2004 NISSAN SENTRA Complaints

MY 2004 NISSAN SENTRA SER SPEC V SHOWED THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ON AUGUST 28, 2007. A CERTIFIED MECHANIC USED A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL TO DETERMINE THAT THE CAR HAD A MALFUNCTIONING CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT NISSAN HAS ISSUED A RECALL ON SOME 2003 AND 2004 SENTRAS AND ALTIMAS WITH THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, WHEN I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, I WAS INFORMED THAT MY CAR WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL WARRANTY WORK AND THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I WAS GIVEN AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE DOES NOT COVER THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. IF NISSAN HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS PROBLEM AND MY CAR IS HAVING THE PROBLEM, WHY DO THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER VEHICLE WOULD ONLY DRIVE FORWARD, NOT IN REVERSE. A FEW DAYS FOLLOWING THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. SHE PLACED THE GEAR IN DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE SOUNDED AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. WHEN SHE PLACED THE GEAR IN THE "L" POSITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY MOVE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT SHE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A TWO YEAR OLD VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 65,000.

ENGINE STOP RUNNING WHILE BEING DRIVEN, NO SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON. THE VEHICLE VIN NUMBER ON THE CAR IS 3N1AB51D64LXXXXXX NISSAN SENTRA 2004. *NM

JUST PURCHASED MY 2004 NISSAN SENTRA TWO WEEKS AGO. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER I CAME HOME AND REMAINED ON. THE SALEMAN TOLD ME HE DIDN'T THINK MY CAR WOULD PASS AN EMISSION TEST. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE HE SOLD THE CAR KNOWING THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I AM TAKING INTO THE NISSAN DEALER IN OLYMPIA BUT I TOLD HIM I AM NOT PAYING ANYTHING PERIOD. THE CAR HAS ONLY 22,000 MILES AND IS UNDER WARRANTY BUT I FEEL HE DECEIVED ME. THE SALES PERSON IS JAY ROLFS FROM ASSOCIATE FLEETS IN SEATTLE, WA. *NM

PLEASE REFER TO NISSAN CAMPAIGN I.D. # P5202. I HAVE A 2004 NISSAN SENTRA SE-R SPEC V. AT THE END OF AUGUST MY CAR DEVELOPED STALLING AND THEN OUTRIGHT CYLINDER (1) FAILURE. SPARK PLUG WAS REMOVED AND FOUND TO BE EXTREMELY PITTED AND GROUND STRAP WAS HAMMERED CLOSED. REPLACED PLUG, VACUUMED CYLINDER AND CAR RAN FINE FOR TWO WEEKS. THE SAME PROBLEM DEVELOPED ON THE WAY TO WORK AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED AND A SECOND CYLINDER WAS FOUND TO HAVE IDENTICAL SYMPTOMS. THE PRIVATE MECHANIC I USE ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS ENGINE (REF. ABOVE). I THEN DROVE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL NISSAN DEALER WHERE THEY VERIFIED THAT THE POWER VALVE WAS MISSING TWO OF EIGHT SCREWS AND THIS WAS THE MOST PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE CYLINDER FAILURES. FILED CLAIM WITH NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED BY REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE THAT MY VIN DID NOT FALL INTO THE VIN RECALL RANGE AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THE RECALL ON MY ENGINE. AS SUCH, NONE OF THE RECALL TROUBLESHOOTING WAS PERFORMED ON MY ENGINE. I FEEL THAT MY EXPENSES SHOULD BE REIMBURSED AND, IF REQUIRED, MY ENGINE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE SINCE I HAVE ALREADY SUFFERED FROM THE FAILURE DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. I'M SURE THAT THE SERVICE LIFE OF THE PISTONS, VALVES, CYLINDER WALLS, AND ENGINE HEAD ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILED SPARK PLUGS HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED DUE TO THE POUNDING THEY TOOK FROM THE STEEL POWER VALVE SCREWS. I BELIEVE THAT NISSAN KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM WITH OTHER VIN 2.5 LITER ENGINES AND ARE REFUSING TO FIX THEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO ACCEPT CORPORATE LIABILITY FOR A KNOWN DEFECT IN EVEN MORE OF THEIR ENGINES. I HAVE WRITTEN TO CARLOS GHOSEN AND GIVEN NISSAN AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND WITH NO RESULTS TO DATE. PLEASE HELP ME OBTAIN THE SAME RIGHTS AND BENEFITS OF OTHER NISSAN OWNERS WHO FELL UNDER THE PROTECTION OF RECALL CAMPAIGN P5202. THANK YOU. *JB

CAR WAS LEFT AT HOME FOR 4 DAYS WHILE ON VACATION. UPON RETURN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. IT WOULD CRANK, BUT WOULD NOT START. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO LOCAL SHOP WHO DETERMINED THAT THE COMPUTER WAS AT FAULT. HE CHARGED ME THE DIAGNOSTIC FEE OF $90.00, PRINTED OUT A PAGE SHOWING THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE MATTER AND ADVISED ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK TO NISSAN. BROUGHT VEHICLE BACK AND NISSAN WANTED ME TO LEAVE IT WITH THEM SO THEY COULD DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE SINCE MY DAUGHTER NEEDS THE VEHICLE FOR WORK. THIS PROBLEM ONLY HAPPENED ONCE, BUT READING WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID IT APPEARS TO BE AN UNCORRECTED PROBLEM. NISSAN SHOULD CHECK INTO THIS...BY THE WAY, IT TOOK 2 WEEKS TO GET A SERVICE APPOINTMENT WITH NISSAN. *JB

EXPERIENCED DELAY IN STARTING. ENGINE TOOK FOREVER TO TURNOVER. DIAGNOSTIC DETAILS REVEALED NOTHING WRONG, IN FACT THE CAR WOULD START NORMALLY WHENEVER THE DEALER TRIED. PROBLEM CONTINUED AND AFTER TWO TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP--THEY REFUSED TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM--I WAS TOLD TO LEAVE IT OVERNIGHT. THEY FINALLY EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM THEMSELVES. THEY PIN-POINTED THE PROBLEM--THE FUEL PUMP WAS FAULTY. IT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AND PROBLEM CEASED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS AT AN IDLE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED ASIDE OUT OF TRAFFIC, AND AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, THE ENGINE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A DEALER WHO REPLACED THE CRANK SENSOR. AFTER THE REPLACEMENT, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBELM. UPDATED 09/13/06. *JB

SITUATION RECURRING: LONG CRANK TIME BEFORE ENGINE TURNS OVER AND STARTS. THIS SITUATION OCCURS WHEN VEHICLE HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR THIRTY MINUTES OR MORE AND IS TURNED OFF AND TURNED RIGHT BACK ON AS WELL AS WHEN VEHICLE SITS OVERNIGHT AND IS STARTED IN THE MORNING. PROBLEM! *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A STEER ENTERED THE PATH OF THE VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, HOWEVER THE STEER WAS HIT AND IT ROLLED ONTO THE WINDSHIELD. THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY FAILED. UPON IMPACT WITH THE STEER, THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DRIVER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER RECEIVED INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE SEAT BELT FAILURE. THE POLICE FILED A REPORT AT THE SCENE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE ALERTED. THE INSURANCE AGENCY IS SCHEDULED TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE LATER THIS WEEK. UPDATED 5/23/2006 - *NM