2003 NISSAN SENTRA Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN SENTRA. EVERY TIME THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, IT FAILED TO START. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST SIX TIMES PER DAY WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. NISSAN STATED THAT HER VIN DID NOT FALL UNDER ANY RECALLS. THE PURCHASE DATE AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 79,586.

NISSAN SENTRA SER SPEC V 2003 HAS POWER FAILURE PROBLEMS, EXPERIENCING A MILD LOSS OF ACCELERATION. DRIVING AT 70 MPH, VEHICLE LOST FULL POWER AND REDUCED SPEED TO 40 MPH, SHUT DOWN BY ITSELF. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE SCREWS AND THE "POWER VALVE" WERE SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE BAY. INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE, SAME PROBLEM AS 2004-2005 QR25DE ENGINE RECALLS, BUT MANUFACTURER HAS NOT ISSUES A RECALL FOR THE QR25DE IN 2002 OR 2003. PLEASE REQUEST NISSAN NORTH AMERICA TO ISSUE A "POWER VALVE RECALL" FOR THE YEARS 2002 AND 2003 AS WELL. THERE ARE SEVERAL CONSUMERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

A LARGE NUMBER OF 2003 NISSAN SENTRA'S ARE UNDER RECALL FOR BAD CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I OWN A 2003 NISSAN SENTRA WHO'S CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS BAD, BUT AM NOW TOLD MY SPECIFIC VIN NUMBER IS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. THIS IS A SERIOUS EMISSIONS ISSUE, AND MY CAR WILL NOW NOT PASS THE EMISSIONS TEST FOR STATE INSPECTION. MY VEHICLE SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE RECALL LIST. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE 69000 MILES, PROOF OF WHICH CAN BE FOUND IN SERVICE RECORDS FROM SOUTHERN STATES NISSAN IN RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA. MY VEHICLE WAS IN THEIR SERVICE CENTER IN JAN. OF 2006 TO REPLACE BAD COMPUTER COMPONENTS. WHEN MY VEHICLE LEFT THE SERVICE CENTER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST SHOWED THE CAUSE TO BE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE. *TR

I HAVE TRIED A NUMBER OF TIMES TO HAVE NISSAN FIND THE REASON WHY MY CAR HAD A DELAY IN START FOR 2 YEARS. I HAVE NO SUCCESS, ONLY EXCUSES , AND RUN AROUND. NOW MY CAR IS NO LONGER IN WARRANTY AND THEY ARE STILL GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT IT APPEARS TO BE WHAT THE RECALLS ARE STATING.*AK

TL*- THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER TWO MONTHS AGO FOR THE 2003 NISSAN SENTRA, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED LAST YEAR. WHILE DRIVING THE WEATHER WAS POOR, THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED TO 17 DEGREES AND ITSTARTED SNOWING ,HE WAS DRIVING UNDER BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. HE WAS TRIED TO SLOW DOWN AND THE VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. DUE TO THE ICY CONDITIONS A TRUCK HAD STOPPED, BUT THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE SLID INTO THE REAR OF THE TRUCK. HIS INSURANCE COMPANY STATED HE WAS AT FAULT. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO INFORMED HIM THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL, BUT THAT THEY WOULD SEND SOMEONE TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE. NISSAN CONFIRMED THE INSURANCE FINDINGS, AND SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR FAULT AND THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. IN AUGUST 2006 THE VEHICLE REPEATED THE SAME FAILURE. WHIE GOING 3 MPH AND THE CAR STALLED WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND ALMOST ROLLED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. IN JANUARY HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP, IT STARTED TO RAIN AND THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND THEY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. AFTER PICKING UP THE VEHICLE IT STALLED AGAIN AND HE COULD NOT START IT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.*AK

TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING THE 2003 NISSAN SENTRA. THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING AT 45-50 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF,AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE. THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP, AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE ICY. THE VEHICLE HIT A CEMENT WALL. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT WAS GIVEN A POLICE REPORT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR WAS GOING TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE ON 2/27/07. *AK

