Check a VIN

2003 Nissan Sentra engine complaints

Page 3 of 5: complaints 41 to 70 of 107, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2003 Nissan Sentra engine problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Mar 24, 2010 · Engine, Fuel system · 40,000 miles · MO

The engine stops running without warning while the vehicle is in motion increasing the risk of a crash.

Filed Mar 22, 2010 · Engine · 45,000 miles · LA

On several occasions my 2003 sentra ser would not start....on three occasions I replaced the battery and it would restart ...on the 4th occasion I took the car to nissan dealer here in harvey , la. Where it sat for 3 days and the service dept told me the car would now start.a fifth occasion occurred and by this time I had heard of a recall which I asked the dealer on phone about and he told me to bring car in so again I took car to dealer hoping to find problem...car sat there again for a few days after which it would start. They again told me no fault found was found and that they had performed recall...which they did not ...it took me a couple of calls to service writer before he admitted it had not been touched. I read here of many sentra s with same problems ...you would think some one would know what is going on. My sentra now runs terrible sometimes not starting and other times runs like it is running on 2 cylinders with a bad smell from exhaust. I am afraid of this car , but cannot afford to replace it.

Filed Mar 5, 2010 · Engine · 120,000 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. The contact stated he was driving on the highway at 60mph. When he took an exit and came to an yield sign, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated the vehicle operates normally until he starts to decrease his speed to 20mph. This had happened to him everyday for the last 3 days. The contact stated he did contact a dealer and he told him about the recall but they said that his vehicle was not included the recall. The failure and current mileages was 120,000.

Filed Feb 10, 2010 · Engine · MA

03 nissan sentra se-r equipped with 2.5l engine, vehicle consumes approx. 1qt of oil/wk, and approx. 1 gallon of anti-freeze/month. Vehicle hesitates and jerks while driving. Vehicle has been brought to dealer several times and dealer has replaced several engine components, but problem persists. Nissan has been contacted and never responds back.

Filed Dec 22, 2009 · Engine · 79,000 miles · MA

Pre owed vehicle in excellent condition failed the state inspection due to a oxygen sensor defected causing the car to stop running and had problems starting the engine to run. Also affecting the panel showing the "service engine soon" comes and goes.

Filed Nov 16, 2009 · Engine · 98,000 miles · TX

I own a 2003 nissan sentra se-r spec v and while driving the engine shut off which could of caused me an accident and it restarted but didn't want to pickup speed. Had to get towed off the freeway and now does not want to restart. I had my daughter with me, which was very dangerous. Called nissan and they said my car is not on the recall list, even though there is a recall for this year and model. Several mechanics told me that I need the engine replace, which is very expensive to which I cannot afford and my car is just sitting there.

Filed Oct 5, 2009 · Engine · 60,000 miles · OK

Documentation will follow up at home. Faulty crankshaft sensor shutting down car every 3 minutes on 2003 nissan sentra - could have been horrible result as we were headed to interstate to return to ok....dealership has been great in lee summit, mo....nissan corporation consumer service in phillipines has been awful......we are getting on the road tomorrow 10/06/2009 if car fails and we are in major accident want it known that I've spoken with nissan and let my son know....nissan america has been terrible to deal with...the file # is 6622003.

Filed Sep 25, 2009 · Engine · 96,000 miles · MO

I have an 03 nissan sentra, there is a problem with the cat converter, I have taken it to the nissan dealer and they said the recall had been performed on my car, the car will still not pass my state emission testing and the engine has already been replaced once ( may of 08 ) due to losing oil and now the engine is blown again so I will again need a new engine.

Filed Aug 13, 2009 · Engine · 135,700 miles · IL

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.

Filed Jul 2, 2009 · Engine · 106,391 miles · NY

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. She took the vehicle to a repair shop and the mechanic replaced the camshaft and crank sensors. The repair cost was $278.41. Report number 6531990 was filed by the manufacturer and they stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling); therefore, they would not assist. The failure mileage was 106,391 and current mileage was 108,652.

Filed Jun 29, 2009 · Electrical, Engine · 86,000 miles · IL

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. While driving 40 MPH, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. Once the contact turned off the vehicle, it did not restart until the following day. Once the vehicle was started, the contact noticed that the tachometer was not working. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 86,000.

