2020 Nissan Sentra: key fob or push-button start problems

Filed Jul 8, 2026 · Electrical · IL

The power unlock on all four doors of my car doors will no longer operate via key fob, outside lock button or interior power unlock buttons, although the doors can all be locked using those same processes. In addition, the doors have all randomly locked while being inside the car with no key, locking me inside the car and requiring someone getting a key to manually unlock the car to allow me to exit. The doors have also randomly locked with the key inside the car making it unable to access the car without a spare key being manually used to unlock the car. This has caused several very scary incidents including having to nearly break a window to get out of the car on a day when temperatures were over 100 degrees.

Filed Jun 3, 2026 · Electrical, Locks · MI

The rear driver side door does not lock/unlock when pressing the lock/unlock buttons on the key fob nor the buttons on either of the front seat door panels. It is only able to be locked/unlocked by manually flipping the lock/unlock switch on the (rear driver side) door. No other doors have this issue. I believe either the door switch actuator or faulty wiring is the cause of the issue. I believe it is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of my passengers is put at risk because of the additional step of ensuring the door is locked when departing from the vehicle, creating a more dangerous situation in the event of needing to quickly exit the vehicle, and an increased chance of car hijacking. I have seen reports saying there are 141 similar cases where certain years and models of Nissan vehicles (≈2013-2025 Altima, Rouge, and Sentra) have a similar issue, sometimes with the door not being able to be opened even with manually switching the door lock switch. The problem has been widely reported and confirmed by dealerships. The vehicle and the component have not been inspected by anyone. There were no warning signs or messages. The first sign of failure was April 4, 2026.

Filed Jul 11, 2025 · Electrical · PA

Driver side front and rear door locks will not respond to key fob. Rear door won’t lock and front door won’t unlock.

Filed Jun 24, 2025 · WI

Sometimes the driver door doesn’t lock even after clicking the lock button either on the key fob or on the actual door. The car is five years old and has 60,000 miles on it.

Filed Jun 13, 2025 · Electrical · GA

99% of the time neither of my back doors will lock or unlock when I either push the key fob or press the door unlock button inside the car. And for the past few days my front driver side door is doing the same thing. It’s a big safety hazard because I have a [XXX] daughter and if we get in an accident or stuck somewhere and I can’t open her door then what? I’ve had to go from the front door and reach to the back to unlock it manually and that’s not always possible to do. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Feb 1, 2025 · AL

6 months after purchasing my car off the show room floor the key fob stop locking my doors.

Filed Jul 18, 2024 · Electrical · MO

The door lock actuators on both of my rear doors suddenly no longer work. When I hit the button to lock all doors, only my 2 front doors lock. My cars 3 year warranty expired about 5 months ago and I have under 19,000 miles on the odometer. This is a safety issue. What if a carjacker walked up to my car while I’m in it, I lock the doors, and my back doors don’t lock. I could be killed. Not only that, but my car alarm does not even trigger when I open the back door after locking the car with my key fob!!! AND, I cannot find any 3rd party manufacturers of the needed replacement parts for this issue!!! So Nissan makes additional money off customers who have no other option than to purchase their defective parts for replacement, and the owner REMAINS stuck with the same defective OEM parts after paying hundreds (thousands?) for the required repairs. So Nissan is incentivized to NOT fix this problem, as they instead make more money off of it. Do a quick Google search and other 2020+ Sentra owners are experiencing the same issue. Unacceptable. Nissan needs to manufacture a replacement version of these door lock actuators that are not defective and issue a recall. Thank you for your time.

Filed Dec 7, 2023 · NC

Drivers side door will not open at all on cold mornings. All other doors work properly. Locking mechanism won’t unlock door, manually or with key fob. Classic Nissan of Sanford and Nissan Corporate were made aware and state there is nothing they can or will do. They were informed around 15k miles and said “wait for it to warm up.” But if I have my emergency I literally cannot get out of the car unless I crawl over the center console, which is really hard to do as I have a disability!!! If I were to be in an emergency I would not be able to get out of the car easily and would probably die. I cannot get into the car in the colder mornings but only that door, so it’s not a lock or motor issue.

Filed Oct 25, 2023 · Electrical · MA

I am writing to bring to your attention a critical issue regarding the recent malfunction of the actuator system in my 2020 Nissan Sentra. As a concerned consumer, I am compelled to report the circumstances that have led to significant safety concerns and financial burden. The details of this case are as follows: Vehicle Information: 2020 Nissan Sentra with approximately 43,000 miles. Initial Observation: It was discovered post-warranty that the car's locking mechanism was not functioning correctly. While I had assumed that the vehicle was locking upon using the key fob, it was only recently brought to my attention that this was not the case. Diagnostic Evaluation: Upon consulting a Nissan dealership, it was determined that the Actuator of the driver's door was defective and required immediate replacement. I consented to the suggested repair, which incurred an unexpected cost of $750. Unforeseen Complications: Following the initial repair, I was informed that the remaining actuators would also require replacement, posing an exorbitant additional financial burden. This development led to a grave concern as the sudden failure of all four actuators within a short span indicates a potential systemic issue rather than an isolated incident. Communication with Nissan: A formal request was made to Nissan for a thorough review of my case, under the reference number #49629281. However, despite the seriousness of the matter, I have yet to receive any substantial response or acknowledgement from Nissan, even after a waiting period of nearly two months. Considering the potential safety hazards and the unjustifiable financial strain imposed on me as a consumer, it is imperative that this matter is investigated further. The concurrent failure of all four actuators in a relatively new vehicle strongly suggests the possibility of an underlying electrical fault or a systemic defect in the manufacturing process.

Filed Oct 3, 2023 · Electrical · TN

The door locks simultaneously stopped working on the vehicle at the same time. The key fob chimes and the lights flash on the car but nothing happens with the door locks. The fuses all check out and you hear a sound when pushing the lock and unlock button but nothing happens. Faulty actuators seem to be a recurring problem with Nissan that I am hearing from other Sentra owners. This definitely presents a safety hazard because I have to manually lock all doors when I get out of the car. Also, in the event of an emergency I can not enter the car unless I undo the key fob and use the key to unlock it manually. I would hate for something to happen to me or my family while waiting to get in the car with how high crime has gotten with car thefts, car vandalism, and carjackings. Something needs to be done to remedy this problem for all Nissan owners to ensure our safety.

Filed Sep 9, 2023 · Electrical · VA

My push button start is malfunctioning. When I push the button, while my foot is on the brake, all the dash lights come on but car doesn't start. I have to push the start button again to get the car to start. A couple of times last week the car turned over once but didn't start. Sometimes the car starts right up the first time I push the start button, but most of the time I have to push it twice. Basically, it is an intermittent problem. I have researched this problem online and it appears to be a common problem. It seems to me that there should be some type of recall. This problem began shortly after I purchased my car in march or april.

Filed May 24, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · VA

On May 23, 2023, I have parked to pick up a grocery order. I did not shut the engine off. Once the order was loaded, I put my car in reverse. The car started to back up, and then completely shut off. An error message related to the key fob came on. I was able to successfully start the car again. I currently have the car at Hyman Brothers Nissan. Their diagnostics indicate a failure, however, they are unable to determine the source of the failure at this time. My main concern is having this happen again while driving with my 2 year old in his car seat. I previously reported an issue with my back up camera going blue. They have also received a code for that, but again, are unable to determine the source. The dealership's number is 804‑378‑0266, and Jimi is the service advisor. Since the vehicle is in their possession, I do not have documentation at this time. The contact stated that the only advice given to her by the dealership was to drive the vehicle more but she has concerns about that.