34 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2011 Nissan Sentra cite electrical system, 24% of all 142 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 2 recalls on this component.
“The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the engine seized. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that several days later, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent shop where it was diagnosed with ECM failure. The contact was informed that a heavy voltage overload had caused a hole in the ECM. The contact was informed that the ECM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that an unknown recall with a similar failure was performed in 2012. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.”
“THE CAR CHARGER REFUSES TO ADHERE TO A CAR CHARGER THAT CAME AS AN ACCESSORY WITH A CELL PHONE PACKAGE.BUT MY PHONE CAR CHARGER WORKS FOR ANY OTHER RANDOM C- CHARGER THAT MY CELL PHONES USES”
“LIKE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS I AM READING I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE TIMES I HAVE BEEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND MY VDC OFF LIGHT WILL APPEAR AND MY CAR WILL START JERKING AND HAVE TROUBLE ACCELERATING, I THEN HAVE TO GET OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SHUT MY CAR OFF FOR A FEW, THIS LUCKILY HAS ONLY HAPPENED TO ME IN THE CITY AS AFTER IT HAPPENED I WAS TOO WORRIED TO TAKE IT ON THE HIGHWAY. WITH THIS MANY ISSUES/COMPLAINTS NISSAN REALLY NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS BEFORE IT COSTS SOMEONE THEIR LIFE”
“PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN JUNE 2016, SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN OCTOBER (APPROXIMATELY 60,000-70,000 MILES) WHEN TEMP DROPPED BELOW 55 DEGREES. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC, CODE READ P0101. FIND NISSAN HAS POSTED A BULLETIN ON THIS.FOLLOWED ALL GUIDELINES. HE CLEANED THE MAF SENSOR. LIGHT WENT OFF. NEXT, DAY LIGHT COMES BACK ON. GO BACK, HAVE SENSOR REPLACED. LIGHT COMES BACK ON. CHECKS FOR VACUUM LEAKS, CHANGE AIR FILTER BLOW OUT AIR BOX AND SURROUNDING COMPONENTS. LIGHT STILL ON. TAKE CAR FOR A DIAGNOSIS EVERY FEW MONTHS TO ENSURE ITS STILL THE SAME THING AND NOTHING ELSE. NO PROBLEM WITH CARS DRIVABILITY. FAST FORWARD TO 2019, VDC/ ABS LIGHTS COME ON. CALL NISSAN, TELL ME THEY CANT HELP BECAUSE MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. NISAN HAS POSTED BULLETIN FOR THIS ISSUE FOLLOW ALL GUIDELINES FOR REPAIRS VIA THEIR BULLETIN, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE $700 WHEEL SPEED SENSOR. LIGHTS GO OFF. BUT THAT STARTED A NEW ISSUE. MY VDC/ABS LIGHTS WILL SPONTANEOUSLY COME ON CAUSING MY CAR TO JERK VIOLENTLY AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 20-30MPH (OR 2,500 RPM) CAUSING ME TO STOP DEAD IN TRAFFIC, PARK THE CAR, TAKE THE KEY OUT (IT MUST BE OUT!), WAIT A FEW SECONDS, TURN IT BACK ON. FAST FORWARD…”
“ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: BATTERY: CABLES - NISSAN SENTRA 2011 - MY CAR WAS RUNNING WELL FOR ALL THESE YEARS, NO PROBLEMS AT ALL, BUT ONE DAY, DIDN'T WANT TO START, IT DIDN'T MAKE NO NOISE, NOTHING. MY HUSBAND CHECKED THE BATTERY RIGHT AWAY, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT LOOSE AND HE ADJUSTED IT. THE CAR WANTED TO START BUT NEVER DID COMPLETELY. THE TOW GUY SAID IT LOOKED LIKE THE KEY WAS DEPROGRAMMED SO WE WERE HOPING IT WAS JUST THAT. SO WE TOWED THE CAR TO NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND FOUND OUT IT WAS THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. IT COSTED MORE THAN $2,000 DOLLARS TO GET IF FIXED. SEARCHING ONLINE I FOUND OUT THAT NISSAN SENTRA'S 2010-2011 HAVE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. THE ARTICLE SAYS: (DUE TO A MACHINING IRREGULARITY, THE BOLT/WASHER SURFACE ON THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL CABLE END MAY ALLOW FOR A GAP TO OCCUR IN THE CONTACT AREA OF THE TERMINAL. THIS CAN RESULT IN A VOLTAGE DROP THAT MAY CAUSE DIFFICULTY STARTING THE VEHICLE AND COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE) EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR! WE TALKED TO THE NISSAN MANAGER ABOUT IT, BUT HE DIDN'T HONOR THE RECALL, SINCE MY CAR DOESN'T HAVE THIS RECALL WHEN I APPLY THE VIN#. HE GAVE US A PHONE # TO CALL: 1800…”
“I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY INTERSTATE CAR STARTED BUCKING AND NOT ACCELERATING WHEN I PUT FOOT ON GAS. I WAS ALONE AND IT WAS DARK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. I WAS SO SCARED. IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I SAW A VDC LIGHT WAS ON AND THAT HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. I CHECKED THE DASHBOARD AND SAW THE VDC BUTTON AND TRIED PRESSING IT AND NOTHING HELPED. WHEN I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER, VERY UPSET, I LOOKED ONLINE ON MY PHONE AND SOMEONE RECOMMENDED TO TURN CAR OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN RESTART IT. THAT SEEMED TO HELP SO I WENT ON MY WAY. I SEE MANY OTHERS SAYING THEY HAVE HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN. MAYBE THIS SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY LOOKED INTO AND POSSIBLY A RECALL ON IT.2018”
Showing 6 of 34 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010-2011 SENTRA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MR20 ENGINES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 11, 2010, TO MAY 22, 2010, AND JULY 8, 2010, TO OCTOBER 25, 2010. THE ZINC COATING APPLIED TO THE TERMINAL STUD BOLT WAS THICKER THAN SPECIFICATION. THIS CAN RESULT IN A VOLTAGE DROP THAT MAY CAUSE DIFFICULTY STARTING THE VEHICLE AND COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM).
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010-2011 SENTRA VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 22, 2010, THROUGH JULY 8, 2010. DUE TO A MACHINING IRREGULARITY, THE BOLT/WASHER SURFACE ON THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL CABLE END MAY ALLOW FOR A GAP TO OCCUR IN THE CONTACT AREA OF THE TERMINAL. THIS CAN RESULT IN A VOLTAGE DROP THAT MAY CAUSE DIFFICULTY STARTING THE VEHICLE AND COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.