2002 NISSAN SENTRA Complaints

2002 NISSAN SENTRA COMPUTER (ECM) WENT BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*MR THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON THE ECM IN 2004 BUT WAS UNABLE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE IT CORRECT DUE TO WORK OBLIGATIONS. THE RECALL STATED THAT THE ENGINE MAY STOP RUNNING DUE TO CONTAMINATION OF THE ECM BY THE INNER LINING MATERIAL. WHILE DRIVING IN MAY 2005 THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THAT THE ECM HAD FAILED. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER ABOUT REPLACING THE PART FREE OF CHARGE. THE DEALER EXPLAINED THAT THE RECALL WAS ONLY FOR THE LINING NOT THE MODULE AND REFUSED TO REPLACE THE MODULE FOR FREE. THE CONSUMER HAD THE ECM REPLACED AT HIS OWN EXPENSE. *NM

I HAVE A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. THIS VEHICLE WILL STOP RUNNING IN NORMAL FREEWAY DRIVING CONDITIONS. WITHOUT WARNING MY CAR STALLED IN HEAVY COMMUTE TRAFFIC. MY CAR IS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD, AND I HAD A HARD TIME STARTING IT. ONCE IT STARTED, IT STALLED AGAIN ONLY A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE FOAM SURROUNDING THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. THE RECALL STATES THAT THE FOAM CAN CONTAMINATE THE ECM. I TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE FOAM, BUT DID NOT REPLACE THE ECM. THE CONTAMINATED ECM IS WHAT IS MAKING THE CAR STALL. THE DEALER ONLY DID THE RECALL WORK, AND DID NOT FIX THE DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE TO THE ECM. I WOULD LIKE TO WARN ALL SENTRA OWNERS THAT THEY ARE DRIVING A DANGEROUS CAR. THIS CAR COULD POTENTIALLY STALL ON THE FREEWAY OR FIND THEMSELVES UNABLE TO START THE CAR MANY MILES FROM HOME. I DID NOT RECEIVE THE RECALL NOTICE AND I DROVE THE CAR NOT KNOWING THIS FOAM IS DAMAGING MY ECM. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT A NISSAN WAS A VERY RELIABLE CAR. I ALSO THOUGHT THAT THE NISSAN PEOPLE TOOK CARE OF THE CUSTOMER. THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE. I WAS MADE TO PAY FOR A NEW ECM. *JB

I HIT A CURB AND MY WHEEL BROKE OFF LEAVING JUST THE CENTER BOLTED TO THE CAR. THE TIRE WAS NOT DAMAGED. AT THAT POINT THE VEHICLE WAS PRETTY MUCH UNCONTROLLABLE AND THE TIRE AND REMAINDER OF THE WHEEL CONTINUED INTO TRAFFIC. THE TIRE SHOP INDICATED THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. THE CAR APPEARS TO HAVE SUSTAINED ONLY POSSIBLY SOME ALIGNMENT ISSUES. THIS AND THE LACK OF DAMAGE TO THE TIRE SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THE IMPACT WAS NOT THAT SEVERE, YET THERE WAS THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE WHEEL. I HAVE A PHOTO OF THE NOW TWO PIECES OF THE WHEEL. THE CAR IS NOT JUST AN SER MODEL SENTRA BUT A SER SPEC V WHICH INCLUDES 17" WHEELS INSTEAD OF THE 16S ON THE SER. I HAVE NOT SUBMITTED ANYTHING TO NISSAN AS I PREVIOUSLY HAD NOTIFIED THEM OF SOME FREQUENTLY-WARPING BRAKE ROTORS AND THEY DISCOUNTED MY CLAIMS INDICATING I WAS DRIVING TO AGGRESSIVELY. HOWEVER, THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED IN SUBSEQUENT MODELS SINCE THE 2002 INTRODUCTION OF MY CAR. *JB

I AM WRITING TO YOUR DEPARTMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE FIRESTONE TIRE RECALL. FROM WHAT I GATHER THE RECALL HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE OTHER MODELS OF FIRESTONE TIRES NOT ORIGINALLY INCLUDED IN THE INITIAL RECALL. THEREFORE, I WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON MY SITUATION TO DETERMINE IF I WOULD QUALIFY FOR RECALL RELIEF. VIN # [XXX], 2002 NISSAN SENTRA SER, FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA02 TIRES, P195/55R16 86H AND LABELED MADE IN MEXICO. THERE WAS NO PLANT NUMBER LISTED ON THE INSIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I HAVE ANY CLAIMS UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THANKS! *JB UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DT: 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR SHUT OFF, TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC. WENT ON THE NISSAN WEBSITE AND FOUND TWO RECALLS, THEY WERE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE CASE HOLDER AND HEAD LAMP ADJUSTER. THEN, TOOK CAR INTO DEALERSHIP, THEY RAN VIN # AND THEY FOUND THREE RECALLS, ONE WAS ON THE FOAM ON THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND THE OTHER TWO WERE UNKNOWN. ONE OF THE RECALLS WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN OR CUT OFF. TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON FRIDAY AUGUST 19, 2005. THEY DID NOT REPAIR DUE TO WARRANTY ISSUES. SPOKE TO CONSUMER AFFAIRS OFFICE OF NISSAN AND THEY SAID THIS CAR WOULD NOT BE FIXED BY NISSAN WITHOUT COST. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND IT IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP.*AK

