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Steering Tie Rod Failure — Recall 21V461 (2020-2021)
sticky steering; steering wheel feels stuck; increased steering effort; steering recall
Safety2020-2021
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2020-2024 Nissan Sentra owners: 8 recalls, phantom AEB braking, CVT shudder, and infotainment freeze. Know your California lemon-law rights — free case review.
You bought a 2020-2024 Nissan Sentra because it offered a sharp redesign, a standard suite of driver-assist technology, and the kind of reliability reputation that Nissan spent decades building. What many B18 Sentra owners discovered instead was a car that brakes without warning, an infotainment screen that goes dark when it's hottest outside, a continuously variable transmission with a shudder that dealers can't seem to cure, and steering hardware so prone to failure that Nissan had to issue two separate recalls — and then told owners who'd already had the first repair done to come back in for a second one. That is not a fluke. That is a pattern.
The eighth-generation Sentra carries eight documented NHTSA recalls — an unusually dense recall record for a compact sedan in a four-model-year window. They range from the mundane (a windshield VIN bubble) to the alarming: tie rods that can fracture and eliminate steering control, a driver-side airbag inflator that may not deploy properly in a crash, and a driveshaft that can separate from the CVT assembly at speed. Layered on top of those formal recalls are three Nissan technical service bulletins covering unexpected autonomous braking events, repeated infotainment software failures, and ADAS camera overheating that shuts down every forward-facing safety system at once.
For California owners, this history matters. Song-Beverly — the state's lemon law — does not require a catastrophic crash. It requires a defect covered by warranty that the manufacturer or dealer could not fix after a reasonable number of attempts. Given the Sentra B18's documented repair loop — two steering recalls, seven infotainment software revisions, and a class action over phantom braking — many Sentra owners have already cleared that bar without realizing it. This page exists to help you understand what your repair orders may already be telling you.
The issues owners report most, ranked by severity — each one verified against a cited NHTSA source.
sticky steering; steering wheel feels stuck; increased steering effort; steering recall
tail light out; exterior light warning; reduced rear visibility
warning light; recall notice; repeated dealer repair
sticky steering; steering wheel feels stuck; increased steering effort; steering recall
backup camera blank; screen goes black in reverse; rearview camera distorted
airbag warning light; passenger airbag may not deploy; SRS warning; occupant detection fault
A settled Margarian Law case on this exact model, published with the actual settlement math.
Open any defect for the symptoms and why it matters for a California lemon-law claim. Each is tied to a cited NHTSA source.
sticky steering; steering wheel feels stuck; increased steering effort; steering recall
A bent or broken tie rod causes sudden loss of steering control at highway speed — a textbook safety defect. If the dealer's tie rod repair under recall 21V461 did not hold, or if the vehicle later needed the superseding 23V581 remedy, that constitutes multiple repair visits for the same steering defect. Under California Song-Beverly, two or more failed attempts to fix a safety defect during the warranty period establish strong eligibility for a buyback or replacement.
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.
tail light out; exterior light warning; reduced rear visibility
A misaligned LED headlight that reduces nighttime visibility violates FMVSS 108 and poses a genuine crash risk. If the replacement headlight assembly required more than one dealer visit to properly aim, or if the problem returned, each visit counts under Song-Beverly. Owners should preserve all repair orders documenting headlight work, including any alignment checks performed after the initial recall repair.
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.
warning light; recall notice; repeated dealer repair
Recall 23V421 is serious: water intrusion through the cowl seal can corrode the main harness and engine room harness, disabling airbags, exterior lighting, and the ability to shift out of park — each a safety failure in its own right. NHTSA also notes electrical short-circuit fire risk. If a 2022 Sentra owner had corrosion-related electrical failures before or during the recall remedy, those pre-recall repair attempts count toward the Song-Beverly threshold and can substantially strengthen a lemon-law claim.
Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, reseal the driver's side cowl. If moisture or corrosion is found, the main harness and engine room harness will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 26, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan
sticky steering; steering wheel feels stuck; increased steering effort; steering recall
Recall 23V581 expanded 21V461 and explicitly required re-repair of vehicles that had already received the 21V461 remedy — a public acknowledgment that the first repair was inadequate. Under Song-Beverly, a second mandatory repair for the same steering defect (on top of any dealer tie rod replacements before either recall) compounds the repair count directly. Owners whose vehicles required three or more steering-related dealer visits — whether pre-recall, under 21V461, or under 23V581 — have a particularly strong lemon-law record.
