Well thankfully it did not happened while driving i stopped it one day to replace the engine (a lil more info i am a mobile mechanic registered with the state of CA) with some year make and model and sub model i finish replacing and next thing later i have no spark i did my diagnostics check wiring fuses relays sensors and still no spark i qent to carfax and notice it as 2 recalls related to my no spark issue regading ckp sensor and cmp sensors and the other recall about a internal problem with ecm i tried calling dealership they know its a incomplete repair but seems like they dont want fix or do something about it now i do need my car to go and repair my customers vehicles and my car dont want to start due to the recalls and from what i read about on the federal safety agency said that the manufacturer by law is required to assist with a refund, temporory vehicle borrowed or funds for transportation if they cant fix, or shortesh in parts in the mean time or something like that i called about 3 times today first tried to make an appointment and they said no reponse with parts depertment okay we hang up so i call again right away but this time i went directly to parts department and asked for the related parts they said they had them in stock then i commented about my recalls and then they transfer me to appointment department and they told me parts department aint answering i told her i just got transfered feom parts department they said they have the parts in stock so whats the problem she didnt said nothing and only said we will give u a call back for ur appointment i never got a call back 5 hours later i called again something just covering up lie after lie.
Nissan Sentra engine failure problems
87 of the 5,834 owner complaints about the Nissan Sentra describe engine failure, most of them for the 2002 model year.
- owner complaints
- 87
- worst model year
- 2002
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,200
- typical mileage
- 71,000
By model year
Often reported together
Check engine light 15Oil consumption 12Stalling 11Overheating 6Transmission failure 5Steering lock-up 5Loss of power 5Jerking 5
Trouble codes mentioned
P0303 2P0300 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the engine seized. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that several days later, while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent shop where it was diagnosed with ECM failure. The contact was informed that a heavy voltage overload had caused a hole in the ECM. The contact was informed that the ECM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that an unknown recall with a similar failure was performed in 2012. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
The CVT transmission, which Nissan has had many issues with per the large number of class action lawsuits, failed while I was driving the vehicle on a main street in San Diego. The vehicle showed no indication (warning light) that there was any engine failure or issue. The CVT transmission just died unexpectedly while the vehicle was moving with traffic. I brought the vehicle to Mossy Nissan in National City and they confirmed the CVT transmission failed. The vehicle only has 87,762 miles on it. Nissan claimed they are not responsible. I only learned of the large number of CVT transmission lawsuits once this happened. They have broken their lawsuits into different vehicle years, makes, and models so to avoid listing this issue as a recall across the brand.
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled and unintendedly decelerated. The vehicle was driven to the parking lot and came to a complete stop. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. Upon arrival at the residence, the vehicle failed to restart with the check engine warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic arrived at the residence, and the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had seized. The local dealer was contacted, and an estimate for the repair was provided. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and was not repaired. The mechanic stated that the engine was cracked and was a rebuilt engine, not a new engine. The contact purchased a used engine from a salvage yard for replacement. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle erratically jerked and the vehicle stalled. The contact noticed an abnormal whining sound. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that days later, while attempting to start the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into reverse and the engine seized. The contact stated that the vehicle was inoperable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.
Transmission failure in under 3 years. I replaced my transmission and rear assembly in 2022-23. It started with pressing the gas pedal and the car wouldn’t accelerate while in heavy traffic. I spent over $3,000 on a brand new engine. Come 2024 the exact same problem with the repair price being quoted at around $7,000. There was no hard driving on the car so I don’t understand how it’s going so soon. I’ve never had so much trouble with a car.