Filed Jun 10, 2009 · Engine · 88,000 miles · OH

I purchased my 2003 nissan sentra from toyota direct in columbus ohio and the day I purchased it that evening my check engine light came on I took it back and they took it to germain nissan twice for service to find out what was wrong, well they fixed it as they thought (the fuel pump) but a year later the same problems were occurring so I took it to another mechanic and they said it was what nissan said so I had it fixed again (fuel pump) but no one hooked it up to diagnostic. Well now again the car is doing the same thing I took it to another mechanic and he fixed something totally different since he hooked it up to the diagnostic and said it was the crank position sensor and he fixed it, well here I am 6 months later im having the same problem.. I research on the internet and found this had a recall back in 2003 but I'm getting people telling me my car wasn't included, my car is doing the same exact thing as 630000 other 2003 nissian sentras how is this possible.. I'm would like to file a complaint about my vehicle and I feel nissan should replace this and make it good at their cost and not mine. Here is what I found out: auto recall date: nov 17, 2003 vehicle component: engine and engine cooling estimated vehicles affected: 630000 model affected 2003 nissan sentra 2003 nissan sentra defect summary: 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. Defect consequence: 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.

Filed May 6, 2009 · Engine · 69,000 miles · MD

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. While driving approximately 35 MPH on normal road conditions, the temperature gauge dial drastically increased when the heating system was activated. The contact immediately deactivated the heating system and pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road. She inspected underneath the hood and added antifreeze coolant to the overflow reservoir. She waited until the vehicle cooled down before driving again. The contact replaced the radiator cap and thermostat. The components were replaced, but the failure recurred on separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and the contact requested that the water pump be replaced. The technician stated that the failure was contributed to the construction of the engine, which LED to head gasket failure. The failure was common for this vehicle. The water pump and head gasket were replaced. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 69,000.

Filed Apr 27, 2009 · Electrical, Engine · PA

2003 nissan sentra, first notice the service engine soon light come on. Then, the car would feel like it was losing power while driving. Took it to the dealership, they couldn't find anything wrong with it but they said it might be the battery or alternator. So, they gave me a new alternator and a new battery. Then, short time after the car started losing power and just stalling completely. Power steering goes as well. As time goes on the occurrences are becoming more frequent. Several times that this has happened I have almost crashed into someone whether I was trying to make a turn or my car shut down and someone almost hits me. So, I looked up the recalls done on my mode, make, and year car and found that there were recall on parts that are causing the same problem for me. So, I called up nissan and told them my VIN and problem and they said there aren't any recalls on my VIN and my VIN shouldn't be doing what the recall describes. Everytime I drive this car I fear that I'm going to hit someone or someone is going to hit me because this unknown reason as to why this car does this. I don't feel safe getting from point a to point b in my vehicle.

Filed Apr 15, 2009 · Engine · 62,777 miles · MA

2003 nissan sentra se-r has been giving me problems. The engine would just shut down while driving twice on me now, which is so dangerous when driving on highway. The engine lights come on at all times, take it to dealer and they said it sensors, did this about 5 times now within a year. Now the engine wont start, again take to dealership this time engine is flooded cause the sensor weren't working, they just reset the sensor. I am in constant worry when driving this car never know when the engine will stop running when driving.

Filed Mar 11, 2009 · Engine, Transmission · 64,255 miles · SD

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.

Filed Feb 21, 2009 · Engine · 70,459 miles · CA

The "service engine soon" light came on. I took it to my mechanic. He ran it through the computer and told me that it could be a transmission problem. I had a transmission flush done and light went off. A week later the light came back on. And now the car wont start. I went to the website, read that the crank position sensor, or the camshaft position sensor or the variable timing control sensor, on the make, model and year of my car, could be causing problems. It could be causing engine power loss, which it does struggle. The "service engine soon" light to come on, which it did. Or a "not starting-up condition" which is where I'm at right now. The car does not want to start. Please help me because I think that I qualify for these services to be done to my vehicle. Thank you for your time.

Filed Feb 16, 2009 · Engine · 71,000 miles · FL

Check engine light has been on for a while with erratic gauges that only work sometimes.... Then recently car has been shutting off, completely dying while driving sometimes at low speeds, sometimes on the highway. Sometimes will restart for me, sometimes will not. After research online, found out about recall on 03 sentras with the exact things that my car has been doing. Called nissan and took my car to a local dealer and they said my cars VIN number was not included in the recall, even though the same year, model and engine as the recall listed. This is so dangerous and it is happening very frequently now.