CAR WILL NOT START IN THE MORNING UNLESS ENGINE IS WARMED UP FOR A FEW MINUTES, IF NOT ALLOWED TO WARM UP IT WILL MOVE VERY SLOWLY AND IF YOU TRY TO ACCELERATE IT STALLS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND HE SAID IT WAS A BAD CAM SENSOR, SO HE REPLACED AND THIS TIME THE CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL. HE PUT BACK THE OLD SENSOR AND IT STARTED UP BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, THE COMPUTER STATED IT'S THE CAM SENSOR. HE COULD NOT FIGURE IT OUT SO HE FINALLY CONTACTED NISSAN TECHS AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT COULD BE. AFTER 5 DAYS THEY FINALLY CAME UP WITH THE PROBLEM---VALVE-TIMING CONTROL ??? THEY WANT $ 1600 TO REPAIR THE CAR, I CAN'T AFFORD IT, SO I CONTACTED NISSAN EXPLAINED THAT THE SHOULD PAY FOR IT BECAUSE IT SOUNDS JUST LIKE THE RECALL NHTSA ID 03V455000, THEY REFUSED EVEN THOUGH I AM A LONG TIME NISSAN CUSTOMER. I AM GOING TO APPEAL THE DECISION BECAUSE I AM READING A LOT OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS EXIST AND THEY WON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. IT'S A REAL SHAME. *NM

A FEW MONTHS AGO THE CARS RPM'S WOULD FLUCTUATE AND THE CAR WOULD BEGIN TO DIE. IF IT WAS STOPPED OR AT A SLOW SPEED IT WOULD DIE OUT. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN MANY ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS. I HAD THE PART REPLACED AND IT STILL DOES IT. NISSAN REFUSES TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY. IT HAPPENS MULTIPLE TIMES DURING THE DAY. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL,# 03V455000, REGARDING THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

THE VEHICLE HAS VERY HEAVY OIL CONSUMPTION. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY CONSUMES 1QT PER WEEK. I DID NOT NOTICE THE PROBLEM AS IT HAS PROGRESSED SINCE 40,000 MILES WHERE IT WAS ONLY 2-3 QUARTS BETWEEN CHANGES. I HAVE METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE (I WAS TRAINED BY A MASTER VOLVO TECHNICIAN). HE HAS OVER SEEN THE MAINTAINING OF MY VEHICLE SINCE MILE 1. I NOTICED THAT OIL CONSUMPTION WAS BECOMING AN ISSUE AROUND 65,000 MILES. NISSAN RECALL NOS. R3007, R3014, R3015, R3016, R3017. I HAD THIS RECALL PERFORMED SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 35,000 AND 50,000 MILES (CANNOT REMEMBER WHEN EXACTLY, NISSAN USA SHOULD HAVE RECORD). THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER OF THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER REMOVED - IT HAS NEVER BEEN REMOVED FROM THE ENGINE - THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY TO SEE INTERNAL DAMAGE WITHOUT REMOVAL! THE INTERNAL DAMAGE WILL NOT AFFECT THE EMISSIONS OF THE VEHICLE UNLESS IN VERY EXTREME CASES! THE BOLTS HAVE NO SCARING WHAT SO EVER TO SUGGEST THAT IT WAS EVER REMOVED AND INSPECTED. HOWEVER, THE SHIELD WAS REMOVED AND THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT LEFT THE BOLTS ON TOP OF THE SHIELD LOOSE. MANY SENTRAS (WITH 2.5L ENGINES) OWNERS ARE NOTICING VERY HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION WITH THEIR VEHICLES (I COULD EASILY FIND OVER 100 BETWEEN 2 DIFFERENT MESSAGE BOARDS THAT DO NOT COVER THE ALTIMA 2.5) EVEN WITH THE RECALL DONE. MANY HAVE CALLED NISSAN USA AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THE ISSUE WITH THE EARLIER MODELS - NISSAN HAS PROVEN TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH EVEN FOR THOSE WHO STILL HAVE FACTORY WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE, OFTEN BLAMING THE DEFECT ON "NEGLECTING THE VEHICLE". THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING TOLD THIS ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A PASSION FOR THEIR VEHICLES, AND MAINTAIN THEM WITH THE BEST PRODUCTS THEY KNOW OF; AND CONSISTENTLY LOOK FOR BETTER PRODUCTS TO REPLACE "GOOD PRODUCTS". PLEASE LOOK HEAVILY INTO EXPANDING THE CURRENT OIL CONSUMPTION RECALL - NISSAN SEEMS TO BE DISREGARDING THE SAFETY OF ITS BUYERS. IF THEY CONTINUE TO "SLIP BY" WITH IT, THEY WILL ONLY CONTINUE.*JB