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2020 Nissan Sentra

The 2020 Nissan Sentra has 4 NHTSA safety recalls on file, 203 owner complaints, and gets about 33 mpg combined. Here's the full free record from NHTSA and the EPA.

SPECS

2020 Nissan Sentra at a glance

Engine
4-cyl 2L
Cylinders
4
Displacement
2 L
Drivetrain
Front-Wheel Drive
Transmission
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Body
Midsize Cars
Fuel
Regular

Source: EPA / NHTSA vPIC, as of July 13, 2026.

SAFETY RECALLS · NHTSA

4 open

Steering

17/06/2021

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may be bent.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the left and/or right tie rods as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 5, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PM985.

Exterior Lighting

13/04/2022

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."

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.

Steering

15/08/2023

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may bend.

Remedy: Owners are advised to contact their dealer for transport assistance if they are experiencing an off-center steering wheel or vibration. As an interim repair, dealers will inspect and replace any bent or broken tie rods, free of charge. Once newly designed parts are available, dealers will replace both left and right tie rods, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed November 27, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23B3. This recall replaces and expands recall number 21V-461. Vehicles previously repaired under 21V-461 will need to have the new remedy completed.

Back Over Prevention

08/09/2023

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Altima and 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. Damage to the camera harness can cause distortion or loss of the rearview camera display image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and harness for damage and replace them as necessary. If no damage is found, the dealer will apply protective tape and reroute the rearview camera harness. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 19, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R23C3.

NHTSA has opened one or more investigations covering this model. Recalls can follow an investigation, so check NHTSA for the latest before you buy.

Open safety recalls are free to fix at any franchised dealer. What recalls mean → Source: NHTSA recalls, as of July 13, 2026. Recalls can be issued any time, confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov before you buy.

OWNER COMPLAINTS · NHTSA

203 filed
8 crashes 2 injuries
  • STEERING

    The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was off centered and the vehicle vibrated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle vibrated while making a turn. Th

    55
  • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

    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 ra

    37
  • UNKNOWN OR OTHER

    There has not been an actual incident, door lock actuator stopped working prematurely.

    31
  • FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

    My ABS has messed up multiple times often after traction control is lost I have been lucky enough to not be injured YET this is my daily driver and im self employed and am currently paying almost 1k a month for this car so im forced to dr

    26
  • SERVICE BRAKES

    On June 10 2025 the brake sensor malfunctioned for my 2020 Nissan Sentra This was the secound timeThe first time was about one week before..The brake peddle went down , car brakes ,brakes.I was driving speed limit of 20.There were no cars o

    14
  • POWER TRAIN

    The contact owns a 2020 Ford Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not t

    7

Problems owners reported to the government, useful for spotting patterns, not proof any one car has them. What complaints mean → Source: NHTSA complaints, as of July 13, 2026. Owner-submitted reports, not verified diagnoses.

CRASH-TEST RATINGS · NHTSA NCAP

Overall
★★★★★
Frontal
★★★★☆
Side
★★★★★
Rollover
★★★★★

Government crash tests of this model; not every trim or year is tested. Source: NHTSA NCAP, as of July 13, 2026.

FUEL & RUNNING COST · U.S. EPA

Combined
33 mpg
City / Hwy
29 / 39
Est. fuel / yr
$1,900
CO₂ / mi
268 g

EPA lab estimates; real mpg varies by how you drive. Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov, as of July 13, 2026. Annual cost assumes 15,000 mi/yr at EPA's reference price.

All figures above come from free U.S. government sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, investigations, crash tests) and the EPA (fuel economy and specs). We don't show market price, insurance cost, or proprietary reliability scores, because there's no free, reliable public source for them. For a verdict on a specific listing, with a fair-offer number and what to ask the seller, that's the VINly app.

BEFORE YOU BUY

What to check on this car

Confirm the recalls were fixed

This model has 4 open NHTSA recalls (including the steering). Recall repairs are free at the dealer, so ask the seller for proof the remedy was performed, or verify by VIN at nhtsa.gov before you buy.

Watch for a pending investigation

NHTSA has an open investigation covering this model. A recall can follow an investigation, so check nhtsa.gov for the latest before you commit.

  • Test-drive the basics

    Cold start, full-lock steering both ways, firm brakes with no pulsing, smooth shifts, and every electronic feature. Warning lights should come on at key-on, then go out.

  • Check the title and the VIN

    Confirm the title status in hand matches the listing, and that the VIN matches across the dash, door jamb, and title. VINly does not show ownership or accident history, for that, run a paid report like Carfax.

  • Ask the seller the right questions

    Why they are selling, any service records, accident or panel-repaint history, how many owners, and whether any open recalls were completed.

See the full used-car inspection checklist. None of this replaces a hands-on inspection by a mechanic.

Quick answers

What is recalled on the 2020 Nissan Sentra? +

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls for the 2020 Nissan Sentra, including the steering. See the full list above, and confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov.

What gas mileage does the 2020 Nissan Sentra get? +

The EPA rates the 2020 Nissan Sentra at 33 mpg combined (29 city / 39 highway), about $1,900 a year in fuel.

How safe is the 2020 Nissan Sentra? +

NHTSA's NCAP program gives the 2020 Nissan Sentra 5 out of 5 stars overall, with 5 stars for rollover resistance.

What do owners complain about on the 2020 Nissan Sentra? +

Owners have filed 203 complaints with NHTSA for the 2020 Nissan Sentra, including 8 involving a crash. The most-reported area is steering.

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