I DRIVE A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. I REGULARLY MAINTENANCE THIS VEHICLE. MY CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WITH NO PRIOR WARNING LIKE A LIGHT GOING ON IN THE DASHBOARD AND REFUSED TO RESTART! A POLICE OFFICER HAD TO PUT FLARES OUT IN THE INTERSECTION SO THAT NO ONE WOULD HIT US. MY HUSBAND AND I WERE FORTUNATE THAT NO OTHER VEHICLE IN THE INTERSECTION COLLIDED WITH OUR VEHICLE. THE ONLY WAY WE COULD GET THE CAR TO THE SHOP WAS BY A TOW TRUCK. IT TURNED OUT THAT THE CAR'S COMPUTER HAD GONE COMPLETELY DEAD. I AM GRATEFUL THAT WE WERE NOT INJURED, BUT I CONSIDER THAT A CAR SYSTEM THAT FAILS TO WARN THE DRIVER IN ADVANCE THAT THERE IS A MALFUNCTION IN THE COMPUTER THAT RUNS THE CAR IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS! I WOULD NOT WANT ANY DRIVER TO HAVE THIS FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE!

DT:AFTER STARTING THE CAR ON MAY 15 2005 IT WAS PUT IN REVERSE AND THE ACCELERATOR WENT UP, RAISING THE RPMS TO 4000. THIS LASTED 3-5 SECONDS. THE CONSUMER PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. THEN, TURNED THE CAR OFF AND T BACK ON. HE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A ONE TIME EVENT, AND MAYBE SOMETHING THAT MADE THE RPMS TO RISE. . THEN IN JULY 2005 THE CONSUMER WAS SITTING IN THE CAR, AND THEN THE RPMS INCREASED TO 6000 WHILE IT WAS IN PARK. THE CONSUMER SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND TURNED IT BACK ON, AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE AGAIN. THE THIRD TIME, FIVE DAYS LATER, WHILE MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THE CONSUMER STOPPED TO LET THE OTHER CAR GO, AND CONSUMER'S VEHICLE TOOK OFF. THE CAR ROLLED FORWARD, THE RPMS ROSE TO ABOUT 6000, AND THE CAR SPED UP TO 3-4 MPH. THE CONSUMER PUSHED THE BRAKES IN AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO GO FORWARD. THEN T PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND WAITED, AND ABOUT 3-5 SECONDS LATER THE VEHICLE STOPPED RACING. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO SAID THAT THE CAR WAS ROAD TESTED AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK UPDATED 11/16/05. *JB

I GOT MY OIL CHANGED BY FIRESTONE ON 8/6/05 AND THEY TOLD ME AFTER MY VEHICLE WAS DONE THAT THE DIPSTICK WAS BROKEN UPON ARRIVAL OF THE VEHICLE. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST 150 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THIS. I TOLD THEM THAT I GOT MY OIL CHANGED IN PHILADELPHIA PRIOR TO ME MOVING DOWN TO TEXAS AT A JIFFY LUBE. THEY ADVISED ME TO CALL THEM AND TALK TO THEM. WHEN I CALLED JIFFY LUBE THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH NISSAN CARS AND THAT THEY OFTEN HAVE TO REPLACE THIS ON MANY VEHICLES. HE SUGGESTED THAT I CALL A JIFFY LUBE DOWN IN TEXAS TO SEE IF THEY CAN REPLACE THIS AT 4 DOLLARS COST AS THAT IS HOW MUCH THE PART IS. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WOULDN'T SPEND 150 DOLLARS TO DO THIS. I CALLED A JIFFY LUBE IN TEXAS AND THEY SAID THEY DON'T ORDER THOSE PARTS AND THAT I NEED TO CALL THE DEALER. I CALLED THE NISSAN DEALER AND TOLD ME THAT THIS ISN'T AN ISSUE WITH NISSAN CARS AND HE WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT IT BEFORE TELLING ME HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO GET IT FIXED. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I SEE THAT I AM NOT ALONE AND THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE A SIMILAR ISSUE. I AM GOING TO GET SEVERAL OPINIONS ON HOW MUCH THIS WILL COST AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE GIVING ANYONE MY MONEY. I THINK THAT NISSAN SHOULD REIMBURSE PEOPLE FOR THE AMOUNT IT COST TO FIX THIS IF THEY WON'T DO A RECALL. *NM

2002 NISSAN SENTRA SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING.*MR THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN THE RECALL NOTICE. *JB

THE OIL LEVEL GAUGE (DIPSTICK) OF 2002 NISSAN SENTRA IS VERY EASY TO BREAK. MY DIPSTICK'S A RUBBER/PLASTIC HANDLE WAS BROKEN DURING OIL CHANGE, AND THE BLADE WAS STUCK IN THE TUBE AND VERY DIFFICULT TO GET IT OUT. A DEALERSHIP ASKED $100 TO JUST PULL THE BROKEN BLADE OUT. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF POOR DESIGN, AND I HAVE ALSO SEEN NUMEROUS SIMILAR FAILURES ON NISSAN SENTRA. THE MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO RECALL THIS PART IMMEDIATELY. *JB