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 bo
backup camera blank; screen goes black in reverse; rearview camera distorted
A rearview camera that fails to display puts pedestrians and objects behind the vehicle at risk and violates FMVSS 111. Many owners reported that recall service under 23V628 was marked complete without the actual camera replacement, then experienced repeat failures. Documenting each dealer visit where the camera was inoperative — both before and after the recall remedy — creates a repair history that may support a Song-Beverly claim if two or more repair attempts failed to permanently resolve the issue.
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
airbag warning light; passenger airbag may not deploy; SRS warning; occupant detection fault
An airbag inflator that may absorb moisture and deploy improperly can fail to protect the driver in a crash — one of the most serious safety defects possible. For 2023-2024 Sentra owners who experienced airbag warning lights or had the driver airbag assembly replaced more than once, that repair history under recall 24V154 plus any pre-recall airbag module service counts toward Song-Beverly eligibility. The broad multi-model scope of this recall (nine Nissan/Infiniti nameplates) underscores systemic manufacturing awareness.
Dealers will replace the front driver's air bag assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD103, PD104, and PMA34.
clunking from drivetrain; loss of drive power; vehicle may roll when parked
A driveshaft that separates from the CVT can cause sudden, unexpected loss of drive power while moving — a crash-risk event. For 2024 Sentra owners whose driveshaft or CVT assembly required replacement under recall 24V304, any subsequent CVT-related driveability concern that required a second dealer visit establishes a repair pattern under Song-Beverly. Additionally, the recall's transmission fluid leak consequence means CVT damage could recur post-remedy, creating further grounds for a warranty claim.
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.
warning light; recall notice; repeated dealer repair
Recall 24V498 addresses air bubbles obscuring the windshield VIN under FMVSS 205 — a compliance defect rather than a direct crash-safety issue. While this recall alone is unlikely to anchor a lemon-law claim, a 2024 Sentra that also experienced the driveshaft separation recall (24V304) or airbag recall (24V154) within its first year of ownership presents a cumulative recall and repair history that, taken together, may meet the Song-Beverly threshold for a vehicle that has spent substantial time out of service.
Dealers will inspect and replace the windshield as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 29, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA38.
car brakes by itself with no obstacle ahead; AEB activates unexpectedly on highway; forward collision warning goes off randomly; sudden hard braking at speed; FCW warning light; automatic emergency braking false alarm; car stops for no reason
Unexpected autonomous braking on a freeway is a loss-of-control safety event that can cause rear-end collisions. If a dealer reprogrammed the ICC/ADAS 2 module under NTB21-115 and phantom braking recurred, that counts as a failed repair attempt under Song-Beverly. Multiple repair visits for the same ADAS defect — even when no DTC is stored — are documentable attempts that support a lemon-law claim.
Dealer reprograms ICC/ADAS 2 module to updated calibration per TSB NTB21-115B (latest revision July 2024). If phantom braking persists post-reprogram, radar module inspection or replacement may be required.
touchscreen freezes or goes black; CarPlay disconnects randomly; screen goes dark in hot weather; Bluetooth audio drops out; infotainment reboots while driving; Apple CarPlay stops working; backup camera shows blue screen after infotainment reboot; NissanConnect unresponsive; radio loses power while driving
Seven successive software revisions over 12 months — NTB23-018 through NTB23-018G — demonstrate that Nissan repeatedly attempted and failed to resolve the same infotainment defect. California Song-Beverly counts each 'repair' visit toward the statutory threshold; a persistent infotainment defect requiring four or more dealer visits, or 30+ days out of service cumulatively, can support a buyback claim even for a non-safety system.
