In my opinion, not as much of a problem as more of a general maintenance issue, however depending on how the vehicle is driven, the brakes do tend to wear through fairly quickly. I replaced all the pads at once a few years after purchasing the vehicle, and already they need to be replaced again.

The reason I say it's more wear and tear is because this vehicle has NEVER failed to keep me on the ice/snow/black ice packed roads(Knock on wood...) that Montana has to offer. A ton of braking does happen during winter as stopping fully at signs/signals can get one stuck with warm tires(Two wheel(Front) drive can be fun during snow storms); The cost does add up quick with this particular issue esp. if you go in yearly to get the pads replaced/cleaned.

I purchased this Sentra brand new from Guelph Nissan in Ontario Canada in Aug 2004. It is 18 month old and has only 16,500 KM on it. I took it is for a brake inspection because I heard grinding and smelled burning brakes. I was told that the brake pads had pulled away from their backings and were grinding the rotors. I needed new rotors and pads and that this was not covered under warranty. I pushed the warranty question and have received 4 different reasons why it is not covered under warranty. The latest reason is that the brakes have rusted so bad that the rust caused this damage (this is a load of you know what). Rust does not cause premature brake wear.

So I went to a reputable local independent mechanic and as soon as I told him the story, he said just fixed three Sentra's last week, with same problem. It is not caused by rust, but rather by a design flaw in brake pad assembly. Pads need to travel back and forth from the rotor. You can imagine they travel on some sort of guide or rail. On these brakes this guide is too tight and as soon as salt from the roads gets in there it caused the pads to seize against the rotors, causing premature brake wear.

The only way to prevent is to have the brakes serviced every spring to make sure they are clean. Spring cleaning of the brakes is not part of the Nissan maintenance program.

I am still complaining with the dealership, hoping they will put this through under warranty.

Anyone else out their with this problem?