The brake lights on 2016-2019 Nissan Sentra sedans may not illuminate when the brake pedal is pressed, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The malfunction has led to a recall of 807,376 vehicles.
The problem seems to stem from a brake light switch that can become contaminated by off-gassing from silicon-based grease used in surrounding components. If the Sentra’s brake light switch becomes contaminated, oxidation may occur and silicon dioxide can build up, leading to circuit issues.
When that happens, the brake lights may not come on when the brake pedal is depressed. That increases the risk of being rear-ended.
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According to Nissan, the issue does not affect any other vehicles, only Sentras from the model years listed above. That’s because the issue relates to the proximity of the brake’s clevis pin and lamp switch to one another, a design feature unique to the Sentra.
Fortunately, the automaker is not aware of any incidents or injuries related to this fault. In some cases, if the problem occurs, it may lead to a malfunction indicator light in the instrument panel and the engine may not start, according to documents filed by the NHTSA.
Nissan has said it will send a notice explaining the risk to owners this spring. It does not, however, expect to have the parts to fix this issue until fall. Owners will be called into their local dealership and a protective grommet will be installed to keep the issue from reoccurring. Repairs will be made at no cost to owners.