Dealer updates AV Control Unit to latest software version per TSB NTB23-018 series. Some vehicles require interim version update before final version can be applied. As of Feb 2024 (NTB23-018G), updates are delivered via Nissan's Infotainment Software Update Utility rather than USB.
transmission shudders or shakes at 30-50 mph; CVT judder on light acceleration; jerking or lurching at steady highway speeds; CVT warning light; hesitation when pressing gas pedal; transmission whining noise; RPM flare without corresponding acceleration; CVT overheating warning
CVT shudder that recurs after a dealer fluid service and fails to be resolved after a second repair attempt creates a documented repair history that supports Song-Beverly eligibility. Prior Nissan CVT settlements (Martinez et al., 2018-2019 Sentra) show Nissan's institutional awareness of this defect across the model line; B18 owners whose vehicles require two or more CVT-related repair attempts within warranty may have actionable claims.
CVT fluid replacement with Nissan NS-3 fluid sometimes temporarily alleviates shudder. Persistent judder typically requires CVT valve body service or full CVT assembly replacement. NTB24-022 (March 2024) notes CVT belt-and-pulley sub-assembly service parts are now available for dealer ordering.
check engine light on; rough idle or engine shaking; EGR code P0401 or P0404; engine stalls at low speed or while stopping; reduced power on acceleration; engine shudder at idle; no-start after stall; excessive oil consumption at high mileage
A highway stall caused by EGR failure is a safety-implicating drivability event. If the stall recurs after an EGR repair under warranty, that second visit establishes a repair pattern. Song-Beverly requires only a reasonable number of repair attempts for a substantial defect — two EGR stall repairs within the warranty period may be sufficient to trigger eligibility, particularly if the vehicle was out of service for a combined period exceeding 30 days.
Per TSB NTB22-067A: inspect and clean EGR valve and intake passages; replace EGR valve assembly if flow test fails. Oil consumption complaints: no TSB issued; dealer oil consumption test (typically requires documenting consumption rate over 1,000-mile interval) is prerequisite for warranty consideration.
dead battery overnight; battery keeps dying; key fob stops working; door won't lock or unlock with fob; door lock actuator clicking; power windows fail; battery drain after replacing battery; door stuck closed on cold morning; car won't start after sitting; multiple battery replacements in first two years
Recurring battery drain requiring three or more dealer visits for diagnosis and repair is a textbook lemon-law pattern — the defect is real, documented on repair orders, and resistant to remedy. Under Song-Beverly, a defect that substantially impairs use or value and is the subject of two or more unsuccessful repair attempts within the warranty period supports a claim, even when individual repair orders describe different root causes (battery replacement, BCM reprogram, actuator swap) for what the owner experiences as the same electrical breakdown.
Battery drain: BCM reprogram (NTB20-096A voluntary service campaign) or telematics module diagnostics. Door lock actuators: dealer replacement under warranty. TSB NTB22-051/NTB22-051B addresses horn inoperative from pinched ground wire — same ground circuit implicated in some actuator failures.
transmission fluid leak; hesitation or jerking; clunking from drivetrain; loss of drive power; vehicle may roll when parked
Sudden loss of drive power and rollaway risk are crash-risk safety defects. This is the second consecutive model year with the same driveshaft-seating defect (24V304 on the 2024 Sentra; 26V410 on the 2025) — a recurring manufacturing defect pattern relevant to a California Song-Beverly claim, particularly for owners with transmission symptoms their dealer could not resolve. The inspection/replacement repair can take more than 10 hours, which may contribute to days-out-of-service.
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 NHTSA.gov on June 30, 2026.
remedy available
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.
remedy available
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Nissan Sentra vehicles. The windshield may have air bubbles on the front lower driver's side, which can obscure the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 205, "Glazing Materials."
remedy available
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.
remedy available
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Titan, Frontier, Infiniti QX60, Pathfinder, 2023-2024 Sentra, Versa, Kicks, Infiniti QX50, and 2023 Rogue vehicles. Due to a manufacturing issue, the driver's air bag inflator may absorb moisture, and cause the air bag to deploy improperly.
remedy available
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."
open
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may bend.
remedy available
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2022 Sentra vehicles. The driver's side cowl area may have a missing or improper seal, which can allow water to leak inside the vehicle and corrode electrical components.
remedy available
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 available
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Sentra vehicles. The left and/or right tie rod may be bent.
Every item below comes from this vehicle's documented defects. The more you recognize, the more a free case review is worth your time.
