There are 40 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2002 Nissan Sentrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 15V287000 (AIR BAGS) AND 07V527000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO GET THE REMEDY PERFORMED DUE TO THE NEAREST DEALER BEING 600 MILES AWAY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE IN NOVEMBER OF 2017 AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD SEND OUT A TECHNICIAN TO PERFORM THE REPAIRS; HOWEVER, THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. *TT *TR
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY CAR ENGINE SHUT OFF. IT DID THIS TWICE. THE SECOND TIME THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART AS OF 7-29-2017
CAR TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING. *TR
ON SEPT 16, 2014, MY 2002 NISSAN SENTRA WOULD NOT START. THINKING IT WAS A BATTERY PROBLEM I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC'S SHOP. A DAY OR SO LATER, THE MECHANICS COULD NOT FIND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. I HAD THE ALARM WORKED ON RECENTLY AND THE ALARM INSTALLERS WERE NICE ENOUGH TO SWING BY THE SHOP AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT. TURNS OUT THE ALARM WAS NOT THE ISSUE. WHILE TALKING ABOUT THE CAR'S PROBLEM, THE HEAD MECHANIC AND HEAD ALARM INSTALLER KEPT MENTIONING THE WORD "RECALL". NEXT I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, MELLOY NISSAN. A MELLOY MECHANIC SAID THAT THE COMPUTER WAS BAD AND A REPLACEMENT WOULD COST $900. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. I RESEARCHED THE EMC PROBLEM ONLINE. I CALLED NISSAN USA ABOUT THE EMC SINCE IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SENTRAS. THEY SAID THEY WOULD TAKE MY COMPLAINT UNDER CONSIDERATION. ON THE SEPT. 26TH, NISSAN USA SAID THAT THEY WOULD PAY FOR HALF OF THE EMC'S COST. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED SHORTLY LATER, SAYING THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR WOULD BE $667. I DON'T KNOW IF THE EMC FAILED BECAUSE OF THE EMC BOX'S FOAM CURING (A COMMON PROBLEM COVERED BY WARRANTY) OR IT WAS JUST A BUGGY UNIT (A COMMON PROBLEM NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY). FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ONLINE, IT SEEMS EVEN IF THE EMC'S FAILURE IS DUE TO THE FOAM, NISSAN WILL REPLACE THE FOAM, BUT THE OWNER MUST PAY FOR A NEW EMC. BOTH SHOULD BE COVERED. MY CAR'S MILEAGE IS SLIGHTLY OVER 35,000 MILES. *TR
I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR SHUTOFF. THE RPM'S SHUT TO 0 IN 5TH GEAR. THE BATTERY WAS FINE. I BROUGHT IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY COULD NOT MAKE CONNECTION WITH THE ECM. I NEEDED AN ECM. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR WHICH WAS PERFORMED IN 2004, THAT RECALL WAS ESTABLISHED BECAUSE OF VEHICLES STALLING WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS STILL A SERIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. I CALLED NISSAN AND THEY STATED BECAUSE OF THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD FOR ME. SEARCHING ONLINE IN NISSAN FORUMS I REALIZED THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE FOR THAT YEAR. SO I AM NOT ALONE. THE RECALL SHOULD EXTEND UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED PERIOD. THANK YOU. *TR
I WAS DRIVING WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN SEVERAL LIGHTS IN THE CAR CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED IN THE ROAD AND WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART. I TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR A FEW DAYS LATER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE CAM AND CRANK SHAFT SENSOR FAILURE. ADDITIONALLY IT TURNED OUT TO BE A BAD ECM. *TR
SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON. FAULT OF MISFIRE AND INTERIOR ENGINE GAUGE WAS INOP. VEHICLE STOPPED FOR NO REASON. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER SERVICE CENTER FOR ECM RECALL THEY COULD NOT PERFORM DUE TO INTERNAL FAILURE. *TR
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. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 70 MPH WHEN THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE FLUCTUATED FROM NORMAL TO HIGH AND THEN BACK TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 132,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT ANY WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN DETECTED A TROUBLE CODE WITHIN THE ECM. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V477000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE); HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE 02 SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIRS WERE MADE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ECM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,955. UPDATED 3/18/15*CN UPDATED 9/8/2017*CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE WITHIN THE ECM. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V477000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 179,000.
OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS, I'VE HAD MY 2002 NISSAN SENTRA SER SPEC V INTO NISSAN 15 TIMES FOR SERVICE. THEY HAVE YET TO FIX IT. EVERY 1-7 MONTHS I HAVE TO BRING IT BACK. THE CAR HAS SHUT OFF AND STALLED ON ME IN TRAFFIC, WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE ECM HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE ' MANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE ECM ONLINE ' I BELIEVE IT IS BAD, AS WELL AS OTHER PARTS, AND NISSAN NEEDS TO ISSUE RECALLS ON THIS CAR. PROBLEM # / DATE / PROBLEM / SOLUTION #1 1/31/08/SERVICE ENGINE SOON (SES) LIGHT/RECALL R0712 ' REPROGRAM ECM (UPDATE OF THE SOFTWARE). EVAP LEAK (#1), RESECURE FUEL CAP #2 8/23/08/SES/IDLE AIR CONTROL RESET (#1): PERFORMED IDLE AIR RELEARN, RESET ECM SET IDLE, ADJUST IDLE CONTROL VALVE. $165 #3 1/9/09/CAR WON'T START/CODES P0605, PO183, P2128, P1229, P0122. REPLACE ECM UNIT (#1) DUE TO PULLING TOO MANY CODES // MAIN HARNESS PIN TEST, REPAIR FUEL PUMP WIRE IN MAIN HARNESS, $449.00 #4 1/28/09/SES / CODE P0455 EVAP GROSS LEAK (#2). REPAIR FUEL LINES, REPLACE "O" RING, $302.00. #5 6/6/09/SES, STALLS ON HIGHWAY / CODE P1456 EVAP VERY SMALL LEAK (#3), RECURRED GAS CAP. #6 7/12/09/SES, NO POWER / CODE PO233, REPLACE THROTTLE CHAMBER (#1) #7 7/21/09/SES/CODE P1456 EVAP SMALL LEAK (#4), REPLACED VENT CONTROL VALVE #8 7/28/09/CAR SHUTS OFF IN TRAFFIC / PERFORMED AIR IDLE LEARN (#2) #9 12/2/09/CAR SHIFTING HARD / SANTA MONICA NISSAN DETERMINES THERE IS NO COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE SENSOR AND THE ECM (COMPUTER), WHICH MEANS IT'S AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, AND THEY WANT TO DO A PIN TEST FOR $575 #10 12/7/09/SES/REPLACED THROTTLE ASSEMBLY (#2) #11 12/24/09/SES/REPLACE RADIATOR #12 4/24/10/SES/DIAGNOSTICS SHOWED TP SENSOR, PERFORMED IDLE CONTROL LEARN VOLUME (#3) #13 5/12/10/SES, CAR STALLS / REPLACE THROTTLE BODY SENSOR (#3) #14 11/6/10/SES/REPAIRED GROUND WIRE AT ECM #15 11/16/10/CAR SHUTS OFF IN TRAFFIC / REPLACE ECM, CHARGE $111.50 FOR CAR RENTAL I HAVE A DOCUMENT WITH MORE INFO AND RECEIPTS I CAN EMAIL, FAX OR SEND TO YOU. *TR
RIGHT DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW WONT GO UP. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA XE. THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS IMMEDIATELY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE SENSOR. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE MECHANIC WHERE SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THE FOAM MATERIAL USED FOR THE INTERIOR LINING OF THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) BOX WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT LOCATED A RECALL RELATIVE TO THE FAILURE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V477000-ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION: MODULE) BUT WAS INFORMED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,600.
RECENTLY THE ECM IN MY 2002 NISSAN SENTRA FAILED WHILE DRIVING CAUSING LOSE OF CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ONLINE I FOUND THAT THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL FOR THE FOAM THAT COVERS THE ECM. THE PROBLEM BEING THAT THE FOAM TRAPS MOISTURE CAUSING THE ECM TO FRY. NISSAN WOULD NOT COVER THE ECM UNDER THE RECALL IN WHICH I HAD TO PAY $800 FOR THE REPAIR. I FILED A CLAIM WITH NISSAN FOR SOME KIND OF REIMBURSEMENT AND I WAS DENIED BECAUSE OF THE CAR'S MILEAGE AND BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. I FEEL AS THOUGH I WAS ROBBED $800 DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND YET NISSAN WILL NOT STEP UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PART. I WOULD LIKE SOME KIND OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE $800 I HAD TO SPEND WHICH TECHNICALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER AN ACTIVE RECALL ON THIS PART. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. OCCASIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, BUT SOMETIMES IT WOULD START, SHUT OFF, AND THEN FAIL TO RESTART. THE DEALER'S FINAL DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THERE WAS COMPUTER FAILURE. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03477000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE) WAS REFERENCED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.
