While driving down the highway along with other traffic the car went into limp mode and lost power instantly almost causing an accident. Come to find out the engine bearings caused the engine to go on it without any warning signs. This car has been maintenanced and taken care of and had the same issue happen that the other nissans have had that they have the recall out for.
Nissan Sentra won't shift problems
62 of the 5,835 owner complaints about the Nissan Sentra describe stuck in gear or won't shift, most of them for the 2013 model year.
- owner complaints
- 62
- worst model year
- 2013
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,011
- typical mileage
- 75,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
CVT failure 16Transmission failure 10Check engine light 8Jerking 7Slipping 4Loss of power 4Grinding brakes 2Won't start 1
Trouble codes mentioned
P1722 3P0744 3P1778 2P1788 1P0102 1P0101 1
What owners say
Transmission has already been replaced with a new CVT transmission and the Nissan dealership has also had to put something back in the transmission because it came out and then last night when driving I went to turn and it wouldn't go and now it won't go into gear and it rolls even in park
Every so often the vehicle’s AEB, FCW, LDW system malfunctions and causes the CEL( Check Engine Light ) to come on. The car also looses Traction Control and begins to sound like the tires are grinding on the pavement. This then puts the motor in a limp mode/ Safe Mode. During this time the vehicle DOES NOT Have power and reduces speed to 50MPH, the vehicle then revs at 2.5-5.5RPM trying to catch/ hold speed. The vehicle begins to shake when this happens. The power windows also don’t work after this happens.
As I was driving on the interstate, traffic came to a complete stop. When the traffic resumed, approximately 2-3 minutes later, I took my foot off the brake to press the gas pedal and vehicle would not drive. I tried shifting the gears to see if the vehicle was stuck in gear, it was not. My vehicle came to a complete halt in a "kill zone" area of the interstate without any mechanical malfunction warning and this is unsatisfactory. My transmission was replaced in 2020 because of a recall issue and now not even 5 years later, I am having issues with the same transmission. The dealer informed me that the CVT Transmissions on my model and others of the same year, are no good. They have several other vehicles waiting for the same repair with the same issues. I truly believe this issue could potentially lead to a life-or-death situation especially with the issue coming out of nowhere. I am requesting that a national recall be issued on the transmissions before some potentially loses their life, such as myself, in a "kill zone" area when the mechanical issue took place. I am looking forward to a swift resolution.
I was driving in town, alternator decided to quit working, car went into limp mode on a busy street and I was nearly rear-ended.
Bought 2015 Nissan Sentra SR from Nissan West in Dickson, TN. The car didn't even a lot of miles on it. Not even a month after having the car, the transmission went out. Car started acting up on the interstate. Would not shift gears, wouldn't go over a certain amount of speed, almost caused us to be hit multiple times. Finally got it to Nissan West dealership where they did confirm transmission was no good. Nissan West, reworked the transmission instead of giving us a new transmission. Now, over a year and 3 months later, the transmission went out again. Has been confirmed by Nissan West in Dickson, TN. The transmission had only a little over 10,000 miles on it. This time I was pulling out onto a busy street when the car out of the blue would not go forwards or backwards. Luckily we did not get hit and we had to push the car out of the middle of the road.
The car began to jerk when driven. One day, it stopped working; the engine was still running but it wouldn't shift gears. The transmission was repaired, and several parts were replaced. However, the car still jerks when reaching 50 miles per hour, the horn doesn't sound, not even the alarm, and it makes a loud noise when making a tight turn.
1. Front passenger side seat fails to activate the air bag once a passenger has occupied the seat, and buckled up. The airbag "off" indication light remains illuminated at all times, and if it isn't being activated, may cause bodily harm, injury, or death to any passenger of the vehicle in the unfortunate event of a collision. Vehicle was requested to be checked out at Lorenzo Nissan in Ft. Lauderdale, FL in November 2023, but was refused. FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG, FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATION LIGHT ••••••••••••••••••••••• 2. 2015 Sentra CVT transmission slips, shakes and stalls. On numerous occurrence this has caused near tragic collisions with multiple vehicles. One such instance forced the vehicle into 'limp mode' in a high speed area of a busy freeway and nearly caused numerous vehicles to collide into the stalled Sentra at rates of speed over 70 MPH. Furthermore, the 2015 Sentra has an issue shifting from park, and will not move out of park, even with the brake applied, unless the gear release button is applied. Vehicle was requested to be examined by Lorenzo Nissan in November 2023, but the dealership refused to inspect any possible safety or equipment issues without the promise of purchasing a new Nissan from their dealership. POWERTRAIN, CVT TRANSMISSION, AUTOMATIC GEAR-SHIFT INDICATION, LIMP MODE, NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED
CVT is failing leaving the car unable to start and runs rough. Will not shift. Been towed several times.
My gear shift malfunctions. It is stuck in park and I have to use a screw driver to move the gear shift. Then the gear shift is loose this could cause an accident. I'm doing my best to keep it secure but need it replaced. Also think it has to do with a part u see the brake
Related recalls
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Nissan Sentra vehicles. The front left-side driveshaft may not be fully seated in the continuously variable transmission (CVT) assembly, which can cause a transmission fluid leak and loss of drive power.
- Risk
- An unexpected loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. In addition, a driveshaft that is not fully engaged can result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the front left driveshaft, and if necessary, replace the driveshaft and CVT assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 12, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1‑800‑867‑7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA68. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on June 30, 2026.
Recall number 26V410000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Sentra vehicles. The front left-side driveshaft may not be fully seated in the continuously variable transmission (CVT) assembly, or may have a loose or missing retaining clip, which can cause a transmission fluid leak and loss of drive power.
- Risk
- An unexpected loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the front left driveshaft, and if necessary, replace the driveshaft and CVT assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 26, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1‑800‑867‑7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA37.
Recall number 24V304000 · Recall details
Questions about the Nissan Sentra won't shift
Which Nissan Sentra years have stuck in gear or won't shift problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2013 (15 complaints), 2012 (10 complaints) and 2015 (10 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix stuck in gear or won't shift on the Nissan Sentra?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,011 (median of 10 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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