Filed Feb 10, 2009 · Engine · 126,000 miles · IA

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). The crank position sensor needed to be replaced. The failure caused the service engine soon warning indicator to illuminate. In addition, the vehicle will periodically shut off in the middle of the road and will not restart. Occasionally, the vehicle takes at least a half an hour before restarting. The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in the warranty. The diagnostic would cost $90. A mechanic stated that the crank position sensor indicator was the cause of the failure. The failure mileage was 126,000.

Filed Jan 29, 2009 · Engine · 59,716 miles · GA

This is what has happened to date: 1.my wife was driving our ?03 sentra at 11 pm on january 22, 2008 when the engine suddenly quit. It would not restart. Fortunately, it happened on a side street with light traffic. 2.I had the vehicle towed to my usual mechanic, a firestone dealer in norcross, ga. 3.the next day the firestone mechanic informed me that the vehicle?s issue was a crank position sensor that was bad and that this was covered by recall #03v455000 for ?03 nissan sentras, among other nissan vehicles. It was recommended that I take the vehicle to a nissan dealer. 4.that next morning, the vehicle was towed to the capitol city (formerly peachtree) nissan.. The capitol city nissan service agent informed me that my vehicle was not covered by the recall. He showed me the document that indicated that the recall only applied to ?03 cars manufactured on or before 30 june 2002. Mine was apparently built in december of ?02 5.capitol city nissan also wasn't convinced the problem was the crank position sensor so insisted on running their own diagnostics to identify the problem. In the end, it was confirmed to be the crank position sensor. It is my contention that the failed sensor was defective and should have been covered by the recall. The defective sensor caused a sudden engine failure, exactly as described in recall notice 03v455000. Fortunately, the failure occurred while the car was moving slowly in light traffic. I brought this to nissan's attention. They have refused to correct the defect at their cost. It is my contention that the recall should be expanded to include all ?03 sentras as I have read of several of these occurrences to vehicles just outside the recall manufacturing period.

Filed Jan 12, 2009 · Engine · 62,000 miles · VA

My 2003 nissan sentra, is recently experiencing related items in recall campaign 06v24000, but nissan states my VIN does not show on the recall campaign. I took my vehicle to a nissan dealership, and was told it was the mass air flow sensor, which was replaced for $698.41. Soon after the dealership fixed my vehicle, I experienced the engine stop running at a low speed while traveling onto the highway. I called the dealership and nissan, I was assigned case # 6389764 I was told I would be contacted by nissan within the next 48 hours. I am posting this complaint , because of the jeopardy of nissan putting my life and my family's life at risk. My loved ones are afraid to travel in the vehicle with me. I find it somewhat of a enigma, that my VIN does not fall under the recall, but I am experiencing the exact problems per recall campaign #06242000.

Filed Dec 29, 2008 · Engine · 134,000 miles · GA

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. She experienced stalling consistently in november of 2008. She thought it was the gasoline she used that caused the vehicle to stall. On december 3, 2008, the vehicle shut off while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealers diagnosis found failure codes for the head gasket and crank sensor. The third cylinder and the crank sensor circuit were replaced. The cost of the repairs were $1,678.58. The repairs did not correct the failure. The dealer rediagnosed the vehicle and stated that the stalling was due to a faulty fuel pump that needed to be replaced. A report related to the failure was filed with the manufacturer who stated that there was a recall; however, the VIN wasn't included. The contact was advised that she will receive a refund if they found that her vehicle should have been recalled. The failure mileage was 134,000 and the current mileage is 135,000. Updated 02-23-09 *bf updated 02/24/09.

Filed Dec 26, 2008 · Engine · 70,000 miles · VA

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. While idling at a traffic light with the heat, headlights, and radio activated, the vehicle stalled. The interior lighting was still illuminated; however, all of the electrical components would not operate. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. Through online research, she discovered the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). The VIN was not included in the recall, although the failures were identical. On a separate occasion, the vehicle rapidly idled without the accelerator pedal being depressed. The failure and current mileages were less than 70,000.

