Vehicle is burning oil too fast. First 2 oil changes seems normal but after the next few oil change seem to last a shorter time. Know it’s only lasting 6 weeks.keep getting service know message even though it just went threw service a few days ago Getting check engine light on for lost of power in engine and hearing load nosies coming from engine like cracking loses burned oil buildup even thought this car goes threw regular oil change maintenance. Oil is burning to quick within weeks. Radio loses power when driveing restarts its self as if I turned the car on and off. Car window also loses power the windows won’t go down with the buttons even off car is fully on as if it had child lock on it when it doesn’t happens for a few days goes away then happens again it’s an on and off problem with the windows.
Nissan Sentra oil consumption problems
33 of the 5,835 owner complaints about the Nissan Sentra describe excessive oil consumption, most of them for the 2002 model year.
- owner complaints
- 33
- worst model year
- 2002
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,300
- typical mileage
- 95,000
By model year
Often reported together
Engine failure 12Check engine light 5Knocking 4Loss of power 2Transmission failure 1Stalling 1Power windows 1Overheating 1
What owners say
My check engine light triggered and I brought the car to my local nissan shop. The car had been running rough, loosing power, and burning oil. The mechanic told me I needed new spark plugs and a new boot. After agreeing to pay the $500, I received a phone call from the shop. The mechanic explained that the problem was not fixed, that actually I needed to replace the entire engine. After the $500 in work had been done, the mechanic performed a compression test. The test indicated a bad engine. So the work was done on a bad engine. The car had about 100,000 miles on it and has always had proper maintenance. So why is it bad already? And why was I mislead to pay $500 on a bad engine? This is not right. Please let me know if you need more information. Thank you for your time.
This specific 2006 nissan sentra se-r spec-v as well as the 2006 nissan altima both use the same qr25de engines witch these engines are highly prone to excessive oil consumption at rapid rates. My vehicle has gotten to the point where it comsumes a qt of oil every 150 miles or so. This is extremely dangerous as it can lead to engine fires because of a failure to cool the engine while it is on. This can also produce a significantly large ploom of grey/blue smoke from the exhaust because of large amounts of oil being burned. This large cloud of exhaust almost acts as a smoke screen to drivers behind me sometimes blocking vision because it can be so large, as well as its toxic impacts on the environment. In conclusion a fire hazard coupled with a large toxic cloud is a ground to have all nissan vehicles with the qr25de engines with the production years of 2006 and below to be recalled as it can be potentially very dangerous. The top part of the photo is proof as it was written up by a vaden nissan dealership mechanic.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan sentra. While driving highway speeds, the vehicle lost acceleration and stalled. The contact maneuvered the vehicle to the shoulder of the highway and checked the oil level. The oil was approximately two quarts low. After twenty minutes, the vehicle started again and the failure recurred the contact had to call a tow truck to bring the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The diagnosis was that the pre-catalyst was damaged and clogged and needed replacement. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact also stated that the vehicle was repaired according to the federal safety agency campaign number: 03v084000 (engine and engine cooling) a few years back. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 124,000.
On 2006 nissan sentra se-r spec v, I noticed a drop in power and excessive oil consumption. Upon pulling the header I noticed pieces of the catalyst broken up in the exhaust pipe. The egr system may have sucked in pieces of debris damaging the cylinder walls.
Purchased 2003 nissan sentra with 52,000 miles around august 2013. Vehicle was having trouble starting, mechanic needed to replace catalytic converter (front & rear), about 2-3 weeks later the car started going through about 1 quart of oil every 1-2 days. Our mechanic checked the vehicle and found a recall bulletin explaining that debris from this vehicle's catalytic converter gets ingested into the engine, which causes the piston rings to wear out and also causes excessive oil consumption. If the oil is not checked and filled constantly, it may cause engine failure and/or a fire in the engine. According to our nissan dealership, nissan has replaced engines in these affected vehicles. When our vehicle was brought to the dealership, nissan headquarters refused to repair our vehicle under the recall bulletin stating we are 14 months past the point that nissan would've fixed it. This seems to be a safety issue if it is possible that the vehicle engine could cause a fire while in use.
Purchased 2003 nissan sentra with 52,000 miles around august 2013. Vehicle was having trouble starting, mechanic needed to replace catalytic converter (front & rear), about 2-3 weeks later the car started going through about 1 quart of oil every 1-2 days. Our mechanic checked the vehicle and found a recall bulletin explaining that debris from this vehicle's catalytic converter gets ingested into the engine, which causes the piston rings to wear out and also causes excessive oil consumption. If the oil is not checked and filled constantly, it may cause engine failure and/or a fire in the engine. According to our nissan dealership, nissan has replaced engines in these affected vehicles. When our vehicle was brought to the dealership, nissan headquarters refused to repair our vehicle under the recall bulletin stating we are 14 months past the point that nissan would've fixed it. This seems to be a safety issue if it is possible that the vehicle engine could cause a fire while in use.
I currently own a 2002 nissan sentra se-r spec v and it is old but has been taken good care of and it only has 110,000 miles on it. Vehicle problems smoke black really bad, uses up to 5 quarts between oil changes, idles rough, runs rough. It has had a couple recalls I checked up on like the pre cat header it had been replaced in 03. I replaced coil packs, spark plugs, mass air flow sensor, cam sensor, and crank sensor. All this virtually did nothing and with vehicle oil consumption and fuel usage the engine is shot and will be in need of rebuild or replacement. I have read many reviews of others with the same car and have had the same and worse problems, and it just makes no sense how nissan can screw up that bad and screw that many people out of money because of manufacturing defects. I also called nissan and told them the problem and they basically said to bad nothing we can do you are on your own. I still own the car and feel like as many of these car owners have experienced the same issues it is obviously something nissan did wrong and should compensate me and others with this defect.
My pre cat went out so took it to shop to have it replaced. Cost me 1000$. Since then it has been burning oil very bad up to a quart a tank. And white smoke if accelerate even remotely more than gentle. Nissan said my car isn't eligible for the pre cat recall. But it fits description as far as 2003 sentra with the 2.5l qr25de engine. If the don't want to replace the engine I would like them to buy the car for blue book. I am only second owner. It has roughly 87500 on it now.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 nissan sentra. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming oil excessively and he could he hear a loud knocking noise. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the catalytic converter had allowed debris to enter the pistons and as a result, the engine would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 118,000 and the current mileage was 121,000.
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 oil consumption
Which Nissan Sentra years have excessive oil consumption problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2002 (18 complaints), 2003 (7 complaints) and 2006 (3 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix excessive oil consumption on the Nissan Sentra?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,300 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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