California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act is among the strongest lemon laws in the country, and the 2020-2024 Sentra's documented defects make it directly relevant.
THE BASIC RULE: If your Sentra has a warranty-covered defect — a tie rod, a CVT, a phantom-braking ADAS, an infotainment screen that keeps failing — and it cannot be repaired after a reasonable number of attempts, you may be entitled to a full buyback, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement.
WHAT 'REASONABLE NUMBER' MEANS: Song-Beverly presumes a lemon when (a) the same defect has been subject to four or more repairs and persists, or (b) the vehicle was out of service for a cumulative 30+ days for warranty defects, within 18 months of delivery or 18,000 miles. For defects that could cause death or serious injury — tie rod failure, airbag defect, phantom AEB at highway speed — only two unsuccessful repair attempts are required to trigger the presumption.
RECALL REPAIRS COUNT: Every dealer visit — whether for a recall, a TSB, or a warranty complaint — can count as a repair attempt. Sentra owners who visited for the 21V461 recall, returned for 23V581, and then reported steering vibration a third time may already qualify.
ATTORNEY FEES: If you prevail, Nissan pays your attorney's fees. You can pursue a claim through a lemon-law attorney at no out-of-pocket cost. The risk of waiting is that your warranty expires and your legal options narrow significantly.
“Could not duplicate” doesn't mean the defect isn't real. Here's exactly what to do to protect a potential California lemon-law claim.
Document the moment it happens. Photos, video, and screenshots of any warning lights — with the date and the mileage.
Get a repair order every visit — even “found nothing.” That paperwork is the foundation of a claim.
Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Note any recall that has no available remedy yet.
Track your out-of-service days. California law counts the cumulative days your vehicle spends in the shop.
Keep loaner & rental records. Alternate-transport paperwork during long repairs matters.
Save everything in one place. Symptoms, dates, repair orders, and every repeat visit — the intermittent ones especially.
The most frustrating dealership outcome is 'unable to duplicate.' For Sentra owners it is especially common with phantom AEB (no DTC stored by design) and infotainment freezes (screen restores when the car cools). Here is how to protect yourself:
1. DOCUMENT IN REAL TIME. The moment phantom braking, a screen freeze, or CVT shudder occurs, start a phone video. A 10-second clip of a frozen screen beats any verbal description. Timestamp is evidence.
2. WRITE THE SYMPTOM ON THE REPAIR ORDER. Tell the advisor exactly what happened and insist it appears verbatim. 'Vehicle braked unexpectedly at 65 mph on I-405, no obstacle present, no warning.' Vague entries like 'check AEB' undermine your case. Get a copy of the RO before you leave — every time.
3. CITE THE TSB. If the dealer denies phantom braking, mention TSB NTB21-115B and ask whether the ICC/ADAS 2 module was reprogrammed. For the infotainment, reference NTB23-018 and ask which software version was installed. The bulletin number creates a record that the known defect was specifically addressed.
4. TRACK OUT-OF-SERVICE DAYS. Every day your car sits at the dealer for any covered defect counts toward Song-Beverly's 30-cumulative-day threshold. Keep a log: drop-off date, pick-up date, reason for each visit.
5. ESCALATE TO NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS. After two failed repair attempts, call 1-800-647-7261 and open a case. Request field technical specialist involvement — that visit creates a documented repair attempt and often surfaces TSBs the dealership missed.
6. PRESERVE EVERYTHING. Recall notices, repair orders, loaner agreements, texts with the dealer — the Song-Beverly claim is built on this paper trail.
The 2020-2024 Nissan Sentra B18 is not dangerous by design, but its recall record tells a story of manufacturing and software quality that fell short of what buyers were promised. Two steering recalls for the same tie rod, seven infotainment software revisions, a class action over phantom braking, and an airbag inflator recall covering the newest models is an unusual remediation burden for a volume compact sedan. The CVT shudder pattern — already litigated against Nissan for earlier Sentra generations — is now resurfacing in B18 owner complaints, suggesting the architecture issue was not resolved. For California owners who have made multiple dealer visits without lasting results, Song-Beverly may be the most practical path to a vehicle that works.
