Problems with 2002 Nissan Sentra ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The handle on the engine oil dipstick has broken off. the stick itself is now in the dipstick tube. i was looking on the internet yesterday, august 12, 2007 and uncovered numerous complaints from people about this same problem. it seems to be a common problem with nissan vehicles. *tr

2002 nissan sentra se-r we own has been giving us a re-occurring problem with both the unified meter that controls the speedometer and affects the ecm to throw up the engine light to come on..causes a massive slow down in speed when the speedometer goes out while driving..brought this to the attention to a local nissan dealer, mike shad of orange park and was informed not to worry about the engine light and just have the ecm "reflashed". we followed the instructions from the service center of mike shad nissan and had the system reflashed..speedometer worked briefly and went out again..to this day it continues to stay on "engine light", and the speedometer still works off and on and continues to wreak havoc on maintaining a safe speed. also a major issue regarding the "long engine crank time before engine starts". i have found information thru the internet informing there is a tsb on this issue on this particular vehicle ('02 sentra) and have submitted an email to the service dept of mike shad nissan to address this issue but no response. this problem with the crank time endangers not only me but my family as well. i cannot trust the car to crank properly which therefore puts the reliability factor in jeopardy when my wife drives the car to pick up my daughter for school and use the vehicle to and from work. i found information about this problem thru the nissanhelp website regarding the technical service bulletin "long engine crank time before engine starts" indicating a primary part failure on a faulty fuel pump that needs to repaired/replaced... *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan sentra. the contact stated that the check engine light illuminated. two weeks later, while driving 65 mph, the vehicle completely shut off. the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but was unsuccessful. the vehicle was towed to her residence and then to the dealer. the dealer performed two repairs under recall # 03v477000 (electrical system:ignition:module) and recall # 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). the dealer performed a diagnostic test and determined that the vehicle's computer failed. the vehicle was then towed back to the contact's residence. the vehicle still does not start. the current and failure mileages were 100,003.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan sentra se-r. the contact stated that her vehicle is experiencing pre-catalytic failure. one of the converters separated and went into the motor, causing high oil consumption and engine viruses. the current mileage is 102,000 and failure mileage was 99,000. updated 02/01/08. *lj

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan sentra se-r. the contact stated that her vehicle is experiencing pre-catalytic failure. one of the converters separated and went into the motor, causing high oil consumption and engine viruses. the current mileage is 102,000 and failure mileage was 99,000. updated 09/05/07. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan sentra. while driving 55 mph, the engine failed and the vehicle shut down. the vehicle had to be towed to a mechanic. nissan stated that it would cost between $400 and $500 to dissect the engine and locate the cause of the failure. the vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 107,000.

While driving the will stop running without warning or my service engine light will come on and my car will not start. this started about 5 years ago. *tr

Tl*- the contact stated that while driving a 2002 nissan sentra at 65 mph the vehicle kept misfiring, causing the check engine light to turn on. at the dealer they determined that two screws were missing, causing the throttle plate to fall into the intake. the current and failure mileage were both 77,000. *ak

Tl*- the contact was driving the 2002 nissan sentra at a speed of 50 mph exiting the freeway when the engine suddenly lost power without any prior warning. the contact had the vehicle towed into the dealership in reno, nv. the dealership is currently working on the vehicle. the contact felt that vehicle had the same failure as mentined nhtsa recall campaign id number : 03v455000 concerning engine and engine cooling. *ak

2002 nissan sentra had a recall done and the same parts failed again . **nar**cc the vehicle was recalled for contaminated engine control module by the inner lining material. this proble caused the vehicle to stop running while deing driven. the recall repair was complete on 4/2004. nov 28, 2006 the problem recurred. the dealer only paid for part of the repair. the consumer believes that the dealer should have covered all cost. *nm

