RoadVitals

2011 Nissan Sentra Steering Problems

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

Data refreshed

Steering 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.
8
Latest Jul 11, 2019
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.
6%
of 142 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.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2011 Nissan Sentra submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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 steering

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

Driver assistanceFuel systemSteering
Filed Jul 11, 2019

ON JUNE 18 2019 I WAS DRIVING 55 MPH ON THE BELT LINE IN MADISON, WI. WITH MY NEWBORN DAUGHTER. WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED LURCHING, I HAD NO CONTROL. IN HEAVY TRAFFIC I WAS AFRAID OF CAUSING IN ACCIDENT. THE BRAKES WERE HARD AND IF I PUSHED ON THE GAS IT STARTED LURCHING OUT OF CONTROL. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO PULLOVER AND NOTICED THE VOC LIGHT WAS ON. I PUSHED THE VOC BUTTON TO TURN IT OFF. BUT IT WOULDN'T TURN OFF. I CALLED MY FATHER LARRY. HE TOLD ME TO TURN OFF THE CAR WAIT A MINUTE. TURN IT BACK ON. TO SEE IF THE VOC WOULD RESET. IT DID RESET. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES I TAKEN MY CAR INTO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS FOR INSPECTION. I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ON THIS WEBSITE. HOWEVER MY CAR DOES NOT FALL INTO THE RECALL. WHY? IT AFFECTS STEERING (LACK OF) BRAKES (NON EXISTENT) GAS (CAUSES LURCHING). VERY DANGEROUS FOR ME & MY NEWBORN. NOT TO MENTION THOSE AROUND ME. MY CAR HAS 115,000 MILES.

NHTSA ID
11231018
Incident
Jun 18, 2019
Mileage
115,000 mi
BrakesEngineSteering
Filed Dec 16, 2018

I HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WHEN IT WAS ONLY 20K MILES { 2 YEARS WITH WARRANTY}. THEY DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM AND I WAS NOT HAPPY. ON 3RD YEAR (BEFORE 3 YEARS OR 36 MONTHS EXPIRATION DATE), I SENT IT TO NISSAN DEALERSHIP TO INSPECT AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY ISSUE (NO ACTION OR ANYTHING BEEN FIXED). IT KEEP HAPPENING AND I HAD TO SEND IT BACK AGAIN TO RECHECK WHEN IT WAS 50K. AND NOW IT'S 80K MILES AND THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I KEEP CALLING NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND ASKING FOR ADVICES. THEY CAN NOT HELP ME OR FIX IT. I WAS ALMOST GOT HIT FEW TIMES WHEN I DROVE THIS NISSAN

NHTSA ID
11161860
Incident
Dec 13, 2018
Mileage
20,000 mi
EngineSteering
Filed Dec 11, 2018

CAR HAS 75,000 MILES. JUST HAD IT SERVICED. THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON, THEN NEXT START, THEY ARE OFF. THE CAR STALLS ON EVERY TURN AND STEERING FREEZES.

NHTSA ID
11160860
Incident
Dec 11, 2018
Mileage
75,000 mi
Steering
Filed Sep 17, 2018

"TAKATA RECALL" STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT LOCK AND IS STOPPING THE CAR FROM STARTING. WENT OUT TO START THE CAR AT THE STORE AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT LOCKED AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN TO START THE CAR. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED.

NHTSA ID
11129887
Incident
Sep 15, 2018
Mileage
100,000 mi
Steering
Filed Jun 6, 2018

MALFUNCTION OF THE STEERING, I WILL BE DRIVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I DON'T HAVE ANY STEERING! VERY DANGEROUS WHEN I MAKE A TURN ITS HAPPEN TO ME NO STEERING. PS LIGHT COMES ON, ON A BUSY INTERSECTION

NHTSA ID
11100282
Incident
May 8, 2017
Mileage
76,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngineSteering
Filed Aug 14, 2017

I'VE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH MY VEHICLE. AT TIMES, THE ENGINE STALLS AND IT CANNOT GO ABOVE 15-20 MPH, EVEN WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO LOCKS UP, AS WELL. THE VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL INDICATOR THEN TURNS ON. LUCKILY, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET TO A SAFE LOCATION WHEN THIS HAPPENS, BUT I FIND IT ALARMING. I ALSO THINK THIS DEFECT IS AFFECTING OTHER IMPORTANT COMPONENTS IN MY VEHICLE. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING SPORADICALLY FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS NOW.

NHTSA ID
11015148
Incident
Jun 2, 2017
Mileage
110,000 mi
Heating & air conditioningPowertrain (other)Steering
Filed Sep 29, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT CONTINUOUSLY EMITTED WARM AIR. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CONTROLLER UNIT. ALSO, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO LOCKED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKE PEDAL AND FORCE THE STEERING WHEEL TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER MORE THAN THREE TIMES, BUT THE FAILURES RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE SEVERAL TIMES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,010.

NHTSA ID
10639734
Incident
Jul 9, 2014
Mileage
21,010 mi
Steering
Filed Apr 24, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE FOR OVER THREE WEEKS BUT WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER REPLACED SEVERAL COMPONENTS ON THE VEHICLE BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

NHTSA ID
10456314
Incident
Apr 2, 2012
Mileage
5,000 mi

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 .