2019 Nissan Sentra Electrical Problems

I purchased the vehicle [XXX] from CarMax. At that time, it had an active recall which the previous owner did not resolve. I brought the vehicle to Nissan of Irvine on [XXX], at which time they installed new stop lamp switch and rubber grommet. The car proceeded to work fine until it would not turn on at all, and I had to have it towed to the dealership on [XXX]. At that time, they diagnosed it again to be a faulty brake switch and replaced it then. The car worked fine until around August 2026, where it occasionally would not start (which is how it presented the other times). On [XXX], I took it to the dealership again due to the same reason and they diagnosed it again to be a faulty brake switch. They said it would not be covered under the warranty because the car was over by around 500 miles. They quoted the price of around $700 for the inspection, part and labor. I do not feel that I should be responsible for the issue since it was not taken care of correctly the 2 previous times I brought the car in. I also feel that the situation was not taken seriously. The service department even joked "haha, hopefully it doesn't happen again" (this was during the second time at the dealership). They also were not surprised that I was back with the same problem. They were extremely rude and condescending (the service consultant Randy and the service manager). At that time, I decided to not have them TRY to fix the problem for the third time and paid the $225 for just the inspection. I was able to drive the car until [XXX], at which time it did not turn on again and I had to have it towed to a different mechanic. At that time, he diagnosed it with the same issue, replaced the part and charged me $205. I would like to rectify this situation with Nissan without taking further legal action. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11771857

Incident

Oct 9, 2026

Collision warning sound happens randomly for no reason

NHTSA ID

11749705

Incident

May 4, 2023

Transmission Failure of drive train Acknowledged by Dealer Inspection by Dealer No warning signs prior to failure

NHTSA ID

11738925

Incident

Apr 4, 2025

Mileage

256,545 mi

The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while his daughter attempted to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start immediately. The contact's daughter pressed the engine Auto Start/Stop button again, the vehicle restarted. The contact had AAA test that the battery, which had no failure, and it was determined that the brake light switch had failed. The cruise control later failed to operate as needed, and the message "Automatic Emergency Braking Malfunction" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle had previously been repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.

NHTSA ID

11738494

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

Mileage

46,000 mi

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 78,129. It was later discovered from a Carfax Report that the mileage was 86,239.

NHTSA ID

11731291

Incident

Apr 15, 2026

Mileage

86,239 mi

Odometer Fraud. The contact was attempting to purchase a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that the vehicle was advertised for sale by a local dealer on Facebook Marketplace with a photo of the odometer reading of 72,000 miles. After obtaining a Carfax report for the vehicle, the contact discovered that the mileage was 196,000.

NHTSA ID

11711196

Incident

Jan 14, 2026

Mileage

196,000 mi

I am writing to formally report a safety-related defect in my 2019 Nissan Sentra and to request reimbursement for repair costs associated with this issue. My vehicle experienced a failure of the brake light switch, which prevented the car from starting and disabled the brake lights—posing a serious safety hazard. Although I have been informed that my vehicle is not currently included in Recall Campaign PM971, the symptoms and defective part match the recall description precisely. I have verified my VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup tool, and I am concerned that the recall scope may be too narrow, excluding vehicles that are clearly affected. This defect required immediate repair to restore basic vehicle functionality and ensure safety. I have attached documentation of the repair, including the invoice and diagnostic notes, for your review. I respectfully request the following: Reimbursement for the cost of the brake light switch repair. A formal review of my vehicle’s eligibility for Recall PM971. Consideration for expanding the recall to include additional affected vehicles, including mine. I am submitting this complaint in the interest of safety and fairness—not only for myself but for other Nissan owners who may be facing the same issue without recourse. I trust that Nissan will take this matter seriously and respond with the integrity and customer care that your brand represents. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.

NHTSA ID

11688621

Incident

Sep 5, 2025

Push to start is having issues. Break stiffens up and car wont start.

NHTSA ID

11687368

Incident

Sep 1, 2025

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 ID

11668768

Incident

Sep 30, 2022

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 ID

11659419

Incident

Jun 18, 2022

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 ID

11647561

Incident

Dec 15, 2024

Mileage

44,000 mi

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 ID

11641045

Incident

Feb 4, 2025

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 ID

11626127

Incident

Nov 18, 2024

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 ID

11624229

Incident

Jan 8, 2024

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 ID

11621184

Incident

Oct 18, 2024

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 ID

11619364

Incident

Dec 5, 2023

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11612375

Incident

Feb 25, 2023

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 ID

11612069

Incident

Sep 1, 2024

Transmission has been slipping and now car won’t go into gear at all, door handles have broken on both front doors.

NHTSA ID

11582827

Incident

Nov 1, 2023

I am having really bad transmission issues. my car screen for GPS, Bluetooth doesnt even work... or wont even play my bluetooth music half the time... my sunroof, will not go down anymore. this is a 2019 Nissian Sentra i just GOT 5 months ago..

NHTSA ID

11582556

Incident

Jan 1, 2024

Left front vibrations and steering issues. Also start button won't engage even after repair. Trouble stating car and interferes with remote starting.

NHTSA ID

11573706

Incident

Jan 20, 2024

This happened to me a total of 3 times. Low fuel light does not come on. First time I had 32 miles until empty no low fuel light came on, car stopped battery light came on. Tried to jump the car and it did not start. Put in some premium gas and it started. Second time same thing happened car slowly stopped and battery light came on. Tried to jump the car did not start, put gas in but this time it didn't start, had to get the car towed. Battery was tested and fine. Mechanic said he believes it is the gas gage being incorrect. Third time this happened today, February 3,2024 50 miles until empty pulled out into the middle of the road and my car stopped. I was in the middle of the road with cars beeping at me. I could not move my car. Battery light came on. Police came and put some gas in the car and it started. This is a dangerous thing happening and thankfully I am okay and it could have been alot worse. Please have this issue looked into and fixed. I will be bringing my car into the dealer Monday for this issue to be resolved hopefully.

NHTSA ID

11569712

Incident

Feb 3, 2024

Radio turns on intermittently when the car is not on. Drains battery. Has caused the car to not start several times and left my daughter on the side of the road.

NHTSA ID

11569262

Incident

Jan 30, 2024

Parasitic draw on the battery. Drains a period of 8hrs. Have had the battery tested and alternator tested both are good. Had a parasitic draw test done and shows nothing at the time of the test.

NHTSA ID

11568183

Incident

Nov 1, 2023

CVT. The safety issue is losing power when driving. Almost stalls. My safety in jeopardy when you have traffic including semi trucks coming from behind.

NHTSA ID

11555869

Incident

Oct 12, 2023