2002 NISSAN SENTRA Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE ELECTRONIC COMPUTER MODULE (ECM) AND RECOMMENDED THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THERE WAS RECALL # 03V477000. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIRS PRIOR TO THE DATE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE DEALERSHIP BILLED THE CONTACT FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND THE ECM REPROGRAMMING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL BECAUSE THE RECALL WAS TOO OLD, NOV 3, 2003.

I WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH ON THE MENTIONED DATE. A LADY RAN A RED, YELLOW, OR A GREEN YIELD LIGHT. I SMASHED THE FRONT END OF MY CAR GOING APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH INTO HER FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FENDER TOTALING MY CAR VALUED AT $10500. THE CAR WAS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA SER. MY MAIN COMPLAINT IS THE AIR BAGS DID NOT GO OFF. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT ANY HEAD ON COLLISION GOING 10 MPH OR ABOVE, THE AIR BAGS SHOULD DEPLOY. PLEASE INFORM ME IF THIS IS TRUE AND WHAT MY OPTIONS ARE. *JB

STEERING IS STIFF WHEN TURNING ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER. TOOK TO WINDSOR, CANADA DEALERSHIP AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS RACK AND PINION. DID STEERING FLUID FLUSH TO SEE IF IT WOULD CLEAR UP. IT IMPROVED SLIGHTLY (WEATHER IS WARM NOW) BUT IS STILL A PROBLEM. I AM 60, DO NOT DRIVE ON BAD ROADS, DO NOT ABUSE CAR. REGULAR CHECK UPS AND OIL CHANGES HAVE BEEN DONE. WAS ASSURED CAR WOULD STILL BE SAFE TO DRIVE, JUST BE CAREFUL WHEN TURNING. HAVE NEGOTIATED WITH COMPANY FOR A DISCOUNT AS THIS IS EXPENSIVE REPAIR AND CANNOT AFFORD AT THIS TIME. WILL GET 10% DISCOUNT WHEN I CAN AFFORD TO DO IT. CAR HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT AND I WONDER WHY A MAJOR PART HAS GONE WRONG AT SUCH A LOW MILEAGE. THIS BRAND WAS RECOMMENDED AS A LOW REPAIR CAR AND I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. I BOUGHT CAR IN DEARBORN, MI.....LATER MOVED TO CANADA. DEALERSHIP IN WINDSOR, ON, CANADA IS WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED. *NM

JUNE 15 , 2006 - I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND ALL OF SUDDEN , CAR STALLED . TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY REPLACED THE EMC. IT RAN FINE FOR 2 MONTHS . TODAY AGAIN IT STALLED . LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR. TAKING IT TO THE DEALER FOR CHECKUP ON THURSDAY. TALKED TO THE DEALER, AS OF TODAY NO RECALL IS DUE ON MY CAR. *JB

WHILE BOTH DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, CAR SHUTS OFF ENTIRELY. SOMETIMES NOT STARTING AGAIN. HAVE HAD CAR TOWED TO MECHANIC AND MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED AND ON A DIFFERENT OCCASION THE CAM SENSOR RESET. PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. NEVER RECEIVED A SINGLE RECALL NOTICE; WARRANTY PERIOD HAS EXPIRED. *JB

MY 2002 NISSAN SENTRA SE-R EXPERIENCED A POWER VALVE SCREW LIBERATION CONSISTENT WITH NISSANS VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN # 5202. THE ISSUE IS THAT THE CAMPAIGN IS WRITTEN TO ONLY COVER 2004 AND 2005 MODELS. OBVIOUSLY THIS MANUFACTURING ISSUE PREDATES THE DATES COVERED IN THE VSC. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS A NOISE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO REPLACED THE TIRE. THE TIRE PRESENTED TREAD SEPARATION. THE WARRANTY OF THE TIRE DID NOT IDENTIFY THE MILEAGE COVERED.

