2002 NISSAN SENTRA Complaints

THE PLASTIC HANDLE ON THE OIL DIPSTICK IS BROKEN. I HAVE SEARCHED FOR A SOLUTION ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH NISSAN SENTRA. MINE IS A 2002 SENTRA GXE. *TR

1. CAR OVERHEATED FIRST NIGHT IT WAS BOUGHT NEW ZERO MILES. DEALERSHIP FIXED A STUCK THERMOSTAT. (CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHECKED BEFORE IT WAS SOLD TO THE CUSTOMER!) THIS MAY HAVE FOREVER DAMAGED THIS CAR. 2. 59,000 MILES - CAR BLOWS HEAD GASKET. FIXED BY DEALERSHIP. 3. ~60,000 MILES - CAR RUNNING ROUGH BECAUSE THE SPARK PLUG SLEEVE WAS NOT PUT IN CORRECTLY AFTER HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED AT THE DEALERSHIP LEADING TO A PRESSURE LEAK IN A CYLINDER. THIS MISS SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOUND BY THE DEALERSHIPS MECHANIC BEFORE RELEASING THE CAR BACK TO THE CUSTOMER. FIXED BY DEALERSHIP. 4. ~119,000 MILES - CAR BLOWS SECOND HEAD GASKET. DEALERSHIP AND NISSAN BOTH SAY THEY WONT HELP PAY BECAUSE THE CAR HAS TOO MANY MILES ON IT. 5. CAR IS CURRENTLY AT DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY ARE REPAIRING THE HEAD GASKET AT MY EXPENSE OF 2,000 DOLLARS PLUS I WON'T HAVE A CAR FOR OVER A WEEK. I ASKED IF I WOULD HAVE TO PAY ANOTHER 2,000 DOLLARS IN 60,000 MILES FOR ANOTHER HEAD GASKET BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECTIVE ENGINE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A POSSIBILITY. I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH ON THIS MODEL NISSAN SENTRA AND FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE. WE EVEN PURCHASED A WARRANTY THAT IS GOOD FOR 100,000 MILES OR TILL 2009, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. WE ARE JUST BARELY OUT OF THAT WARRANTY WHICH WE SPENT EXTRA MONEY ON. *TR

1) CAR WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY WHILE GONE FOR THE WEEKEND. CAR WAS DRIVEN AS RECENTLY AS THE FRIDAY PRIOR TO THE START OF THE WEEKEND. THE CAR WAS TO BE DRIVEN FOR GROCERIES SUNDAY NIGHT, HOWEVER WHEN THE CAR STARTED, GAS SPRAYED FROM BELOW THE CAR UNTIL THE TANK WAS EMPTY. UPON EXITING THE CAR, THE DRIVEWAY WAS COVERED IN GASOLINE. CAR WAS THEN TURNED OFF. 2) SECOND OCCURRENCES OF THIS FAILURE. FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS 3 MONTHS PRIOR. 3) AFTER FIRST OCCURRENCE, CAR WAS TOWED TO LOCAL MECHANIC. FAULT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO SMALL ANIMAL CHEWING ON FUEL LINE AND ENTERING GAS TANK (FOUND DEAD IN TANK). FOR SECOND OCCURRENCE, CAR WILL BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NUMEROUS RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE WITH THE SAME FAILURE THAT HE WAS EXPERIENCING. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY OF THE RECALLS; THEREFORE, THE CONTACT WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED FOR ANY OF THE REPAIRS RELATED TO THOSE RECALLS. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT HIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS SINCE HE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURES. THE VIN AND RECALL NUMBERS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71,000.

THE ACCELERATOR FREEZES FREQUENTLY. WHEN IT BECOMES UNSTUCK, THE CAR LURCHES EITHER FORWARD OR BACKWARD DEPENDING ON WHICH GEAR IT'S IN. I HAVE HAD SOME NEAR MISSES WITH OTHER AUTOS AND STRUCTURES. *TR

2002 NISSAN SENTRA WITH ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO PRE-CATALYTIC CONVERTER. CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE. HE STATES THAT HE WASN'T EVEN INFORMED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED UNBURNED FUEL IS BURNED IN THE PRE-CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. WHEN THE UNBURNED FUEL WAS BURNED IT CAUSED DISINTEGRATION. IT WAS THEN SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING CYLINDER WALL DAMAGE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE ENGINE BURNING EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL. THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM WHICH COST HIM THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. *JB

