3/4 doors will not lock/unlock using fob, or the door controllers. This increases risk of theft, car jacking, and safety as the locks do not engage while driving. Very dangerous. Windows do not roll up/down, which when paired with the doors needing to be locked/unlocked manually can cause one to become trapped, especially with passengers. Dealership charged me $200 to tell me that the locks is were broken wanted to charge me $1200 to fix only two.
Nissan Sentra door locks problems
64 of the 5,835 owner complaints about the Nissan Sentra describe doors won't lock, open or latch, most of them for the 2020 model year.
- owner complaints
- 64
- worst model year
- 2020
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,500
- typical mileage
- 45,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Key fob 9Wipers 3Slipping 3Won't start 2Transmission failure 2Seat belt 2Fire or smoke 2CVT failure 2
What owners say
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.
There has not been an actual incident, door lock actuator stopped working prematurely.
Date of purchase from dealer: right passenger door lock non-functional. the salesperson had to have the door opened from the outside to exit the car. He took the care to be repaired while the paperwork was completed. Subsequently I have been unable to exit both doors without pushing the UNLOCK button. The door handle does not itself open the door. 2. Both screens flicker/dim/darken, and at times are completely black for up to 5 seconds. 3. The rear passenger seat belt is extremely difficult to latch with child safety seat in place. The car was taken to two different dealers without any repair/s completed. I was told the door lock having to be manually opened was a 'safety feature'. I was told that the screen dims on purpose related to a monitor on the dash. I brought a video of it happening. It happens in the dark with no streetlights or change of lighting. I was told that the back passenger seat belt "works fine if you don't put a child safety seat there." The dealer who sold me the vehicle states they have no record of repairing the right front door lock the day of purchase. I had my niece with me in the car and witnessed the problem. When I asked for a copy of the service completed, they stated that they have none.
The passenger front, and both back windows no longer function. This appears to be a common issue when searching the internet. There is also an issue with the keyless start, as it often does not recognize that the fob is in the vehicle, or gives a low batter warning (with a new battery). As there was already a recall on the sensor for the blind spot warnings and such, there appears to be wide spread electrical and sensor issues with this year/make/model. The windows pose a safety risk if someone is trapped in a vehicle that the doors won't open.
Drivers side Door Lock Actuator could not open the door from the inside handle or outside handle. In 2025 I replaced the part, Feb 2026 had to take the car to the dealership because could not open the door again. Dealership told me the Actuator failed internally. The part was only looked at by the dealership. There were no warning lamp, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.
The driver side door lock is malfunctioning. Not unlocking or locking consistently from either the keyfob (Changed battery) or when in car. It is a safety issue that I can not lock doors with door lock when in car. Initially driver door effected and now both driver and passenger doors are effected. I am having difficult time getting it fixed. The mechanic is having difficulty fixing the safety problem. He believes its a nissan defect
The rear door locks on my vehicle fail to lock and unlock properly, especially using the power lock switches or key fob. This is not an occasional issue — it happens every single day. This is a major safety concern because the back doors often cannot be opened at all, which puts my children at risk of being trapped inside during an emergency or accident. In addition, the rear windows frequently get stuck and will not roll down. This is also a daily occurrence. It makes the problem even more dangerous because the windows cannot be used as an emergency exit if the doors fail. These issues are consistent and ongoing. Because the vehicle is used to transport children, the defective door locks and windows create a significant safety hazard that could prevent occupants from exiting the car quickly in an accident, fire, or similar emergency.
Car has 72000 miles in it it has given no indication on dash except cruise control went out. The transmission is slipping and both the front passenger and drivers door handles are messed up up.
The door lock actuators in my 2021 Nissan Sentra have malfunctioned, causing my doors to unexpectedly lock or unlock. Three of the four doors are affected, including the front driver's side door and both back doors. This is a serious safety concern that can potentially lock me inside the car. This can make it difficult to leave the vehicle during an emergency. It has also put my vehicle at risk for theft. No warning lights or messages have occurred indicating there is a problem. There are no recalls for my vehicle due to this problem. I took my car into the local Nissan dealership in Kansas City, and they gave me a price quote of $884.05 to fix the problem.
Related recalls
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Altima, Sentra, 2025-2026 Frontier, and 2026 Kicks vehicles. The door strikers may have been improperly welded and break, allowing the door to open while moving. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
- Risk
- A door that opens unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion increases the risk of injury or a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the door strikers, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800‑647‑7261. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD185 and PMA61. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning January 28, 2026.
Recall number 26V023000 · Recall details
Latches/locks/linkages
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2015 Nissan Rogue vehicles manufactured June 9, 2015, to June 10, 2015, and 2015 Nissan Sentra and Versa Note vehicles manufactured June 5, 2015, to June 13, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the driver side front and rear doors may not fully latch. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
- Risk
- A door that does not fully latch may result in the door opening while the car is moving. The distraction may increase the risk of a crash and/or a vehicle occupant may fall out of the vehicle if they are not wearing a seatbelt, increasing their risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the date, lot number, and cavity code on the left front and rear door latches, and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 31, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 15V453000 · Recall details
Questions about the Nissan Sentra door locks
Which Nissan Sentra years have doors won't lock, open or latch problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2020 (14 complaints), 2015 (8 complaints) and 2016 (6 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix doors won't lock, open or latch on the Nissan Sentra?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,500 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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