I purchased the car as a graduation present for my son in 2018. He was using it to get back and forth to work and school. Currently the car has less than 60,000 miles on it. So, it was not being excessively driven. In Dec her of 2023, He began having issues with the vehicle stalling and overheating. It began to jerk and would randomly lose power. While driving to work the car over heated and we got it to a mechanic on 1/7/24. The independent service center stated the engine needed to be replaced and he would also inspect the transmission due to the loss of power and slipping my son was describing. Once the engine was replaced the mechanic confirmed the transmission would also need to be replaced. My son spent all his savings on the engine so we took the car home to determine options. The quote for a new transmission is 3-4k plus labor. I am too scared to let my son drive the car so it has been parked in my drive way since we got the car back in February of 24. My son has been saving to try and get it fixed. His coworker told him about a class action that was filed against Nissan for the same issue for Sentras from 2013-2017. I was never contacted and never received any recall notice. There were no warning lamps or other symptoms when the issues began. I tried to add the receipt from the engine replacement but it will not upload
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while pressing the START/STOP button, the brake pedal seized, and the vehicle failed to start as needed. The contact continuously pressed the START/STOP button while depressing the brake pedal, and the vehicle eventually started. The contact stated that the stop lamp switch had previously been replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the stop lamp switch needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V135000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2000 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated on several occasions while attempting to start the vehicle in the morning, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the engine failed to turn over however, the vehicle was able to be started closer to the afternoon. The check engine warning light illuminated along with the “Service Engine Soon” message displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the crank position sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was then informed of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 01V357000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able restart the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and pulling out of a parking lot on a leveled road surface, the vehicle hit a pothole, and upon attempting to make a turn, the vehicle made a popping sound and the front passenger's side wheel seized. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that while a bystander was inspecting the front passenger's side wheel, a piece of the tie rod fell onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the tie rod had fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V581000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer and a second dealer, Kraft Nissan (3277 Mahan Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32308) were contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 69,661.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crankshaft position sensor can overheat causing a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
- Risk
- If the interruption in the signal from the crankshaft position 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. Certain my 2006 altimas which have been previously remedied under recall campaign 06v223 (nissan r0606) are not included in this recall since the reprogramming for 06v223 also included this reprogramming. The recall began on december 31, 2007. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 07V527000 · Recall details
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
- Certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.5l engines may experience excessive engine oil consumption as a result of improper performance of the piston rings.
- Risk
- If the oil is not maintained at least at the minimum level, engine damage can occur and in extreme cases result in an engine fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the electronic control module (ECM or engine computer). Your vehicle will also be inspected to determine if it has been consuming engine oil at a higher than normal rate. In a small percentage of vehicles, engine replacement will be needed. On june 9, 2006, nissan notified owners of the possibility of excessive oil consumption and the importance of maintaining the oil at a proper level. Follow-up letter to owners advising them of the status of the recall was sent during august 2006. Followup letter to owners was sent on november 15, 2006. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 06V223000 · 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
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles equipped with the 2.5 liter engine, the exhaust pipe hanger pin may catch debris from the road that could be ignited by contact with the main catalyst. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate.
- Risk
- Either of these two conditions could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove the protruding portion of the exhaust pipe hanger pin. In addition to the corrective action, in order to reduce the risk of fire in the event of poor or improper maintenance that could result in oil spillage, heat shield(s) will be installed on the pre-catalyst and exhaust tube. Owner notification began on july 28, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261. Nissan recall nos. R3007, r3014, r3015, r3016, r3017. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate. If substrate particles enter the combustion chamber, they could score the cylinder walls, resulting in increased oil consumption. If the engine oil level is not checked on a periodic basis and drops below the low level, and the driver continues to operate the vehicle ignoring noticeable engine noise, engine damage may occur which could result in a fire. The pre-catalyst will be tested to ensure it is working properly and replaced if necessary. If damage is found inside the pre-catalyst, it will be necessary to replace the engine.
Recall number 03V084000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with a 1.8 liter engine. The engine could stop running while being driven due to a defective crank position sensor. This could also result in the "service engine soon" warning light coming on or reduced engine power.
- Risk
- If the engine stops running while the vehicle is in motion, it could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Owner notification began december 10, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 01V357000 · Recall details
Questions about the Nissan Sentra engine failure
Which Nissan Sentra years have engine failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2002 (15 complaints), 2003 (12 complaints) and 2004 (7 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix engine failure on the Nissan Sentra?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,200 (median of 14 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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