2008 SAFETY RECALL FOR FAULTY ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. 2002 NISSAN SENTRA HAD A STALLING PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER IN THE MAIL REGARDING A STALLING PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED NISSAN AND STATED HE WAS ABOUT TO TRADE THE VEHICLE IN DUE TO THE STALLING ISSUE. THE CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THE RECALL TAKEN CARE OF AND OTHER WORK DONE AS REQUESTED BY NISSAN. HOWEVER A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL AGAIN. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD TO PROVIDED PROOF OF THE REPAIRS, HE WOULD BE REIMBURSED. NISSAN DENIED REIMBURSEMENT BECAUSE ONLY REPROGRAMMING WAS COVERED WAS COVERED BY THE RECALL, NOT REPLACEMENT. *JB
MY CAR STALLED OUT ON ROAD TWICE. THE MIL CAME ON; ECM FAILED. NISSAN OF UNION CITY, GA, DIAGNOSED ECM FAILURE; SAID NEEDED REPLACEMENT. I THEN FOUND THERE IS A RECALL CONCERNING "SULFUR" THAT COULD CAUSE CORROSION OF ECM; NISSAN NEVER NOTIFIED ME OF SUCH. THEY TOLD ME THEY'D PERFORM THE FOAM AND CRANK SENSOR RECALLS; THEY DIDN'T AS FOUND OUT LATER. ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT THE ECM REPLACEMENT WOULD BE COVERED IF THERE WAS BURNING OR MELTING OF THE FOAM AROUND ECM. I ARGUED THAT "BURNING OR MELTING" IS NOT REQUIRED FOR ECM FAILURE SINCE RECALL STATED FAILURES WERE CAUSED BY FOAM RELEASING SULFUR GAS DURING CURING. I CONTACTED NISSAN NA AND TOLD THEM MY ARGUMENT THAT NISSAN SHOULD COVER THE ECM COST SINCE THEY NEVER NOTIFIED ME OF THE RECALL AND THAT THE DEALERS EXPLANATION FOR ECM FAILURE DIDN'T MAKE SENSE ACCORDING TO RECALL. IF THE ECM'S FAIL DUE TO SULFUR OUT GASSING DURING CURING, HE CANNOT HE SAY FAILURE OF THE ECM WAS NOT DUE TO THE RECALL DUE TO LACK OF BURNING OR MELTING OF THE FOAM. AFTER MUCH DELAY, NISSAN NA FINALLY TOLD ME ABOUT 16 DAYS LATER THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO COVER COST OF ECM REPLACEMENT BECAUSE DEALER SAID THE ECM FAILURE WAS DUE TO AGE AND MILEAGE. THIS IS NOT LOGICAL. I REPLACED ECM. WHEN I TOOK APART MY ECM BOX, I NOTICED THEY ONLY TOOK THE FOAM FROM ABOVE THE ECM AND NOT FOAM BELOW ECM AND VIDEO TAPED. RECALL CALLS FOR TAKING OUT BOTH FOAMS FROM ECM BOX. IT'S OBVIOUS THEY NEVER TOOK OUT ECM TO INSPECT TO SAY "THERE IS NO BURNING OR MELTING". THEY FAILED TO PROPERLY PERFORM THE RECALL. I CONTACTED NISSAN NA ABOUT THIS FAILURE, BUT THEY SAID MY CASE WAS CLOSED. JUST TODAY, MY CAR STALLED OUT AGAIN AFTER NEW ECM, AND IT HAD AN ERROR CODE FOR A CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR MALFUNCTION. THEY CLAIM TO HAVE PERFORMED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR RECALL. BUT CRANKSHAFT SENSOR IN MY CAR LOOKS AS OLD AS CAR. I BELIEVE THEY DIDN'T PERFORM THAT RECALL AS WELL. I THINK NISSAN IS USING FOAM RECALL TO COVER UP BAD ECM'S FROM 2000-2003 AND MAKE MONEY. *JB
I PURCHASED MY CAR IN OCT 2006. IN DEC 2006 I WAS LEAVING MY BROTHERS AND MY CAR WOULD NOT START. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD CAME ON EARLIER IN THE DAY. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO NISSAN AT THE AVENUES, AFTER DOING A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON IT THEY TOLD ME THE ECM WAS NO GOOD AND WAS COVERED UNDER RECALL. THE NEXT DAY THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME BACK AND SAID NISSAN WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE ECM BUT IT WOULD PAY FOR THE 3 SENSORS THAT WERE ON RECALL. THE REASON IT WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE ECM IS BECAUSE I BOUGHT THE CAR USED AND IT HAD OVER 80,000 MILES ON IT. THE ECM SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAID FOR ALSO IT IS A $508.00 PART AND IT WAS A RECALL LIKE THE SENSORS.... I HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL OTHER CONSUMERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS ECM. TH. *NM
Showing 1–20 of 40 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026