The car quits as I’m driving it , The headlights and the dome lights go dim and radio light flickers then it goes completely out and when I’m driving the car it has a rough idle and in order to keep the car running when I get to a stop light or stop sign is to put the car in park .
2003 Nissan Sentra: misfire or rough idle
7 of the 180 complaints about the 2003 Nissan Sentra describe misfire or rough idle.
- owner complaints
- 7
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- typical mileage
- 75,000
- recalls
- 3
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls and 16 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Misfire or rough idle by model year
What owners say
Pcm ECM ecu engineering flaw. Engine kicks into safe mode while in operation or completely stalls, check engine light on, when restarts will misfire. Diagnosed with faulty control module (the second one in this vehicle since I have owned it)
2003 nissan sentra 1.8l head gasket failure at around 75,000 mi. Vehicle has been experiencing difficulty starting and rough idle since soon after purchase. This was relayed to dealers on numerous occasions, were told nothing is wrong. Problem has worsened over the years and vehicle ran rough. Brought to dealer and replaced ignition coil #3. Week later problem is still active. Return to dealer where head gasket had failed and engine is consuming coolant. This vehicle had faulty gasket or head design that was pushed off by the dealer to avoid warranty repair.
I have a 03 nissan sentra specv having the same issue repeat itself. The butterfly screw getting suck into the engine causing sudden lost of power. Engine light says cylinder misfire. 4 engine replacements have been done now its happening again 135k on car so kissable will not replace motor. I have all service records nissan should be forced to recall the specv. The car shut off while my 5 year old was with me. No steering or brakes only hand brake used to stop car. What will it take for this recall to move forward. Its hundreds of people with this problem.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. While driving approximately 40 MPH on normal road conditions, the vehicle hesitated, vibrated, and misfired when shifting from second to third gear. Suddenly, the RPM's increased excessively high when the gears were shifted downward. In addition, the check engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel and remained lit until the engine was turned off. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the failure was related to the secondary butterfly screws and an internal component in the engine. The vehicle is currently inoperable and has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 64,255.
There appears to be a problem related to the fuel pump. Causing long crank time and code p0300 cylinder misfires. This cause dangerous driving condition. A bulletin was released #ntb05-052a.
While driving on the highway the tachometer fell to zero and the vehicle stalled while in gear thus causing the vehicle to decrease speed quickly, the only way to restart the car while in motion is to bump start using the clutch. The check engine light turned on after this incident. After this many misfires occurred while drive including stalls while driving which is very dangerous because the vehicle will stop quickly. I researched online to find that other nissan models have had this problem the sentra/altima. I also check some recalls and it does show some sentras and altimas have been affected. However when I contact both the dealer where I purchased the car and nissan north america they said that the 2003 nissan sentra se-r spec v was not affected, and that it was regular maintenance. I will take my vehicle to the dealership to have it looked at. This is very dangerous and have almost crash 3 times. I suggest all who have this problem not to drive their vehicle.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Free Oil Change Specific Vehicles Subject to the Takata Recall Detailed Information To help accelerate...
- Nissan: the engine cranks longer than 3 seconds when starting
- Nissan service campaign: voluntary emissions recall campaign - 2003-2005 sentra / 2005-2006 frontier ECM...
- Long engine crank time before start
- MIL on with DTC U1000 or U1010 stored in engine control unit
- Malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code U1000 or U1010 stored in engine control unit
- Voluntary recall campaign catalytic converter/front tube replacement
- Alternator drive belt noise
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crank angle sensor is affected by temperature variations. Under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
- Risk
- If the interruption in the signal from the sensor is so brief that the electronic control module (ECM) logic does not have time to diagnose the condition, the engine may stop running without warning while the vehicle is driven at a low speed increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. The recall began on august 21, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 06V242000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain electric vehicles, the front suspension transverse link's ball joint bracket may break from stress concentration at a notch created by surface roughness and the shape of the material cut-line.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the bracket on these vehicles. Owner notification began december 15, 2003. Owners should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 03V511000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
- Risk
- This could cause the "service engine soon" warning light to come on, create a no start condition, cause reduced engine power, or cause the engine to stop running without warning during vehicle operation, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s). Vehicles involved in a previous recall campaign, 01v357, are also included in this new campaign. The replacement sensors used in that campaign are also affected. Owner notification began on december 22, 2003. Owners should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261 or infiniti at 1‑800‑662‑6200.
Recall number 03V455000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2003 Nissan Sentra misfire
Is misfire or rough idle a common problem on the 2003 Nissan Sentra?
7 of 180 owner complaints about the 2003 Nissan Sentra (4%) mention misfire or rough idle. The model year with the most reports is 2004.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Nissan Sentra?
There are 3 recalls and 16 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2003 Nissan Sentra
Stalling 50Check engine light 48Won't start 15Engine failure 12Fuel pump 10Loss of power 8Hesitation 7Oil consumption 7No deployment 6
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