10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
43,480 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Nissan Sentra cooling system problems

cooling system problem

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2003 Nissan Sentra Owner Comments

problem #5

Dec 132003

Sentra

  • 135,700 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Zion, IL, USA

problem #4

May 032009

Sentra

  • 69,000 miles
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.

- Pasadena , MD, USA

problem #3

Mar 202007

Sentra

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
I have tried a number of times to have Nissan find the reason why my car had a delay in start for 2 years. I have no success, only excuses, and run around. Now my car is no longer in warranty and they are still giving me the run around when I told them that it appears to be what the recalls are stating.

- Waynesville, GA, USA

problem #2

Mar 202004

Sentra

  • Manual transmission
  • 12,700 miles
1) I was stopped at a red light--the frist car at the light--on a two lane divived hightway in both directions. I was in the left lane. When the light turned geren I acclelrated and the car took off like it was in overdrive. When I applied the brakes, the car did a 360 degree counter-clockwise rotation. The passenger side hit the median and deflated both the front and rear tirers. The car never stalled. I was able to wobble over to the right lane and exit the highway on to a dirt road which was the entrance to a cook county forest preserve. I ran into a steel gate which was across tthe road as the forest preserve was closed. I suspect because two of my tires were deflated, my brakes were not working. 2) actually, I was taking my car to woodfield Nissan for service when the accident occurred. When I tried to turn on the air-conditioning, the knob (which goes from blue--cool-- to red--heat--was not working. Usually the knob such turns smoothly, but this time, there was a grating sensation and the cooling system did not turn on. The heat could not be turned off and the cooling system could not be turned on. Whether this problem caused the other event is hard to say, but I favor a "cause and event" explanation. 3) there was considerable damage to my car. My insurance company authorized about $7,000 worth of damage. My car is still at woodfield Nissan body shop awaiting parts which have been on back order since about March 22. I have asked john at the body shop to make sure that he has the service department look at my original air-conditioning problem, but I don't think that will happen until the body shop is finished with the car. Incidentally, I received a a notice of a recall from fegus Nissan in early Jan. Of this year (recall code: R3022). I took my car to woodfield and was told there was "no outstanding campaigns." I would like to know the reason for this recall.

- Arlington Hts, IL, USA

problem #1

Oct 062003

Sentra 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
I purchased my Sentra in Dec of 2002. One week after I bought it, I had to take it in because it clunked when you turned the wheel. Took it back to dealer and front suspension was loose. Fixed the clunk. Started to notice that 2 qts of engine oil was gone and the coolant level kept dropping even though I kept pouring more in. Took it back to dealer, claimed there was air bubble in engine and to let it go. Still noticing engine oil smell and coolant level low. Dealer claims nothing is wrong. Passenger side window leaks, had run channel replaced twice. Around 7000 mi, I noticed that the tranny squeaked B/w 3rd and 4th gear. Been to dealer 4 times, claim to tighten mount bolts, belts, and exhaust manifold. Still squeaking. Rear bumper is now falling off and gear shift is starting to stick. Had rear brakes adjusted at 7500 mi and again at 11000 mi. Brakes still seam spongy and lose stopping ability. Been to dealer around 20 times since December.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

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