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2015 Nissan Sentra: hesitation when accelerating

25 of the 352 complaints about the 2015 Nissan Sentra describe hesitation when accelerating.

owner complaints
25
of this car's complaints
7%
typical mileage
68,000
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 40 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Hesitation when accelerating by model year

What owners say

Filed Apr 21, 2026 · Engine · AL

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

Filed Jan 23, 2026 · Transmission · VA

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.

Filed Apr 12, 2024 · MO

It is sporadic, when I accelerated there is hesitation in the transmission. I almost didn't make my left hand turn fast enough to not get T Boned it has been happening since I got the car in 2016. The dealer is aware of the issue and they said they adjusted something but it keeps coming back.

Filed Jan 30, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · 100,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and failed to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle decelerated to approximately 30 - 40 MPH. The vehicle was repaired however, while driving at speeds of 50 MPH or more, the vehicle would start to shake and hesitate while accelerating. The contact stated that over time the vehicle started failing to accelerate to speeds exceeding 50 MPH. On another occasion while driving up to a red light at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle started jerking while idling at the traffic light. The vehicle then failed to accelerate above 20 MPH and was shaking and losing motive power while driving. The contact pulled to the side of the road to have the vehicle towed. While parked and waiting to be towed, the "Check Engine" warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed. The transmission was replaced after the first failure however, the transmission was not repaired or replaced with the failure persisting. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.

Filed Jan 12, 2024 · Acceleration · CA

Over the last year my 2015 Nissan Sentra has been having problems of judder (shake and shudder), hesitation on acceleration, lack of power and RPM flare. It happens when I am driving highway speed and when going uphill on the highway as well. I went to Firestone to get a diagnostic check and came out with the code of p17f4. I was surprised given that no check engine light has turned on. I will be going to the Nissan dealership and asking them what steps can happen. This is the second Nissan vehicle (the second vehicle is a Nissan Rogue) that has had a transmission problem.

Filed Dec 12, 2023 · Transmission · FL

While pulling out in an intersection, my car would not accelerate as normal and I was almost hit by incoming traffic. When accelerating from stop, the vehicle moves slowly and hesitates. Once over a certain speed the car will function properly. The CVT is an issue in models 2013-2015 Nissan Altima also, but the manufacturer issued an extension for the powertrain warranty. The same should be done for the Sentra. It's a safety concern, because the CVT can go out at any time putting the driver at risk.

Filed Nov 19, 2023 · Transmission · MD

1.Engine malfunction/Transmission failure .Yes, available for inspection upon request. 2. While driving my car in traffic my car started to hesitate then it started to slow down on its own I pressed on the gas pedal and it did not move forward at all the speedometer went to zero ,so I quickly turned on my hazard lights and pull over on the side of the road. Thank god I was in the lane close to the shoulder of the road. I cut the car off for a minute then started it back up and put it in drive and drove it down the street to my brother’s house where it is still sitting there now. This was very frightening and very unsafe experience , there were no warning signs far as dashboard icons emergency. I’m afraid to drive my car again and now have pay someone to take me to work and back home this is so inconvenient for me when I have a car of my own . All because of this faulty situation with the transmission 3. No inspections by anyone. 4. Prompt actions and attention to the matter of my car is of the importance to me and my Nissan Sentra to ensure the safety of myself and others.

Filed Aug 20, 2023 · Engine · NC

1. Engine malfunction/Transmission: Yes, the car is available for inspection upon request. 2. While driving the car on the road the car begins to hesitate and wanted to stall in moving traffic. Had to pull over vehicle over until it was safe to try and preceded. This problem has continued and now feeling no longer safe to drive on the road. We have a small child, and our car is our main mode of transportation and right now we are without transportation because of this faulty situation with the transmission and we definitely want to make sure that we have a safe vehicle for our family and not to cause an incident with other drivers due to the car stalling. Currently the car sits in the driveway. 2015 Nissan Sentra 89,575 3. Yes, the problem has been reproduced by a Nissan Dealer here in our area. 4. Vehicle was towed to a Nissan Dealership 5. Vehicle has been inspected by mechanic at Nissan. 6. No warning lights came on and prior to this we had not experienced any symptoms from the engine. First noticed maybe around last week of July

Filed Jun 27, 2023 · Transmission · 90,000 miles · MD

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and started overheating. The overheat warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road and waited for the vehicle to cool down and was able to drive the vehicle home once the vehicle had cooled down. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 90,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed Feb 4, 2023 · Transmission · MT

The CVT (transmission) in the 2015 Nissan Sentra SV failed at 67,000 miles. The vehicle had regular maintenance and had previously had a preventative transmission fluid flush at 45,000 miles. There were no warning lights to indicate a vehicle issue. The car began to hesitate when accelerating and then lost all ability to accelerate while driving at highway speeds. The vehicle was not able to accelerate, which would have endangered myself and others if I had not moved the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway quickly.

Filed Jan 13, 2023 · Transmission · MO

My 2015 Nissan Sentra with 86,603 miles, was taken to the dealership service department on 12/26/22, because of faulty acceleration, rpms will rise but vehicle will not accelerate properly and hesitates to go, especially on the highway, causing a serious potential for an accident and crash. There were no warning lamps or messages ever displayed in the vehicle. A technician also drove the vehicle and confirmed the faulty acceleration. The service department scanned the vehicle and found NO codes present. I was notified by the service department that an update was available and I was charged $410.00 for the update. With this update, they found a stored code P17F3. I was told that the CVT transmission was shot and needed replaced. I was quoted $5,500.00 and told that this transmission was not under any type of warranty due to mileage and date. I have found multiple articles concerning Nissan extending the warranty on some of the CVT transmissions, as well as Class Action lawsuits against Nissan on the CVT transmissions, and would like to find out how I can be added to the lawsuit. I also contacted Nissan Headquarters and they did agree to a 50/50 split.

Filed Dec 2, 2022 · Transmission · AL

When you first take off in the sentra it hesitates and bogs down while you're going down the road the rpms stay at three to four and it starts jerking And it has lost power and as losing power

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Questions about the 2015 Nissan Sentra hesitation

Is hesitation when accelerating a common problem on the 2015 Nissan Sentra?

25 of 352 owner complaints about the 2015 Nissan Sentra (7%) mention hesitation when accelerating. The model year with the most reports is 2015.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2015 Nissan Sentra?

There are 0 recalls and 40 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2015 Nissan Sentra

CVT failure 51Transmission failure 45Jerking 43Stalling 40Check engine light 34Loss of power 25Slipping 18Airbag light 14Shudder 12Won't shift 10No deployment 9Door locks 8Whining noise 8Grinding brakes 7Sudden acceleration 7

All model years of the Nissan Sentra

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