2013-2019 Nissan Sentra Front vs Rear Brakes: What Wears First and What to Replace

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

On a 2013-2019 Nissan Sentra, the front brakes almost always wear out first. The front pads and rotors do most of the stopping work, so they typically need replacing well before anything at the rear, and many Sentras use self-adjusting rear drum brakes that last longer still. Replace brakes in axle pairs, inspect the rear every time you do the front, and match the rear parts to whichever system your car actually has.

How the Sentra brake system is laid out

Every 2013-2019 Sentra uses disc brakes up front: a sliding caliper squeezing two pads against a rotor. The rear is where the generation splits. Nissan's own owner's manual for this Sentra is written to cover both setups, describing front disc brakes, rear disc brakes "if so equipped," and rear drum brakes "if so equipped." Depending on trim and model year, your car has either rear drums with brake shoes or rear discs with pads.

The quickest way to know which you have is to look through the rear wheel spokes. If you see a flat rotor face with a caliper clamped over it, you have rear discs. If you see a closed, bell-shaped metal drum with no caliper, you have rear drums. Confirm this before ordering anything, because rear pads and rotors will not fit a drum car and rear shoes will not fit a disc car.

Why the front brakes wear first

When a car slows down, its weight pitches forward onto the front tires. That extra load gives the front tires more grip, so the brake system is proportioned to send more clamping force to the front wheels. The Sentra is also front-wheel drive with the engine and transaxle sitting over the front axle, which puts more of the car's weight on the front end before you ever touch the pedal.

The result is that the front pads convert most of the car's speed into heat on every stop. They wear faster, and the front rotors take more heat cycling, which is why front rotors are the ones that usually develop pulsation or grooves. A Sentra that has had two front brake jobs and never had the rear touched is normal.

Rear drums last longer again because the shoe lining has a large surface area and the rear axle does a smaller share of the work. That long life is also a trap: owners forget about them, and the self-adjuster can seize or the linings can glaze without any obvious warning.

Symptoms and how to tell which end needs attention

Front brake symptoms

• High-pitched squeal while driving. Nissan fits audible wear indicators to the disc brake pads. The owner's manual describes a high-pitched scraping or screeching sound when a pad needs replacement, heard whether or not you are pressing the pedal. That sound means get the brakes checked soon.
• Steering wheel shake when braking from highway speed. Usually front rotor thickness variation.
• Grinding. Pad backing plate on rotor. Stop driving and replace pads and rotors together.
• Pull to one side. A sticking front caliper slide pin or piston is the usual cause.

Rear brake symptoms

• Parking brake lever pulls up higher than it used to. On drum cars this points to worn shoes or an adjuster that has stopped working.
• Soft or low pedal that improves after pumping. Excess shoe-to-drum clearance at the rear, or air or old fluid in the system.
• Scraping or thumping from the rear. Lining worn to the shoe, a broken spring, or rust buildup on the drum lip.
• Rear wheel hot after a drive. Shoes over-adjusted or a sticking wheel cylinder dragging the brake.

Nissan's maintenance schedule for this Sentra calls for inspecting brake pads and rotors every 10,000 miles or 12 months under standard conditions, and every 5,000 miles or 6 months under severe driving conditions. Ask for the rear to be opened up at the same time, especially on drum cars, since nothing about a drum is visible from outside.

The fix: which parts to replace

Front brake job

Replace front pads as a pair, never one side. Resurface or replace the front rotors when they are below the minimum thickness in the factory service manual, warped, or deeply scored. On a daily-driven Sentra, new rotors usually make more sense than machining, because machining removes the metal the rotor needs to absorb and shed heat. Clean and lubricate the caliper slide pins, fit new abutment clips if the old ones are rusted, and torque the caliper bolts and lug nuts to the values in the factory service manual.

For most owners a quality ceramic pad is the right front choice on this car: low dust, quiet, and good cold bite for commuting. We carry Bendix front ceramic brake pads for the 2013-2019 Sentra, and you can compare other options in our ceramic brake pads and brake rotors collections.

Rear drum brake job

If the linings are worn, replace both rear shoe sets and inspect the drums for scoring, cracks and wear beyond the limit cast into the drum or listed in the service manual. Replace drums that are out of spec. Nissan's service procedure for the rear drum brake calls out separate left-side and right-side adjusters, and requires the shoe clearance to be adjusted through the parking brake lever stroke after installation and bleeding. Mixing up the left and right adjusters is a common reason a rear drum job ends with a low pedal.

