2002 NISSAN SENTRA Problems
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2002 Nissan Sentra. This model year has 333 NHTSA complaints — top issue: Engine Problems.
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This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about the specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer rollbacks, and open recalls.
Worst 2002 Nissan Sentra Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Engine Problems
Electrical Faults
Airbag Malfunctions
Considering a 2002 Nissan Sentra?
This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about this specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2002 Nissan Sentra. A single complaint may appear in multiple categories.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine Problems | 163 | 2 | 5 | — | |
| Electrical Faults | 57 | 1 | 4 | — | |
| Airbag Malfunctions | 34 | 12 | — | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 21 | 2 | — | — | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 21 | 1 | — | — | |
| Uncategorized Issues | 14 | 1 | — | — | |
| Tire Issues | 13 | 2 | — | — | |
| Brake System | 11 | 2 | — | — | |
| Structural Problems | 10 | 1 | — | — | |
| Steering Defects | 9 | 1 | — | — | |
| Fuel System | 9 | — | — | — | |
| Hydraulic | 9 | 2 | — | — | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 8 | — | — | — | |
| Equipment | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Visibility | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Gasoline | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Suspension Failures | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Other | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Wheel Issues | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| Parking-Brake Issues | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Door Lock Issues | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Electric | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | — | — | — |
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Complaint counts may exceed total complaints because one report can span multiple categories.
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2002 Nissan Sentra. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Showing 333 most recent complaints
The contact called regarding the ownership of the 2002 Nissan Sentra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V008000 (Air Bags); and would like the address to be removed from the vehicle recall distribution list because the vehicle owner does not live at th…
Unknown
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM WHEN I RECALL DATA REFRESHED ON NOV 04,2020 1UNREPAIRED RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VIN JAN 09,2020 MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBERPM684 NHTSA RECALL NUMBER20V-008 RECALL STATUSRECALL INCOMPLETE SUMMARY TAKATA HAS DETERMINED THA…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH OR STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE SHUTOFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP, THE SPARK PLUGS, THE FUEL FILTER AND THE EXHAUST PIPES. A DEA…
NO LONGER OWN THIS CAR
I WAS MADE AWARE RECENTLY( MARCH 2020) THAT THE CAM SENSOR IN MY CAR IS DEFECTIVE. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS PART IN 2004. AFTER CONTACTING THE NISSAN CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, THEY INFORM ME THAT THEIR RECORDS SHOW THE RECALL REMEDY WAS SATISFIED IN 2004. I DO NOT REMEMBER BRINGI…
TAKATA RECALL. WENT TO DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE THE RECALLED AIRBAG. THEY INSPECTED THE AIRBAG INFLATOR, SAID IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY DID NOT DO ANY REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT WORK ON THE TAKATA AIRBAG DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE RECALL NOTIFICATION STATING THAT THE NISSAN DE…
I WAS NOTIFIED OF AIR BAG RECALL BY NISSAN. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY AGREED TO FIX BUT WANTED ME TO RELEASE THEM OF RESPONSIBILITY IF THEY CRACKED MY DASH BOARD DURING THE REPAIR. I REFUSED TO GIVE PERMISSION TO DAMAGE MY VEHICLE. AS INSTRUCTED BY THE…
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 …
TAKATA RECALL......IVE BEEN ADVISED BY A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT NOTICE THAT MY VEHICLE MAY HAVE INFLATORS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO RECALL BUT I HAVENT HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE MANUFACTURER AS TO WHETHER MY SPECIFIC VEHICLE IS AFFECTED OR NOT. I WOULD LIKE TO BE CONTACTED TO KN…
ON OCTOBER 25, 2017 I RECEIVED 2 LETTERS REGARDING A VEHICLE RECALL FOR MY NISSAN SENTRA 2002 CONCERNING ISSUES WITH MY AIRBAG THAT IS DEFECTIVE AM REPORTING THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE I WILL LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WILL BE MY NEXT STEP AND HOW CAN I FIX THIS ISSUE THAT CONCERNS ME.
ON OCTOBER 25, 2017 I RECEIVED A LETTER ABOUT AIRBAG SAFETY RECALL FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLE REGARDING AN URGENT REQUEST FROM NISSAN MANUFACTURER CONCERNING SAFETY ISSUES AFFECTING MY VEHICLE. THERE INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM MY NISSAN 2002 SENTRA THA…
TAKATA RECALL CENTRAL HOUSTON NISSAN DEALERSHIP NUMBER (713) 661-9955 X 5355 IS BUSY, DOES NOT CALL ME BACK TO SCHEDULE BAG REPLACEMENT. NISSAN CUSTOMER CARE (KAYLA (615) 725-7543, CASE # 28688503) HAS NOT HELPED AND DOES NOT CALL ME BACK. I CALLED 1-888-327-4236 AND MADE A COMPL…
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V287000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TI…
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
THE CAR SHUT DOWN SOMETIMES WHEN I STOP IN A RED LIGHT. EVEN SOMETIMES INSIDE THE FREEWAY. WHEN ALMOST STOP. I BELIVE IS A MALFUNTION OF THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE ( ECM )
CAR HAS BEEN TURNING OFF A FEW TIMES WHEN BRAKE HAD BEEN PUSHING DOWN.(WHEN THE CAR HAD BEEN STOPPING)
I'M NOT SURE IF THE ECM REPROGRAM THAT IS OUT FOR MY VEHICLE WILL REMEDY THIS BY THE DEALER REFUSED TO FIX IT BECAUSE I REFUSED TO PAY FOR A RECALL! I WAS TRAVELING LOW SPEED AND DECELERATING TO PULL INTO MY WORK AND THE CAR WENT INTO FAILSAFE MODE AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO CRASH A…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
CAR TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING. *TR
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Real owner reports for the 2002 Nissan Sentra.
Recalls for 2002 Nissan Sentra
14 campaignsNHTSA recall campaigns for the 2002 Nissan Sentra. Recalls are free to fix at any authorized dealer. Run a VIN check below to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
2002 Nissan Sentra — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2002 Nissan Sentra reliable?▾
Severe Issues. The 2002 Nissan Sentra has 333 NHTSA owner complaints, 23 crash-related, and 14 recall campaigns. The most reported issue is Engine Problems (163 complaints). Source: NHTSA via VinSpector AI.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Nissan Sentra?▾
#1: Engine Problems (163 complaints). #2: Electrical Faults (57 complaints). #3: Airbag Malfunctions (34 complaints)
At what mileage do problems start on the 2002 Nissan Sentra?▾
Mileage data is not available or insufficient for this model year.
How safe is the 2002 Nissan Sentra?▾
The 2002 Nissan Sentra has 23 crash-related complaints and 8 fire reports out of 333 total NHTSA complaints. 22 injuries were reported. For NCAP lab crash test star ratings, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Does the 2002 Nissan Sentra have any recalls?▾
Yes — 14 NHTSA recall campaigns affect the 2002 Nissan Sentra. The largest issue: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
Should I buy a 2002 Nissan Sentra?▾
The 2002 Nissan Sentra has severe issues — review the top problems before buying. Pay particular attention to Engine Problems issues. Always run a VIN check on the specific car you're considering to check for accident history, open recalls, and title brands.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinSpector AI.
Wider context: See the full Nissan Sentra reliability report with year-by-year comparison.
Check Your Specific 2002 Nissan Sentra
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99.