Filed Dec 23, 2008 · Engine · 33,491 miles · CA

My 2003 nissan sentra died out while driving again within two weeks (12/05/08 & 12/19/08)! The problem is that my car dies out while driving -then, service engine soon light comes on & all gauges go erratic, or vice versa. These conditions come out without any warning. The first time my car died out on the road was on 03/21/2007. However, since I purchased this brand-new car in 2003, there was something wrong with the engine. It was hard to start the engine and died out, which resulted in damaging the starter. (approx. 6 times of services and possibly, a recall seemed to solve this one.) then, another problem came up. Service engine soon light comes on more and more frequently as years go by since 2004. (approx. 8 times of repair attempts and not fixed yet as of 12/23/08) also, all the gauges suddenly go erratic (bouncing around or up& down movements) when start a car or while driving. Again, these conditions come up without any warning. Especially, in the morning when start a car, it happens more (more than once a month) than while driving. This year the oil gauge became completely inoperable and cost me $550. Recently, I sometimes notice that my car does not creep, which makes it hard to speed up. Every time these conditions come up, I take my car to the nissan dealer. However, they are unable to find what is wrong. It has been years, and my car is getting worse even though the mileage is only 33491. Now, my car has been stuck in the dealer for days as of 12/23/08. Nissan should repurchase my car because it jeopardizes others' and my safety/life on the road.

Filed Dec 10, 2008 · Engine · 33,430 miles · CA

1. The car dies out while driving -suddenly all the gauges become erratic and engine dies out. Service engine soon light comes on. Bouncing gauges occur while driving. 2. Service engine soon light comes on every 3-4 months. The car dies out while driving once a year. Bouncing gauges occur at least once a month -erratic and sporadic. Because of this ongoing problems that the dealer has never been able to fix, it gives me great emotional distress and fear of driving. It was pure luck that I did not get into accidents so far. But it is time that something has to be done to stop this ongoing unsolved problems. 3. The dealership always takes a look at it, but they are unable to find the problems for years. One time they returned my car, stating, "there is a ghost in your car." during the last visit at the dealership, they stated it (car dies out) would come back again, and that next time it happened they would do further test. What if the "next time" gets me into a fatal accident?

Filed Oct 6, 2008 · Engine · 95,000 miles · CT

Was told by nissan that my 2003 sentra se r spec v need a new engine. Engine failed because of defective catalytic material being ingested through exhaust valves. Thus scoring the cylinder walls, leading the car to consume oil. Without oil the engine will fail. The car was brought to the dealer concerning an oil consumption problem, dealer declared that it was within parameters and there was no problem. This was just before the 60,000 mile warranty was up. The car now has 95,000 and needs new engine. Nissan claims to know nothing of this problem, yet there are thousands of people with similar problems.

Filed Sep 19, 2008 · Engine · 50,700 miles · MD

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. While driving 60 MPH, the vehicle suddenly shut off without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the cam shaft sensor needed to be replaced. The current and failure mileages were 50,700. Updated 10/20/08.*lj the consumer stated a recall had been issued, but the consumer's VIN did not apply to the recall. Updated 10/20/08.

Filed Sep 9, 2008 · Engine · 100,000 miles · FL

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. The vehicle would crank, but failed to turn over. An hour later, the vehicle was able to be restarted. Later, the vehicle would not start once again. The contact was able to finally start the vehicle. While driving 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the cam shaft was replaced. The failure and current mileages were less than 100,000.

Filed Jul 8, 2008 · Engine · 99,000 miles · NJ

Re: 2003 nissan sentra spec-v. Several times the engine would stall while driving on the highway both at high speeds (starting around 50mph) and low speeds (while at full stop or low speeds), causing engine failure and steering wheel lock while driving. While driving on the highway I practically almost died trying to get over to the shoulder when the engine stalled. I researched online for possible causes, and found this website regarding the recalls for my vehicle. I dropped the car off to a nissan dealership service dept in the morning and informed the service technician re: the recalls. They inspected the vehicle and informed me that the ECM had to be reprogrammed. Once they reprogrammed the ECM, they called me back and informed me that the crankshaft position sensor needed to be replaced as well, which was the possible cause of the engine failures. Once they completed all repairs, they told me that the ECM reprogramming was free of charge, but I had to pay for the crankshaft replacement because it was not VIN specific. Even with all these services performed, the service engine soon light is still on. I called nissan consumer affairs.

Filed Jun 26, 2008 · Engine · 76,000 miles · NY

2003 nissan sentra engine quit and check engine light came on. Would not start. Nissan had a recall 03v455000 but my VIN is not included in the recall even though it is a 2003 nissan sentra. I had to pay for the repair- around $280.00 out of pocket.

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