Hello, thank you for taking the time to read this e mail, it started with a simple oil change for my sister nissan sentra, i had just finished taking the used oil out and replacing a new oil filter, i went for the dip stick, and it broke, my day was already bad and it went to worst. the failure of the poorly design dipstick, its plastic handle, broke and the dipstick metal went in, i have tried players, metal stick with no luck, i went to the internet and found others in the same boat as me, talking about how at an oil change place or house when the dipstick broke, i have search the internet for hints and advice to how to get the piece out, many people put that it takes $210 dollars to fix, i don't have that kind of money to be using it on detailed areas of my car i haven't been able to do much, it to late, i have waited for my brother in law to help me out but the sun has set and its real cold i write this e mail so that nissan cars don't get such a bad reputation, http://www.broomeman.com/mt/archives/001156.html, is a internet source you may or may not know, some people say that they well change to honda, honda is one of the most roomiest cars i have every been in, my sister car is a 02 nissan sentra, i thank you once more for your time in hopes that something might be done to help nissan owners feel that they did get their moneys worth buying a nissan, thank you. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds, the engine stalled without warning. afterwards, the engine was easily restarted. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who was unable to duplicate the problem. there was a nhtsa recall, # 06v242000, regarding the engine. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin. the manufacturer was not alerted.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan sentra. the contact stated that the engine oil dipstick tube would fracture every one to two years. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the tube was replaced with a newer one at the contacts expense. the manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact on how to remove the broken dipstick. no further assistance was offered. the failure mileage was 132,000.

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

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

My car suddenly stalls and i have reduced engine power. the car tends to stall more after it rains and it could stall for weeks or months and than it will stop but it is getting progressively worse. i have taken for repairs three times and they were unable to find anything wrong with the car. i see there are recalls for similar problems in the 2001 & 2003 nissan sentra due to a defective crank sensor. i am not sure of the exact date this problem started but i have been experiencing this engine failing problem on and off for sometime. *tr

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

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

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

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

Went to get an oil change today and the mechanic pulled the dipstick and discovered that the half of the plastic handle that the dipstick was attached to had broken off. we luckily were able to remove the dipstick from home with a pencil and tape, however this signifies a more common problem that this vehicle is made of shotty parts. i had to get a tune-up at 25,000 miles, my battery has corrosion problems that have been communicated multiple times to the dealer with no fix, and my computer died at 40,000 miles and had to be replaced. i will now have to purchase a dipstick since they used a shotty plastic part that corroded and broke. this seems to be a very common problem. it may not be a safety hazard, however, the manufacture needs to be held liable. here is a link to many other nissan consumers who have had this same problem: http://www.broomeman.com/mt/archives/001156.html. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 nissan sentra. while driving approximately 20-30 mph on normal road conditions, the vehicle failed to move when the accelerator pedal was depressed. in addition, the vehicle hesitated intermittently. the failures occurred without warning. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on ten occasions for a diagnostic, but they could not determine the cause of the failure. after continuous repair, the dealer stated that the revolution sensor was the cause of the failure. the sensor was replaced twice. the vehicle was excluded from the recall due to excessive mileage. the manufacturer was not notified. the vin, mileages, and nhtsa campaign id number were unknown.

Vehicle(2002 nissan sentra gxe) becomes rough and the engine stop intermittently while driving the vehicle. taken the vehicle to the dealership, the ecm (engine control module) was detected to be bad. it was replaced at a cost of $95.00. the vehicle odometer was showing about 47,000 miles. talked to the nissan manufacturer and i was told that all recalls were already done on this vehicle on march 24th, 2004 at stevens creek nissan. this included rectifying the defects related to ecm. however the ecm became bad again. there may be defects which have not come to the review. please help to identify the defects and make the vehicle safe on the road.*jb

After purchasing a nissan sentra gxe 2002 -- about 1 month later the service engine light came on and i had to pay almost 300 dollars to replace the radiator thermostat--of course this repair and the next was not covered by the warranty that i purchased--after 5 months both engine belts had to be replaced--another 175 bucks. now i hear a suspicious creaking from the rear end--i can't wait to find out what that is. oh--i almost forgot--one day after taking the car home i had to repair a rear tire and the paint is peeling and fading. *jb

When my 2002 sentra was brought into habberstad nissan for a routine oil change, i was informed that the oil dip stick was broken and the bottom was stuck in the bottom. i was told by nissan that the oil pan had to be removed to get it out and that it would cost $290.00. i have an extended warranty and was also told that this was not covered under the warranty. the service person also mentioned that he has seen this problem on several 2002 sentras, however nissan has not acknowledged that this is a problem with the car. i have since seen several complaints regarding this same problem with the 2002 model. if anything, this should be covered under nissan's warranty and should probably be included as a recall for this problem. nissan should resolve this problem at no cost to the consumer since there is obviously a problem with the plastic dipstick breaking apart.*jb

