BE CHANGED. UPDATED 09/10/14

NHTSA ODI 10625690

I WAS DRIVING IN THE CENTER LANE OF A 3 LANE HIGHWAY WHEN I HEARD AN EXPLOSION AND FELT SOMETHING HIT ME AND REALIZED BY SUNROOF SHATTERED AND THE GLASS CAME DOWN ON TOP OF ME. I PULLED OVER WHEN I COULD AND COULD NOT FIND A CAUSE FOR THIS. THE ONLY THING DAMAGED WAS THE SUNROOF ITSELF. I DID NOT HAVE THE VISOR CLOSED SO IT COVERED ME IN GLASS PLUS I STILL FEEL THE IMPACT FROM EITHER THE SPRAY OR JUST THE FORCE ON MY RIGHT HEAD,EAR, AND SHOULDER. NO CUTS, JUST SORE. OUTSIDE TEMP WAS ABOUT 55-60 AND I HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 20 MILES SO THE CABIN WAS COMFORTABLE. I WAS NOT AROUND ANY TRUCKS NOR DID I DRIVE UNDER AN OVERPASS. NO EXPLANATION OTHER THAN IT EXPLODING BY ITSELF. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10605360

VEHICLE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. SUNROOF SHATTERED. 53 DEGREE TEMP. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10595476

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AT ABOUT 6:45 AM I HEARD A LOUD NOISE LIKE AN EXPLOSION AND HEARD GLASS CRACKING AND LOOKED AT SUNROOF. IT HAD EXPLODED AND BURST INTO PIECES. I CLOSED THE SUNSHIELD TO PROTECT MYSELF AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I CALLED 911 AND A GA STATE PATROL CAME AND INSPECTED THE INCIDENT AND STATED IT LOOKED LIKE A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT WITH NO SIGN OF ANYTHING IMPACTING THE CAR. HE WROTE AN INCIDENT REPORT AND I HAD TO DRIVE ONTO WORK. NISSAN IS LOOKING AT MY CAR LATER TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND I HOPE THEY DO THINGS RIGHT SO I DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT TO GET THIS RESOLVED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10563356

WHILE PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY, OPEN SPACE - NOTHING ABOVE, THE SUN ROOF IMPLODED. IT WAS FINE WHEN WE PARKED THE CAR, BUT THE NEXT MORNING THE GLASS WAS BROKEN. NO IMPACT, TEMP 15 DEGREES F. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10557409

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,650. ..UPDATED 02-28-14 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE GLASS SUNROOF SHATTERED TWICE AND WAS REPAIRED BOTH TIMES AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. UPDATED 03/19/2014*JS

NHTSA ODI 10557093

I WAS DRIVING MY NISSAN SENTRA OVER I-25 AND SUDDENLY MOON ROOF EXPLODED. I HEARD A GUNSHOT AND GLASSES FLYING.THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND NISSAN MUST ISSUE RECALL OR REPLACEMENT FOR ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. IT SOUNDS LIKE VEHICLE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I READ SEVERAL FORUMS ON INTERNET AND CAME TO KNOW THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE WITH SEVERAL OTHER CARS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10523304

I TOOK RECEIPT OF MY NEW CAR ON 9/22/12. ON 9/23/12, I NOTICED A PROBLEM W/ THE AUTO DIMMING MIRROR & THE SUN VISOR & EMAILED MY SALES PERSON. I SHARED THE AUTO DIMMING MIRROR & THE SUN VISOR ARE BOTH LONG - I CANNOT USE THEM AT THE SAME TIME. IF I TRY TO USE THE SUN VISOR, IT PUSHES THE MIRROR SO I CANNOT USE IT. I DRIVE INTO THE SUN GOING TO WORK & COMING HOME FROM WORK AND NEED TO BE ABLE TO BLOCK THE SUN & SEE OUT OF MY REAR VIEW MIRROR. THE SALES PERSON TOLD ME TO WAIT UNTIL I CAME IN FOR MY 1,000 MILE SERVICE APPT. I THEN EMAILED THE MANUFACTURER & SHARED THE SAME THING. I ASKED IF THEY HAD EITHER 1) A SHORTER VISOR THAT BLOCKS THE SUN BUT DOES NOT BUMP INTO THE AUTO DIMMING MIRROR, OR 2) A SHORTER MIRROR. I TOLD THEM WHEN MY APPT WAS WITH THE DEALERSHIP, HOPING TO GET IT RESOLVED AT THE APPT. THEY ALSO TOLD ME TO WAIT UNTIL MY APPT. I WENT TO MY APPT ON 10/20/12. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SHOWED NO CONCERN & SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. HE THEN SNIDELY ASKED IF I USED MY "SIDE MIRRORS" WHEN I DRIVE. I SHARED WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY SALES PERSON ALONG WITH AGAIN EXPRESSING MY CONCERN ABOUT THE DESIGN FLAW & SAFETY ISSUE-ONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THE SUN VISOR WITHOUT IT PROHIBITING THE USE OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THE DEALERSHIP NEVER RESPONDED TO MY EMAIL. THE MANUFACTURER PERSON CONTACTED ME 10/29/12 & SAID THERE IS NO RESOLUTION TO MY PROBLEM. SHE OFFERED A $250 CREDIT FOR MY TROUBLES. I DECLINED THE CREDIT BECAUSE I SAID THE CAR STILL HAS A SAFETY ISSUE. I ASKED IF I PURCHASE A SMALLER MIRROR FROM THE AUTO PARTS STORE IF THEY WOULD INSTALL IT. THE PERSON SAID "NO" BECAUSE IT IS AFTER MARKET. I ASKED IF I HAD IT INSTALLED MYSELF WOULD IT VOID MY NEW CAR WARRANTY & WAS TOLD IT PROBABLY WOULD. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN BLOCKING THE SUN OR SEEING OUT OF MY REAR VIEW MIRROR. THIS IS DANGEROUS- ESPECIALLY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10482591