HI, MY NAME IS [XXX] . I HAVE A COMPLAINT/RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THE MANNER IN WHICH A VEHICLE RECALL IS BEING HANDLED/PERFORMED. I AM THE OWNER OF A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA SE-R SPEC V. THIS VEHICLE HAS/HAD A RECALL IN PLACE TO FIX A CONDITION THAT WOULD LEAD TO UNREPAIRABLE ENGINE FAILURE. THE CONDITION YOU MAY BE AWARE OF AS A PRE-CAT (CATALYTIC CONVERTER LOCATED ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IN ADDITION TO THE MAIN ONE) FAILURE CONDITION. BASICALLY UNBURNED FUEL IS BURNED IN THE PRE-CAT RESULTING IN ITS DISINTEGRATION. IT IS THEN SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING CYLINDER WALL DAMAGE. THIS CONDITION RESULTS IN THE ENGINE BURNING EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL, A FURTHER DEGRADE IN COMPRESSION OVER TIME AND OVERALL ENGINE FAILURE BEFORE IT SHOULD EXPIRE UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. THIS SITUATION HAPPENED TO ME AND I WAS NOTIFIED IN ANY MANOR AT ANY TIME ABOUT ANY RECALL EVEN DURING SERVICE FOR THE RECALLED ITEM. THIS REPAIR WAS IN EXCESS OF A THOUSAND DOLLARS. AT WHICH TIME I WAS TOLD NOTHING ABOUT THE PARTICLES BEING SUCKED INTO MY ENGINE CAUSING MY THE ENGINE WEAR WHICH CAUSED THE OIL CONDITION. AT THE VERY LEAST I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE RECALL AT THE TIME OF REPAIR AND OF MY OIL BEING CONTAMINATED. INSTEAD I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE FINE TO DRIVE 100+ MILES TO MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP. IT WOULD OF GREAT HELP IS YOU COULD LOOK INTO THIS MATTER OR MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW ELSE THIS WOULD BE BEST HANDLED? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE UP AN EXIT RAMP, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL. THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED COMPLETELY. THE CONTACT HAD TO WAIT FIVE MINUTES TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE HOME. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 15,000. UPDATED 07/10/08. *LJ UPDATED *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. WHEN THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, HE HAD THE OIL CONSUMPTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM INSPECTED. THE MECHANIC INFORMED HIM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BURNING LARGE AMOUNTS OF OIL, CAUSING THE PISTON RINGS TO WEAR DOWN. HE WAS ALSO INFORMED OF A RECALL WITH THIS IDENTICAL FAILURE, WHICH STATED THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO REPLACE THE PARTS AS WELL AS INSTALL A CATALYST. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER TO SEE IF HE COULD HAVE THIS REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL, BUT THEY STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000. UPDATED 5/20/08 *CN UPDATED 05/20/08

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA S-ER. THREE YEARS AGO, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT IT COULD BE DUE TO VARIOUS COMPONENTS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED THE REST OF THE DAY. THE DEALER ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A CRACK IN THE WIRING HARNESS. THE COST TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS WAS $1,800, DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR OR GUARANTEE THAT THE FAILURE WOULD BE CORRECTED. THREE YEARS LATER, IN MARCH OF 2008, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE ECM, WHICH STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD SHUT OFF. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL AS LONG AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE MECHANICS WERE NOT QUALIFIED THREE YEARS AGO. THEY LEFT BLOWN AND LOOSE FUSES IN THE ENGINE AND ALSO DISCONNECTED THE WIRING HARNESS. THE CONTACT PAID OVER $400 TO HAVE THE O2 SENSORS REPLACED AND THEY HAVE FAILED AGAIN. THE ECM REPAIR WAS ONLY GUARANTEED UNDER WARRANTY FOR 80,000 MILES; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 83,000 MILES. THE ECM REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY THREE YEARS AGO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS FOR A FAILURE THAT WAS IMPROPERLY DIAGNOSED THREE YEARS AGO. THERE ARE INVOICES AVAILABLE THAT INDICATE THE SAME COMPUTER READING THAT WAS DISPLAYED THREE YEARS AGO IS THE SAME READING THAT IS DISPLAYED TODAY. THE COMPLAINT IS RELATED TO HAVING TO PAY FOR A FAILURE THAT WAS COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND IMPROPERLY DIAGNOSED. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,000.