Butterfly valve on the 2002 nissan sentra the car started to idle very rough while driving on the highway at 70 mph. the check engine light came on & the engine vibration became worse. the car stalled & i was almost killed trying to get to the side of the road. i was able to restart the car & drive a few more miles to work. the car was then towed to the dealership where they found spark plug #1 smashed because a screw was found in the intake manifold. the dealer said there is no recall for this problem. the dealer replaced several parts within intake manifold. nissan north america refuses to address the problems in the 2002 and 2003 models as i have attempted to work with them in a reasonable manner. this is a potentially fatal issue as noted in different individuals experience the same problems with engines catching on fire or car stalling and locking up in traffic. interested in pursuing a class action lawsuit. *nm

Nissan sentra 2002 with less then 28000 ml has leaking engine head gasket and radiator and broken steering rack and pinion and steering power assist. car was purchased new and never had an accident. car is dangerous to drive - steering does not work. nissan sold me a lemon car and refuses to repair it. *jb

Severe engine failure. i bought my 2002 nissan sentra spec-v with only 7,000 miles on it and thought i had a great car. thank goodness i opted for the extra 100,000 extended warranty. my car's engine experienced massive oil consumption around 60,000 and i noticed the whole time i owned the car that the oil was always low each time i changed it. i used only mobil 1 full syn every 5,000 miles. the engine failed 3,000 over the standard 60k powertrain warranty. i fought with nissan for 1 month while they kept my car until i provided oil change receipts. once i provided them they changed the complete engine which totaled $8,500 and more than the car was worth anymore. further for about 70,000 the car had extended crank problems and were severe in hot or extreme cold weather. the car would take 20 seconds or longer to crank over while pumping the gas. after my 3rd complaint at my 3rd nissan dealer they finally fixed the problem and put in a new fuel pump and sensor. the car has 98,000 and 36,000 miles after the new engine. i am thinking of getting rid of it before more trouble happens beyond my 100k warranty. *tr

In april of 2005 check engine light went on. brought car to my mechanic and codes came up for my oxygen sensors. when sensors were replaced the codes would not go away and check engine light would not come off. he replaced them again and no change. in october 2005 my car stalled unexpectedly and after starting it up drove so bad i cannot drive car anymore. brought car to dealer and would not explain what the problem was but did take care of all recalls (i never received recall info-found it online myself). my car still was running terrible so i brought it to my mechanic. a code came up for throttle sensor not to mention 5 other codes. he replaced throttle sensor and no difference in how car runs. car now will stall in the middle of driving. i will not drive car for fear of an accident! nick, a regional specialist said nissan will not look at car free of charge even though i have spent over $1500 on these problems. my own mechanic has done more for me than a company who says they are their toughest critic. i decided to look up info online and found 5 different complaints very similar to mine where the ecm was involved on this website. the company who manufactured ecm's to nissan states on their web page that ecm's installed in cars they provided ecm's to from 1989-2003 had a higher rate of malfunction. this website also explained what can happen when your ecm fails- 1. warning light remains on; 2. nonsense fault codes show up when reader is connected; 3. vehicle breakdown w/o warning; 4. erratic idle, stall at traffic/poor running & starting problems. these are just a few but how interesting these all are happening to my car. i believe 2002 nissan sentra's probably have an even higher rate of failure because of the recall to the ecm case holder. i believe this may cause problems to the ecm. nissan should care enough about their customer and a human life to replace ecm's. before a serious injury occurs or worse, if that hasn't happened yet. *nm

Dt: 2002 nissan sentra. the contact stated vehicle stopped while driving at 45 mph. the contact then coasted to the side of the road and vehicle would not restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealership; they state the ecm module failed. the vehicle has not been repaired. it is still at the dealership. the contact was trying to get nissan to fix the vehicle under recall campaign 03v477000. if the ecm failed the ignition module will not be replaced. the problem with the vehicle occurred on september 12, 2005. *ak

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

Dt*: the consumer stated while driving, the vehicle vibrated and jumped from side to side. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they determined the rack and pinion and power assist system needed to be replaced. *jb the head gaket was leaking, the driver side window was i noperative, the oil stick was broken. updated 02/24/06. *jb

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

2002 nissan sentra engine light came on which was caused by the oxygen sensor. the oxygen sensor was replaced and still experienced the same problem. the vehicle also stalled while the vehicle was in motion. *ts the consumer requested a replacement of the ecm or for a recall to be issued. the computer showed a code for the throttle sensor. *sc

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.

