RoadVitals

1997 Nissan Sentra Brakes Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Brakes reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
16
Latest Oct 30, 2006
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
15%
of 108 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2

What this page shows

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Nissan Sentra submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming brake

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

AirbagsBrakes
Filed Oct 30, 2006
Crash reported2 injuries reported

WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON THE FREEWAY DOING ABOUT 70 MPH WHEN THERE WAS A WRECK ON THE HWY, TO AVOID FURTHER COLLISIONS UP TO 5 CARS IN FRONT OF ME LOCKED UP THEIR BRAKES, THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME LOCKED UP HIS BRAKES, & I LOCKED UP MY BRAKES, & MY FRONT END WENT DOWN, MY BRAKES LOCKED UP, MY CAR SLID UNDER THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME, & NEITHER AIR-BAG DEPLOYED! MY FRONT END BUCKLED UP I COUNT 3 FAILURES, THE BRAKES BEING 1ST, 2ND, & 3RD BEING AIR BAGS. (DRIVERS, & PASSENGER. THERE HAS NOT YET BEEN ANY ACTION TO CORRECT THE FAILURE, THIS IS THE FIRST THING MY WIFE HAS DONE. I DID HAVE A PASSENGER IN MY CAR, & BEING AS I REAR-ENDED THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME I AM HAVING TO PAY FOR DAMAGES. MINOR COMPARED TO THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR. NO DEATHS BUT BOTH WERE PRETTY BANGED UP!*JB

NHTSA ID
10172197
Incident
Oct 20, 2006
Mileage
120,907 mi
BrakesElectricalEngine+4 more
Filed Mar 27, 2003

CONTINUAL BRAKE FAILURE, DOOR LOCK MALFUNCTION, DEFOGGER, VISIBILITY WINDSHIELD WIPERS, ENGINE RELATED ISSUES, TIRES, GAS TANK. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10013556
Incident
Jan 9, 2003
Brakes
Filed Jan 8, 2002

WHILE DEPRESSING BRAKES NOTICED A GRINDING NOISE. DEALER HAS REPLACED BRAKES, BUT NOISE RETURNED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
8001781
AirbagsBrakes
Filed Sep 4, 2001

WATER IS ENTERING THE TRUNK AND IS ROUTED ALONG THE ELECTRICAL WIRING, THIS IS DUE TO THE REAR LIGHT MODULE IS SEALED INTO PLACE WITH A PRODUCT THAT IS NOT FIT FOR THE PURPOSE INTENDED. VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH A SEMI TRUCK AND THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE GENERIC BRAKE PADS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE ORIGINAL PARTS AS EXCESSIVE SQUEALING TAKES PLACE. *JB

NHTSA ID
895668
Incident
Jul 15, 2001
BrakesExterior lighting
Filed Aug 16, 2001

MY NEIGHBOR TOLD ME MY BRAKE LIGHTS HAD BEEN OUT FOR AWHILE -- WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ON AND I HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKE LIGHT/REAR TAIL LIGHT WOULD GO OUT COMPLETELY, LEAVING ONLY THE CENTER LIGHT BAR ON THE TRUNK ON TO SERVE AS A BRAKE LIGHT. I'D BEEN DRIVING WITH MY LIGHTS ON DURING THE DAY, THINKING IT WOULD BE SAFER SINCE I HAVE A TODDLER IN THE CAR WITH ME. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED THE PROBLEM ($285) AND TOLD ME, ALTHOUGH THEY DIDN'T WRITE IT ON THE INVOICE, THAT IT LOOKED LIKE "SOMEBODY" HAD WIRED THE BRAKE LIGHTS WRONG IN A SECTION BETWEEN THE TRUNK SIDE AND THE FRAME AND THEY WERE GETTING HOT. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY OTHER WORK DONE ON THE LIGHTS AND SAID SO, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. I HAD TAKEN THE CAR TO AUTOZONE THE DAY BEFORE, TO SEE IF THE BULBS WERE THE PROBLEM. THE MANAGER THERE CAME OUT TO LOOK AT THE BULBS AND SHOWED ME WHERE THE DRIVER-SIDE BRAKE LIGHT SOCKET HAD STARTED TO MELT. SO IT WAS A FIRE HAZARD AS WELL.*AK