— The Margarian Law team
If your 2020-2024 Nissan Sentra has been to the dealer for steering failures, phantom braking, an infotainment screen that keeps freezing, or CVT shudder — and the problem keeps coming back — you may have options. Margarian Law has handled thousands of lemon-law cases and offers a free case review. You pay nothing unless we recover.
Unexpected braking with no obstacle present is 'phantom AEB' — a false activation of the automatic emergency braking system. Nissan issued TSB NTB21-115 (revised to NTB21-115B, July 2024) confirming the defect in 2020-2022 Sentras: the ICC/ADAS 2 radar module generates false-positive detections, commanding a brake event. No DTC is stored — which is why dealers say 'can't duplicate.' The dealer fix is reprogramming the ICC/ADAS 2 module. If phantom braking recurs after reprogram, document each event on video and insist the dealer cite NTB21-115B on the RO. A class action named the 2020-2021 Sentra, citing Nissan's awareness of the Continental ARS410 radar sensor. Multiple failed reprogram attempts support a California lemon-law claim.
Yes — and this is important. NHTSA recall 21V461 (June 2021) addressed bent tie rods in 2020-2021 Sentras, but Nissan issued a second, superseding recall, 23V581 (August 2023), that expanded coverage to 2020-2022 models and explicitly required vehicles previously repaired under 21V461 to return for a permanent remedy using newly designed parts. If your Sentra only received the interim inspection under 21V461, the final repair has not been completed. A fractured tie rod can cause sudden loss of steering control, so this is a safety-critical repair. Contact your Nissan dealer, provide your VIN, and ask whether the 23V581 permanent remedy has been completed. If you experienced steering vibration, vibration, or pulling after the first recall repair, those subsequent dealer visits count as additional repair attempts under California's lemon law.
The 8-inch NissanConnect system in 2020-2023 Sentras has a known AV Control Unit software defect. Nissan issued TSB NTB23-018 in March 2023 and revised it six more times through February 2024 — seven iterations for the same underlying problem. Symptoms: screen freezes or goes blank in warm weather; wireless CarPlay drops mid-trip; Bluetooth audio cuts out; backup camera shows blue screen after reboot. The fix is a dealer AV Control Unit software update; some vehicles require a two-step process. If your screen problems returned after an update, that counts as a failed repair attempt. Four or more visits for the same infotainment defect, or 30 cumulative days out of service, can satisfy Song-Beverly thresholds.
Owner complaints for 2020-2024 Sentras document CVT shudder, judder, and hesitation consistent with the JF016E belt-and-pulley defects that drove class action settlements against Nissan for 2013-2019 models. Symptoms: vibration and shaking at 30-50 mph, RPM flare without acceleration, CVT Warning light, and CVT fluid leaks (2024 recall 24V304 covers driveshaft separation from the CVT). No recall or warranty extension covers 2020-2024 Sentra CVT shudder as of 2026; the Martinez settlement reached final approval in 2025 but covers only 2018-2019 Sentra. Document every dealer visit with the specific symptom and mileage. Two or more unsuccessful CVT repairs within the warranty period may support a California lemon-law claim.
Yes. NHTSA recall 24V154 (February 2024) covers 2023-2024 Sentra vehicles. The driver-side airbag inflator may absorb moisture during manufacturing, causing improper deployment that fails to protect the driver. Nissan notified owners beginning April 10, 2024; the remedy is dealer replacement of the front driver airbag assembly at no charge. Verify your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If you saw an airbag warning light before the recall remedy — or if the airbag module was replaced more than once — those visits may count toward Song-Beverly eligibility, especially combined with other warranty repairs during the same period. Contact Nissan at 1-800-867-7669 to confirm remedy status.
There is no single magic number, but Song-Beverly creates a rebuttable lemon presumption when, within 18 months of delivery or 18,000 miles: the same defect has been subject to four or more repair attempts and still exists, or the vehicle was out of service for 30+ cumulative days for warranty defects. For defects that could cause death or serious injury — tie rod failure, phantom AEB braking, airbag defect — only two unsuccessful attempts are required. Recall repairs count: a Sentra that went in for the 21V461 tie rod recall, then 23V581, and then showed steering vibration a third time may already qualify. Save every repair order — even 'no fault found' visits. The cumulative record is what matters.
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