Went to check the oil and the plastic dipstick had broken off and the dipstick has fallen down into the engine. checking online for help on removal shows a number of people with the same problem.they want $156 dollars to fix a problem that nissan is aware of that could have been prevented with a new dipstick not made of plastic for $3.*jb

Nissan sentra 2002 the consumer experienced a squeaking noise from the engine. *bf the service department suggested that the noise was coming from the alternator assembly or cylinder next to it. the drive belt was adjusted due to looseness. the vehicle stayed quiet for three days then the noise started again. the weather could cause a glaze on the drive belt which caused noises. the belt was replaced. *sc *jb

When i went to get my oil changed the mechanic went to pull the dipstick out and since it is plastic and is located next to the manifold it dried out and broke. now the metal part of the dipstick is stuck in the tube.

While driving, the vehicle cut off. there was a safety recall on the vehicle, and it was a taken to the closest dealer to get it repaired. after being repaired it was found that vehicle was still shutting off. *ak customer was charged for repair that was covered under recall notice. after paying for the service the engine light was still on. after four additional trips light finally went off. electric tape was use to repair harness now car smells like something is burning while driving. *eh *jb

Intermittently while driving at any speed and shifting any gear the vehicle stalled. the dealership inspected the vehicle 10 times on different occasions, and could not duplicate or correct the problem. *ak there were numerous probles with engine stalling, the maf had to be replace numerous times, the check engine and the reverse light did not work properly. (the wiring harness also repeated intermittent problems) the engine would stall when the clutch was depressed and when in neutral idling and when shifting the gears. the front speaker/tweeters made cracking noises. the cooling fan would come on when not activated. *sc *jb

Vehicle stalled while driving. vehicle was then towed to the dealership, who performed the ecm material 03v477000 repairs. vehicle stalled 20 times since recall repairs were performed. dealership was unable to remedy the problem. dealership indicated that they done all they could do, but were unable to find the cause of stalling. *ak

Driving 50 mph, the vehicle stalled. *ak

Consumer's vehicle experienced the same problem as stated in recall 03v455000. however, consumer's vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. *ak

When driving at any speed vehicle stalled. *ak vehicle also intermittently jerk when shifting gears. *la

While driving the engine stopped running and the warning light illuminated. *mr the consumer was informed that the problem was a defective sensor. the engine light would go on and off intermittently with a series of stalling. *sc the consumer found information regarding a recall, however the dealer claimed they knew nothing about a recall. *jb

Vehicle heated, (still under warranty) so i took the car to the dealer nissan world of springfield, nj. my car has been sitting there since 3/19/04 and still my vehicle has not been repaired. they keep telling me that the part is on back order and that there was nothing they could do about this. i have no transportation. they also rented me a car for 5 days and they extended for an additional 5 days. after those 10 days were up i had to return the vehicle with me not having any transportation to get around. my car is still sitting there. no one has informed me of an update on the parts as to when they will be shipped. i have no transportation and its beginning to really bother. please help me resolve this issue. *la

Vehicle engine serviced twice and both repairs failed. (nar) *ph the consumer had experienced ongoing problems with service engine light flashing on. *cb *jb

Dt: the contact states their check engine light is under a recall but their vehicle manufacturer states it is not. there are no other consequences that this has caused, the contact just wants the dealer to pay the bill so they can pass their state inspection.

While driving 80 mph the vehicle stalled. three weeks later, the consumer received a recall notice for the defect, however the dealer refused to inspect the vehicle. *ak after descending downhill at 80 mph and upon going uphill, the vehicle shut completely off. *sc *jb

While driving 70 mph vehicle stalled without warning. vehicle restarted, and they continued on driving. later, vehicle stalled again. vehicle was towed to a dealer, who informed consumer that the problem was a crankshaft sensor that was on recall. consumer did not receive a recall notice. however, problem recurred. *ak