Our brake shoes and brake hardware kits collections cover the shoe side of the job.

Rear disc brake job

On disc-equipped cars, treat the rear like the front: pads as a pair, rotors measured and replaced if thin or damaged, caliper slides cleaned and lubricated. Check that the parking brake applies and releases fully after the job.

What to replace at the same time

• Drum hardware. Know Your Parts, a technician resource built from parts-maker information, recommends replacing the return springs, hold-down hardware and adjuster assembly during shoe service, and notes that a groove worn in the adjuster lever can stop the adjuster from working. Springs lose tension with heat, so a new hardware kit is cheap insurance.
• Wheel cylinders. If you see fluid on the backing plate or the rubber boots are wet, replace the wheel cylinder before fitting new shoes, or the new lining will be contaminated.
• Brake fluid. Nissan's schedule for this Sentra calls for replacing brake fluid every 20,000 miles or 24 months under standard conditions, and every 10,000 miles or 12 months under severe conditions. A brake job is a good time to flush it. Use the fluid type printed on the master cylinder reservoir cap or in your owner's manual.
• Caliper hardware and slide pins. Seized slides cause uneven pad wear and pulling.
• Brake light switch recall check (2016-2019). NHTSA recall 21V135000 covers certain 2016-2019 Sentra cars whose brake light switch can become contaminated so the brake lights do not come on. The remedy is a free switch replacement with a protective grommet at a Nissan dealer. If your brake lights are intermittent, run your VIN through the recall lookup before buying parts.

How hard is the job?

A front pad and rotor job on a Sentra is one of the more approachable brake jobs for a home mechanic. It needs a jack and stands, basic sockets, a C-clamp or piston tool, brake cleaner, high-temperature lubricant and a torque wrench. Plan on an afternoon for your first time.

Rear drums are harder. There are more springs, the adjusters are side-specific, and the parking brake has to be set up correctly afterward. Take photos of one side before disassembly and work one side at a time so you always have an assembled reference. Rear discs sit in between: similar to the front, with the extra step of confirming the parking brake operates correctly.

After any brake job, pump the pedal until it is firm before moving the car, then bed the new pads in with a series of moderate stops before any hard braking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my 2013-2019 Sentra have rear drum or rear disc brakes?

It depends on trim and model year. Look through the rear wheel: a visible rotor and caliper means discs; a closed metal drum means drums. Order parts only after you confirm which one you have.

Should I replace front and rear brakes at the same time?

Not automatically. Replace each axle when it is worn. The front will usually need service first, but inspect the rear every time so you can plan ahead.

How often should Sentra brakes be inspected?

Nissan lists brake pad and rotor inspection every 10,000 miles or 12 months for standard driving, and every 5,000 miles or 6 months for severe driving.

Why does my parking brake lever pull up so far?

On drum-equipped cars the rear shoes self-adjust when the parking brake is applied. Excess lever travel usually means worn shoes, a seized adjuster, or adjusters installed on the wrong sides.

Do I need new rotors with new pads?

Only if the rotors are below minimum thickness, warped, cracked or deeply grooved. Many Sentra owners replace them together because fresh rotors bed in best with new pads and reduce the risk of vibration.

What does a constant squeal from the front wheels mean?

It is most likely the pad wear indicator contacting the rotor, which Nissan designs to warn you the pads are due. Have them replaced soon to avoid rotor damage.

Sources

1. Nissan Sentra Owner's Manual - Brakes - disc and drum "if so equipped," audible pad wear indicators, drum self-adjustment via parking brake
2. Nissan Sentra Service Manual - Rear Drum Brake Removal and Installation - left/right adjusters, shoe clearance set through parking brake lever stroke
3. Nissan USA - 2016 Sentra Brake Pads and Rotors Maintenance - inspection intervals
4. Nissan USA - 2016 Sentra Brake Fluid Maintenance - fluid replacement intervals
5. NHTSA Recalls - Nissan Sentra - recall 21V135000, brake light switch, 2016-2019 Sentra
6. Know Your Parts - The Importance of Drum Brake Self-Adjusters - adjuster operation, worn lever groove, hardware to replace