I OWN A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA SE-R. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000 MILES ON IT. ONE DAY LAST MONTH, ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK, MY CAR STALLED AT A RED LIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT STARTED AND DRIVE IT THE 15 MILES TO MY DEALERSHIP, BUT IT STALLED AT LEAST TWICE ON THE WAY. THE ENGINE ALSO WAS NOT RUNNING SMOOTHLY AND THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" WAS ON. WHEN I GOT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD ME THAT A "POWER VALVE SCREW" HAD COME LOOSE AND WORKED ITS WAY INTO ONE OF MY CYLINDERS WHERE IT THEN PROCEEDED TO SMASH A SPARK PLUG. ALSO, I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN RECALL ISSUE ON THE 2003 AND 2004 NISSAN SENTRA SE-RS AND ON THE ALTIMA'S, BUT THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ISSUED FOR 2002 SENTRA SE-RS. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY (75,000 MILES) HAD JUST RUN OUT AND MY DEALERSHIP SUGGESTED THAT I CONTACT NISSAN CORPORATE TO SEE IF THEY WOULD INTERVENE AND HELP, SINCE ALL OF THE PARTS INVOLVED AND THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM EXACTLY MATCHED WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE '03 AND '04S. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WAS THAT MY CAR WAS AN '02. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, NISSAN CORPORATE BASICALLY TOLD ME THAT SINCE THERE WAS NO RECALL ISSUED FOR MY MODEL YEAR AND SINCE MY WARRANTY HAD RUN OUT, THERE WAS NOTHING THEY WERE OBLIGATED TO DO FOR ME. THEY ALSO SAID, "DON'T WORRY. WE ARE CONSTANTLY ASSESSING THE STATUS OF RECALLS AND IF A RECALL IS ISSUED FOR THE 2002 MODEL YEAR, WE WILL REIMBURSE YOU." I ENDED UP PAYING OVER $600 (AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE, HAD MY DEALERSHIP NOT TAKEN PITY ON ME AND GIVEN ME A DISCOUNT) TO GET SOMETHING FIXED ON MY CAR THAT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR THE 2 MODEL YEARS FOLLOWING 2002, BUT THAT (FOR SOME REASON) DIDN'T INCLUDE MY CAR. AS I STATED ABOVE, MY DEALERSHIP VERIFIED THAT ALL OF THE PARTS THAT WERE AFFECTED WERE THE SAME AS THOSE INVOLVED IN THE RECALL, AND THAT THE ACTUAL PROBLEM WAS THE SAME AS THE RECALL. *JB

AT 6:30 AM, I WAS DRIVING, TRYING TO DEFROST THE WINDOWS WITH THE DEFROSTER AT A LIGHT AND THE CAR STARTED A JERKING MOTION AND OVERHEATED. I PARKED THE CAR AT FAMILY MEMBER'S RESIDENCE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE REPLACEMENT WAS COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. NISSAN NEEDED TO BE CONTACTED AND THEY WERE. MY CASE WAS IN THE WARRANTY DEPARTMENT FOR 3.5 WEEKS, MEAN WHILE I WAS WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION I WASN'T APPROVED TO HAVE A VEHICLE SUPPLIED BY NISSAN. NISSAN MADE A DECISION NOT TO REPLACE THE ENGINE IN MY 4 YEAR OLD CAR THAT RECEIVED REGULAR MAINTENANCE; BUT TO REPLACE THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKETS (WHICH FROM WHAT I AM TOLD IS A TEMPORARY FIX). THIS IS BECAUSE I AM AT 58,000 MILES AND MY WARRANTY IS UP AT 60,000 MILES. BEWARE OF NISSAN AND THEIR WARRANTIES. *JB

EARLY MARCH, I NOTICED ON CONSUMER REPORTS WEBSITE THAT THERE WERE RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH MY 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. ENGINE SENSORS. NISSAN DID NOT SEND ME A RECALL NOTICE EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD MY NAME AND ADDRESS. I REGISTERED THE CAR WHEN I BOUGHT IT USED. MARCH 16 2006 MY NISSAN HAD 115754 KMS ON IT WHEN I TOOK IT INTO NISSAN VICTORIA FOR THE RECALLS. THEY REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT/CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS (3 IN TOTAL) RECALL R86. REMOVED ECM CASE HOLDER FOAM R87. JUNE 20, 2006 I WAS HEADING TO THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY ENGINE STARTED RACING AND JERKING, I DROVE IT HOME. THE CAR DIED AND I HAD IT TOWED TO AN AUTOMOTIVE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER FROM MY HOUSE. I WAS SO LUCKY I WASN'T GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH LOTS OF TRAFFIC! THE MECHANIC CAME TO THE CONCLUSION FAIRLY QUICKLY THAT IT MIGHT BE THE COMPUTER AND HE CALLED THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD HIM THAT THEY HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE COMPUTERS. I RENTED A CAR IN THE MEANTIME TO GET TO WORK. THE MECHANIC GOT A USED COMPUTER FROM THE AUTO WRECKER AND THE CAR STARTED RIGHT UP. APPARENTLY THE FOAM ON THE ECM DAMAGED THE COMPUTER (SOME KIND OF GAS-FUMES) WHILE IT WAS CURING. THIS IS WHY NISSAN REMOVED THE FOAM. MAYBE THEY ARE TRYING TO AVOID ANOTHER RECALL LIKE FOR THE SENSORS...TOO LATE... I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ECM. I DON'T TRUST THE USED ECM I HAVE IN THE CAR BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. BUT I FEEL THAT NISSAN SHOULD EITHER REBUILD OR GIVE ME A NEW COMPUTER. IF THIS HAPPENS AT 123,000 KMS WHAT CAN I EXPECT FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD? I HAVE THE OLD COMPUTER, NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH IT. *JB