NHTSA ID
750613
Brakes
Filed Feb 27, 2001

EVERY YEAR VEHICLE BRAKES NEED REPLACEMENT WHEN USING NISSAN. BUT, WHEN USING OTHER BRAKES, CONSUEMR NOTICED LONGER WEAR. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATON. *AK

NHTSA ID
881557
Brakes
Filed Feb 13, 2001

VEHICLE'S BRAKING DISTANCE HAS INCREASED WHEN IT SITS FOR 4 OR 5 DAYS AT A TIME WITHOUT BEING DRIVEN. DEALER SAID HE HAS OTHER MODELS ON HIS LOT THAT DO THE SAME THING. ALSO, DEALER TOLD CONSUMER TO LET VEHICLE RUN FOR 30 SECONDS. THEN, PUMP BRAKE BEFORE DRIVING. NISSAN HAS FILE ON THIS. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID
880462
Incident
Jun 1, 2000
Brakes
Filed Sep 21, 1999

BRAKES HAVE TO BE REPLACED EVERY YEAR. *AK

NHTSA ID
848227
Brakes
Filed Mar 15, 1999

GOING DOWN HILL AT APPROX 15-30 MILES PER HOUR,BRAKES SMOKE/ OVERHEAT/ BURN SQUEEK. HAVE HAD TO SHOP TWICE IN LAST WEEK. JUST GOT CAR LAST WEEK, NO OTHER PROBLEMS. WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEM SAFETY CHECKED AND REPLACED IF NEEDED. HAVE APPOINTMENT AGAIN FOR NEXT MONDAY, JUST HOPE ALL WILL WORK OUT. WANTED TO KNOW OF OTHERS WITH SAME BRAKE PROBLEM, AND POOR GAS MILAGE, THAT HAS TO RELATE IN SOME WAY TO BREAK SYSTEM.

NHTSA ID
704474
Incident
Mar 15, 1999
Brakes
Filed Feb 1, 1999

BRAKES MALFUNCTIONING. *YC

NHTSA ID
607432
Brakes
Filed Feb 1, 1999

BRAKES WORE OUT CAUSING ROTOR DAMAGE. YH

NHTSA ID
606973
AirbagsBrakes
Filed Nov 27, 1998

BRAKES FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE RESULTING IN VEHICLE COLLISION AND NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAG.

NHTSA ID
542733
Incident
Oct 1, 1998
Brakes
Filed Nov 23, 1998
Crash reported

BRAKES HAD A GRINDING NOISE. ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN DRIVING 20-25 MPH. APPLIED THE BRAKES AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE OCCURRED, AND FRONTAL IMPACT OCCURRED. PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK

NHTSA ID
831183
Brakes
Filed Aug 22, 1998

IT SEEMS THAT THE BRAKES WERE PUSHING TOO HARD AND THE SO NARROW TIRES COULDN'T RESIST THE BRAKE PRESSURE, LOCKING UP CONTINIOUSLY. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT IT HAD JUST FINISHED RAINING. I WAS GOING AT A SPPED OF 20 TO 25 MPH WHEN I APPLEED THE BRAKES THEY LOCKED UP HITTING A VAN IN FRONT OF ME. THIS HAVE HAD HAPPENED IN MANY OCCATIONS BEFORE.

NHTSA ID
540214
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Jul 8, 1998

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED AT LOW SPEEDS , THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE. DRIVER HAS TO PUT VEHICLE INTO PARK TO STOP THE VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID
825156
Brakes
Filed Jun 19, 1997

VEHICLE'S ABS HAS FAILED TWICE. DEALER TRIED TO SELL OWNER ANOTHER CAR. *AK

NHTSA ID
813270

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .