2015 Nissan Sentra Owner Complaints

I am writing to report a life-threatening, sudden-onset mechanical defect in my vehicle’s Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). While driving in heavy traffic, my son experienced a complete and sudden loss of motive power without any warning or dashboard lights. The vehicle abruptly stopped accelerating in a live lane, nearly causing a catastrophic rear-end collision. At just 70,000 miles, far below the expected lifespan of a major powertrain component, a certified technician at B&K Transmission confirmed a total internal CVT failure, requiring a $6,000 replacement. Nissan Customer Care refused any goodwill assistance, citing that the vehicle is beyond its warranty and the temporary extensions granted by previous class-action settlements. However, the expiration of a settlement window does not eliminate an ongoing safety crisis. A transmission failure at 70,000 miles is a systemic defect, not standard wear and tear. Thousands of these defective vehicles remain on public roads, putting unsuspecting drivers at risk of sudden, lethal highway failures. I urge NHTSA to immediately open an investigation into Nissan CVT failures and issue a mandatory safety recall. Automakers must not escape accountability for severe roadway hazards simply because a warranty has lapsed.

NHTSA ID

11755303

Incident

Aug 6, 2026

I bought this item from Temu, took it to the mechanic, the mechanic said it is garbage, the condenser will explode under pressure and the compressor ECV is not working

NHTSA ID

11751270

Incident

Jul 2, 2026

This is for the trailer, your system couldn't recognize VIN or license plates ST 205, 75R15

NHTSA ID

11749587

Incident

Jun 19, 2026

I used the jack to lift the car, back almost a year ago, the jack failed and fall on me with the car almost killed me, it was rated at 3 ton but it couldn't handle one side of the car which is 1 ton, it made several damages to the car as well I have videos of how it is failed

NHTSA ID

11749045

Incident

May 2, 2025

Transmission failed on major highway out of no where would not accelerate above 5 MPH

NHTSA ID

11744834

Incident

Jun 17, 2026

When driving the transmission it shudders/hesitates when pressing the accelerator.

NHTSA ID

11732833

Incident

Apr 18, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled while in traffic. There was an abnormal screeching sound coming from the vehicle. The accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The transmission was shifted into reverse(R), but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle was shifted into drive(D), and the vehicle lunged forward and then started moving slowly. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was a loose bearing inside the transmission. While completing a road test, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact was offered a partial refund and warranty. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 171,000.

NHTSA ID

11728439

Incident

Mar 3, 2026

Mileage

171,000 mi

My car would we still in the middle of the road and one day I was turning to go home and it cut off with everything on the dashboard was still on and the power steering went out and I tried to turn real fast to get my driveway and next thing I know my Cortizone fire meanwhile every now and then I would see a light blinking my dashboard fast and then go away. It was the battery light barely show up.

NHTSA ID

11727684

Incident

Mar 27, 2026

Complete transmission failure and need replacement the car is less than 10 years old Nissan has had major issues with the CVT system and transmission…transmission lose power on the highway

NHTSA ID

11716629

Incident

Dec 16, 2022

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The transmission failed to operate properly. The component is still installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle jerks when shifting gears and upshifts on its own, causing unpredictable changes in speed and loss of smooth acceleration. This creates a risk of sudden acceleration or hesitation, especially in traffic, increasing the potential for a collision. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No, the problem has not yet been formally confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? No, the vehicle and transmission have not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Prior to the failure, the vehicle began jerking during gear shifts. The transmission does not properly shift gears in relation to engine upshifting and will upshift by itself. These symptoms appeared before the failure and have continued since.

NHTSA ID

11712851

Incident

Nov 28, 2025

When a passenger sits in the passenger seat it doesn't register them in the seat and doesn't turn passenger airbag on. It always stays off and my air bag light on the dash never turns off. It's been like that since I bought the car in May of 2025. So any additional details are unknown.

NHTSA ID

11708284

Incident

May 15, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormal beeping sound coming from the vehicle before the vehicle stopped independently. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 48,520.

NHTSA ID

11685381

Incident

Jun 17, 2025

Mileage

48,520 mi

Car has 72000 miles in it it has given no indication on dash except cruise control went out. The transmission is slipping and both the front passenger and drivers door handles are messed up up.

NHTSA ID

11683751

Incident

Aug 26, 2025

while actively pressing on brake at a stop sign, car started moving. car only stopped when it bumped into car in front and had to be completely turned off. even with hand brake and in park, car kept moving.

NHTSA ID

11683277

Incident

Aug 22, 2025

My wife was rear ended and side collision accident. She was injured with side airbags both arm was severely cut. The steering airbag did not deploy as a result she had head injury and the upper teeth was push up when her head hit the steering wheel. She had to be pry out with a Crowbar tool.

NHTSA ID

11675400

Incident

Feb 5, 2023

Between 75-85 miles an hour, the car gets sluggish, acting like it cannot "stay in gear" and the rpms shoot around wildly. It gets worse when it is hotter outside. It feels like it loses power and then shoots up in power erratically, typically in that speed range. My car has only 54620 miles on it

NHTSA ID

11671256

Incident

Jul 2, 2025

On [XXX] I was driving my 2015 Nissan Sentra S (manual transmission) in Los Angeles, CA. While traveling at a moderate speed on a city street, another vehicle crossed into my lane, resulting in a direct, head-on collision. The impact caused severe damage to the entire front end of my vehicle: the hood crumpled, the front bumper and grille detached, and internal components such as the radiator support and crash bar were visibly deformed. The damage was so extensive that vehicle two’s (at-fault driver’s) insurance company declared the car a total loss. Despite the severity of the frontal impact, none of the airbags deployed. This was unexpected, as the collision was strong enough to stop both vehicles instantly—pushing my vehicle backwards until both vehicles came to a halt, resulting in significant structural deformation. There were no warning lamps, error messages, or previous issues with the airbag system prior to the accident. Photographs and video footage of the incident are available. As a direct result of the airbag non-deployment, my head and jaw made contact with the steering wheel, causing chest, jaw, neck, back, and shoulder pain, as well as severe headaches. After the accident, the vehicle was inspected by vehicle two’s insurance company and reviewed by Nissan’s Incident Investigation Specialist, Dakota McGregor. Nissan denied my claim for non-deployment of airbags verbally via landline. Nissan’s specialist, Dakota McGregor, refused to provide written documentation, technical justification, or a written denial of my claim, despite my requests. Furthermore, the specialist did not provide or disclose the threshold for airbag deployment in this vehicle, and no crash data or event data was collected or reviewed from the vehicle’s onboard computer. As a result, I am unable to determine the exact cause of the airbag system’s failure to deploy. I am filing this complaint because I believe this incident represents a potential safety defect with the air INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATIO

NHTSA ID

11670434

Incident

May 29, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11659281

Incident

Feb 22, 2025

No check engine lights or any kind of warning signs. My car randomly will jerk, lose power, accelerate, and makes noises! Issue caused car to slow down rapidly and I was almost rear-ended twice this week! I don't feel safe in my car!

NHTSA ID

11657681

Incident

Apr 27, 2025

I took this vehicle to the dealership, and the dealership said that the transmission needs to be replaced. I sold this car to Surburban Chevrolet of Ann Arbor, but they appear to be selling the car without fixing the transmission. It is not safe to drive this car because the vehicle is jerky and may not change the gear properly in the highway.

NHTSA ID

11652428

Incident

Mar 28, 2025

The was engine stalling, shuddering, jerking, and after a while I had loss of power, all of this happened when I was driving 65 mph on the highway.

NHTSA ID

11650670

Incident

Jan 11, 2025

The car is losing power when j try accelerate its very dangerous and the handle from driver side door kicked off and don't wanna hold and unlock the car in [XXX] that the car got.nk throttle and power it nukes risk for me my kids and ny family and other passengers Thank you have a fantastic evening

NHTSA ID

11646504

Incident

May 20, 2024

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started shuddering. The contact stated that the engine revved up to high. While driving, the vehicle stopped suddenly, drove, and then stopped again. The contact continuously moved the gear shifter and the vehicle moved forward. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the transmission solenoids were defective. The contact called an unknown local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ID

11646183

Incident

Jan 1, 2025

Mileage

50,000 mi

The car had problems with failing to start and failing to accelerate while driving. Check engine light came on and OBD scanner indicated it was the CVT. The car was inspected and repaired in March 2023. In 2025 (the same problem of check engine indicating the CVT) is occurring. CVT sensor was replaced; however, two weeks later the check engine light is back on indicating CVT issues and is now also overheating.

NHTSA ID

11645995

Incident

Mar 9, 2023

Vehicle began making a whining noise when starting with car in park, accelerating or decelerating. Didn’t seem to drive like normal. I Immediately took car to my usual mechanic and was notified it was the CVT transmission and it would need to be replaced. I was made aware of the recall by my mechanic. I contacted Nissan and was told they would not cover it. I’ve kept regular maintenance on my car and it only has 131,000 miles. .

NHTSA ID

11642509

Incident

Feb 11, 2025