2016 Nissan Sentra: engine stalls while driving

Filed Sep 9, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · IN

The ECU problem is a major issue the vehicle is stalling, not starting, just malfunctioning tremendously while on the road in traffic while driving it stalls in traffic, shuts off in traffic. I was told this was a issue back in July 2017 The same issue has occurred again with safety concerns .

Filed Aug 5, 2026 · Transmission · NY

On Friday, July 3, 2026, at approximately 9:30 PM, while driving on the parkway at an approximate speed of 65 miles per hour and preparing to merge onto the highway, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled completely. I was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. After a few minutes, once the immediate traffic situation on the highway entrance cleared, I attempted to re-engage the vehicle. While the engine started, it immediately began revving excessively high without corresponding forward momentum. The vehicle moved at an extremely slow pace despite the high engine RPMs, indicating a severe loss of power transfer to the wheels. Current Status: The vehicle is presently parked and cannot be driven due to this ongoing issue. It remains inoperable.

Filed Dec 4, 2025 · Transmission · 163,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle erratically jerked and the vehicle stalled. The contact noticed an abnormal whining sound. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that days later, while attempting to start the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into reverse and the engine seized. The contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.

Filed Jul 21, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · 11,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while accelerating on a busy street, the vehicle stalled in front of an approaching tractor-trailer. The vehicle was restarted, and the contact continued to drive. The contact stated that while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle decelerated and stalled. The vehicle was hard to shift into gear. There was an abnormal winding sound was detected. The contact stated that the engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was due to the transmission. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall and referred the contact to the local dealer for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Filed May 13, 2025 · Transmission · PA

My 2016 Nissan Sentra SV has had two complete CVT transmission failures. I purchased the vehicle used with somewhere between 30,000 - 40,000 miles. The transmission failed shortly after, and was replaced under warranty. Now, at 139,447 miles, the replacement transmission has also failed less than 70,000 miles later. The car lost acceleration and came to a complete halt while driving, stopping on train tracks, I had to quickly put the car in park and back in drive and the car drove again. This is clearly a pattern of defective manufacturing. CVT failure results in sudden jerking, loss of acceleration, and stalling all of which are dangerous while driving. Nissan is refusing to offer assistance since the car is out of warranty, but two major transmission failures in under five years indicates a serious safety issue.

Filed Apr 24, 2025 · CT

There is a transmission issue with my vehicle. It has been present since I first obtained the vehicle. Generally, the gears tend to “slip” or stutter, creating a stalling motion upon accelerating. It has stayed the same relatively up until recently when it would not stay in gear or switch gears and I could not accelerate at all. This is very scary because it could lead to an accident, a crash, or not being able to move my vehicle to a safe place. Upon research, I have seen many other Nissan Sentra 2016 owners experience the same issue, and Nissan continues to do nothing about it. I had my personal mechanic look at it and he confirmed it was the transmission and it would need to be replaced. I spoke with Nissan and they said there is no active recall on my specific vehicle, even though the transmission is the original transmission. They quoted me at almost $9000.00 to get a replacement. There were no lights present in my vehicle indicating there was an issue, and as stated previously, I experienced the stuttering issue up until the transmission gave out completely. This has been occurring since I got the vehicle in 2021.

Filed Mar 6, 2025 · Transmission · 96,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while approaching a traffic light, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The driver depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle hesitated and lost motive power. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the vehicle failed to move. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

Filed Mar 6, 2025 · Transmission · 96,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while approaching a traffic light, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The driver depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle paused and lost motive power. The vehicle was able to restart. However, the vehicle failed to move. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT); and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

Filed Mar 6, 2025 · Transmission · 96,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while approaching a traffic light, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. The driver depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle paused and lost motive power. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the vehicle failed to move. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT); and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

Filed Feb 11, 2025 · Transmission · NY

Car stalls on and off especially driving up hills… the car jolts… speed dominator is fluctuating up and down… car is showing codes on OBD scanner (P2589) and (P0965) it was a recall for the 2013-2017 Sentra for cvt trouble actually a law suit that was won…. Since I didn’t own the car at the moment does that disqualify the fixing of a world wide issue or because my vin number doesn’t match the ones eligible, it is of total dishonorment to ignore my vehicle which is suffering from the same recall claim cvt gone bad goon bad has gone bad… I need my car repair… I need justice for my Nissan…[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jan 26, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · TX

I purchased the car as a graduation present for my son in 2018. He was using it to get back and forth to work and school. Currently the car has less than 60,000 miles on it. So, it was not being excessively driven. In Dec her of 2023, He began having issues with the vehicle stalling and overheating. It began to jerk and would randomly lose power. While driving to work the car over heated and we got it to a mechanic on 1/7/24. The independent service center stated the engine needed to be replaced and he would also inspect the transmission due to the loss of power and slipping my son was describing. Once the engine was replaced the mechanic confirmed the transmission would also need to be replaced. My son spent all his savings on the engine so we took the car home to determine options. The quote for a new transmission is 3-4k plus labor. I am too scared to let my son drive the car so it has been parked in my drive way since we got the car back in February of 24. My son has been saving to try and get it fixed. His coworker told him about a class action that was filed against Nissan for the same issue for Sentras from 2013-2017. I was never contacted and never received any recall notice. There were no warning lamps or other symptoms when the issues began. I tried to add the receipt from the engine replacement but it will not upload

Filed Aug 18, 2023 · Transmission · 109,000 miles · CO

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would jerk or stall upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had appeared on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle had gone into reverse after placing the gear shifter into drive(D). The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle related to the transmission. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.