What 202 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Nissan Sentra Nismo

I purchased a 2019 Nissan Sentra SR (VIN: [XXX] ) as a certified pre-owned vehicle from Star Nissan in Bayside, NY on [XXX]. Since the day of purchase, I have experienced repeated failures when trying to start the vehicle using the push-button ignition. Specifically, when pressing the brake pedal to start the car, nothing happens — the brake does not register, and the engine will not start. This issue directly matches the symptoms outlined in NHTSA Recall 21V135 (Nissan Campaign PM971), which addresses a known brake lamp switch defect in 2016–2019 Nissan Sentra models. I was not the original owner and was never notified of this recall. The selling dealership, who had custody of the car when the recall was issued, did not confirm or perform the required repair before reselling the vehicle to me. Nissan Consumer Affairs now claims there are “no open recalls” on my VIN, but the part in question — the brake switch — has never been replaced, and my Nissan service history confirms that it was not repaired. Instead, unrelated components like the brake booster were replaced multiple times, which did not resolve the issue. This defect has created multiple unsafe situations where I was stranded with my child in unsafe areas due to the car failing to start. The car’s brake system is critical to safe operation and starting function, and failure of this component puts both myself and my child at risk. I believe the recall was never performed and was falsely marked as completed or was never properly associated with my VIN. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate why this VIN is not being flagged for an active recall, despite clear matching symptoms and lack of documented repair. I also request that Nissan be required to fulfill the safety repair free of charge under the recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11668768

The hood latch isn't secure. Hood rattles.

NHTSA ODI 11664445

Transmission actively failing. Transmission flush was done at dealership and car began jerking when accelerating and shifting gears. When the transmission flush was done, they did a multipoint inspection and said everything was clear. No lights have come on.

NHTSA ODI 11662458

The drivers side door lock is defective. The automatic locking does not work. This is unsafe since the doors need to be locked manually which puts people at right of opening the door while driving. There are currently no recalls or warnings in regards to this malfunction. Also, the electrical and sound in the front radio screen is also defective. I did take it to Nissan and they said it would need to be completely replaced. This service would cost $400. Because of this defect, you cannot talk to emergency services if needed.

NHTSA ODI 11659419

The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission downshifted, and the vehicle stalled. The message to see “Owner's Manual” was displayed. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 134,145.

NHTSA ODI 11656148

Transmission is slipping when trying to go up hills. Also crash detection sensor malfunction and these items need recalled. Especially the transmission when I see I'm not the only complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11653597

My car only goes into reverse. It is right under 100 k miles. i have been told it needs a new cvt transmissions and it cost more to replace than what my car is worth. There were no warning lights. It is a 2019 Nissan Sentra.

NHTSA ODI 11648081

The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the battery was replaced. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and repaired with a software update. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

NHTSA ODI 11647561

Car is constantly turning on inside even if the car is turned off, the radio will play all night. Sometimes in comes on and then it turns off. When car is turned on and I am driving all of a sudden screen and dashboard will go out all black and then all of a sudden turns on. This has been happening since I purchased the vehicle which was about 2 years ago, I did take back to question it and it was stated to me that sometimes vehicles do that because the vehicle has just been turned off. Now to add to that I am getting a key system error on dashboard when driving the car and electrically speaking the doors are now not locking but everything mechanically is intact and working.

NHTSA ODI 11641045

The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission jerked intermittently. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer; Greenville Mitsubishi (325 Woodruff Rd, Greenville, SC 29607) to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the third and fourth gear in the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed that mileage on the vehicle had exceeded the transmission warranty. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle remained at the residence undrivable and unrepaired. The failure mileage was 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11635687

The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that the transmission would slip or jerk intermittently while driving at various speeds. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lunged before accelerating or occasionally failed to accelerate as intended, causing the contact to restart the vehicle to accelerate as desired. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The dealer had not repaired the vehicle; but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to inquire about a possible recall. The contact spoke with a second dealer, Hudson Nissan of Charleston (1714 Savannah Hwy, Charleston, SC 29407) and it was confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and was also diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 168,860.

NHTSA ODI 11633297

The car won't start this is my third time raking it in for the brake switch replacement

NHTSA ODI 11632833

I got this car from Rocky Mount dealership in 2020, I mentioned less than 30 days it drove funny, then less than 6 months the car had recall, which with everything going on in the pandemic it took a while to get the piece for the recall…again which i reported that the car drove funny less than 5 days of my purchase. Nothing… When the car was service for the recall, i mentioned it drove funny but no lights were on and nothing could be determined due to the recall fixed. Fast forward to now 4 years later the car shakes, jerks, slow to accelerate and the RPM is jumpy. As well as when you switch gears as I’m looking at 3-5k to get this fixed.

NHTSA ODI 11627274

When i bought the car, it started making a grunting sound every time I would accelerate the car and start driving. Now the car stalls while I'm on drive. It had turned off on me a few times while driving and quickly turn back on, and other times it would turn off when I would make a turn I took my car to my mechanic and they weren't sure what is wrong with it. They say it might be an electrical issue or the transmission, they also said that my axles are bad on my car. I only have a year with the car which I bought from enterprise car sales and it had 115k miles. Still too little for it to have that many problems.

NHTSA ODI 11626127

Bought a used car from a dealership, in April 2023. Battery is being drained when parked. I have been stranded several times, due to the battery failure. First time happened 6 months after purchase. Now battery needs to be replaced frequently, about every 2 months

NHTSA ODI 11624229

The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while pressing the START/STOP button, the brake pedal seized, and the vehicle failed to start as needed. The contact continuously pressed the START/STOP button while depressing the brake pedal, and the vehicle eventually started. The contact stated that the stop lamp switch had previously been replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the stop lamp switch needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11621216

On 10/28/2024 I was driving on a highway at 60 mph with light traffic. All of a sudden the radio display panel went blank and all the warning lights on dashboard lit up. The car started to slow down and did not gain speed even when gas pedal is pressed. Car speed went down to 40 mph. I put on hazard lights and looking for safe spot to park the car. I drove for 2 to 3 minutes and then dashboard warnings lights went out, radio came back and the car gained speed again. It drove normal again. This car has other issues as well such USB ports do not function.

NHTSA ODI 11621184

The radio system of car the Nissan connect turns on and off when the car is parked and off it does drain my car battery to the point I have to replace it all the time this issues happened the camera works off and on the CarPlay and android auto sometimes work but it doesn’t which is a safety concern when trying to answer calls through the car and messages but it won’t let me do that due to those issues

NHTSA ODI 11619364

The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 163,339.

NHTSA ODI 11617398

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11612375

The car will not register the brake activation to be able to start the vehicle. Hence, we have a broken car that now doesn’t work

NHTSA ODI 11612069

Mounting bracket on trainy broke

NHTSA ODI 11610625

The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brake warning light illuminated. The contact replaced the sensor at the residence; however, the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11605459

UNKNOWN....transmission issue/failure under 100,000 miles. Recalls on previous models in 2013-2017. Transmission failed in my 2019 with under 100,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11604497

Having issues with my brake switch. I’ll press on the brakes but it won’t appear as if i’m pressing it which makes it hard for me to start my car. I have to wiggle the brake and press it numerous times for the brake lights to engage.

NHTSA ODI 11604180