— The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into possible brake problems in 200,000 model year 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra and Versa cars.
NHTSA has received eight complaints (so far) along with internal reports from Nissan about brake pedals going to the floorboard. Some Versa and Sentra owners say dealers have replaced numerous parts only to see the problems continue.
One 2013 Sentra driver said they were traveling 60 mph when they hit the brake pedal only to feel it go to the floor. The dealer replaced a chip in the anti-lock braking system, but the Sentra later experienced the problem while traveling 55 mph. The Nissan dealer replaced the master cylinder but the problem continued.
Another owner said the car was stopped at a light when the Sentra started moving forward and pushing the brake pedal did nothing. The car was headed into oncoming traffic when the driver finally pulled the parking brake and stopped the car. All this occurred with only 142 miles clocked on the car.
The preliminary evaluation will determine if a safety defect exists and if the investigation should be expanded or a recall ordered for 200,000 cars.
Nissan is facing a separate investigation into 38,000 model year 2007 Nissan Quest minivans. Quest owners complain about being stranded on the side of the road because of faulty fuel readings.
