Headlight assembly not wired properly causing the driver's side Headlight not to work. Also the audio equipment inside the car has electrical issues.
Nissan Sentra headlights problems
60 of the 5,835 owner complaints about the Nissan Sentra describe headlights failing or too dim, most of them for the 2020 model year.
- owner complaints
- 60
- worst model year
- 2020
- typical mileage
- 79,000
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 5Wipers 4Loss of power 2ABS 2Warning lights 1Transmission failure 1Misfire 1Screen failure 1
What owners say
Headlights go out, completely dark while driving. This happens whether in auto lights or manual lighting.
The front passenger headlight started to go in and out. After a while it started to burn the connector. Also the back passenger side taillight is out too. The plugs in the car also make the speakers turn scratchy and sometimes the shifter would have some trouble going into gear. I took it to a Nissan dealership and they said that the electrical recall is vin number specifically but it’s happening to my car.
The tail light on the drivers rear has condensation. Therefore, my brake lights flicker. When putting the parking lights/headlights on, the power to the gas pedal is cut. RPMs go down and the car simply does not have power to accelerate.
The contact's son owns a 2022 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at various speeds at night, the front headlights were independently turning off. The contact had to pull over and turn off and turn on the headlight switch several times before the lights turned on. Additionally, the contact stated that her son stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance, and the back-up sensors were also turning off independently. The contact stated that her son saw warning lights on the instrument cluster indicating that the systems were not activated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring for several years. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for assistance. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V421000 (Structure); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,700.
The center overhead light compartment falling out of interior roof
[XXX] 06/29 637 1). A feature of the Auto Intelligent Headlight feature is not working on 2020 Sentras, all trims. During the daytime (rain or snow) when the windshield wipers are turned on and swish back and forth 4 times, it’s supposed to automatically turn on headlights (which also turns on tail lights so you’re not rear ended). 2). Additionally, when the headlights are in “Headlight” mode (not automatic mode), the owners manual states when the engine is turned off and the door is opened you will get both an alarm chime and a visual warning on the drivers display that lights are on and to turn them off. Just like any normal car going back for 20 years. Well it doesn’t work in 2020 Sentra. Only way I can get feature to chime or show the display warning is to toggle the headlight control switch to “Parking Lights” and back to “Headlights”!. Of course, if I can remember to do that I could remember to turn off the headlights! Auto Intelligent Headlights is explained on the Nissan website, and the 2020 Sentra Brochure States it as a standard feature on all trims. I also have a personal letter from Nissan stating 2020 Sentras have all of this feature. [XXX] Intelligent Auto Headlights | Innovation | Nissan’s Intelligent Auto Headlights: Nissan’s various technologies, including electrification, autonomous drive, connected car & service, mobility service, and energy management, are introduced. [XXX] [XXX] It doesn’t work. I contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs, after 2 months and being handed off to 2 customer service reps they finally sent a Corp DTS Rep to look at car. After 4 hrs examining it, he contacted the internal only “Nissan Tech Talk”, only for Nissan mechanics and you must have a dealer code to access, not for the public. Turns out, they knew that due to a new wiring system in the 2020 Sentra’s those features and a fog light auto feature don’t work! Apparently it’s a defect, I was never notified they INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to turn on the headlights, the air bags deployed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to Special Coverage Adjustment: 23520 Passenger Presence Sensor (PPS) Module; however, the VIN was not included in the Special Coverage Adjustment. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 174,000.
My ABS light randomly come on along side of traction control, front and rear collision assistance lights. Car has had electrical problems since I got it such as sometimes bright headlights won’t come on( they just stay on the dim regardless of what you do) the radio will just freeze and not work at all. Have to unhook the battery to get radio to even reset or even wait days for it to do it itself. DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS CAR. nothing but electrical problems since I’ve gotten it. And it only have 50,000 miles and all regular maintenance has been done
I took my car into the dealership for a recall repair and the following day, I started having situations where the I push the pedal down and the car would not initially move but then would "catch" and begin driving again. What is happening now however is that while I am driving, the car appears to shut off (headlights turn off and all of the lights come on the dash) and then all of the lights on the dash go off, headlights turn back on, and then the car "restarts" and continues to drive.
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Sentra vehicles, equipped with LED headlights. The right-hand headlight aim may be misaligned. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamp, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- An improperly aimed headlight may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the right-hand headlight, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 10, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1‑800‑867‑7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R20B4.
Recall number 22V244000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Nissan Sentra vehicles. The brake light switch may become contaminated, preventing the circuit from closing and the brake lights from illuminating.
- Risk
- The brake lights may not illuminate, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the brake light switch and install a protective grommet, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 1, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800867-7769. Nissan's number for this recall is PM971.
Recall number 21V135000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these vehicles were missing tamperproof caps that prevent horizontal headlamp adjustment.
- Risk
- These caps are installed to prevent misadjustment of the headlamps.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a tamperproof cap over the horizontal adjustment screw for both headlamps. Owner notification began january 14, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 01V376000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: tail lights
- What is wrong
- These vehicles do not meet the illumination requirements of fmvss no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
- Risk
- Following vehicles may not be aware that the vehicle in front is stopping, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Owners will be provided with two new light bulbs for the stop/tail lamps which are brighter than the original bulbs. A label with the new bulb number will also be provided for insertion into the owner's manual. If an owner so desires, a dealers can install the light bulbs for them.
Recall number 98V008000 · Recall details
Questions about the Nissan Sentra headlights
Which Nissan Sentra years have headlights failing or too dim problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2020 (6 complaints), 2014 (5 complaints) and 2003 (4 complaints).
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