Problems · NHTSA complaints

2002 Nissan Sentra problems

Owners filed 333 complaints about the 2002 Nissan Sentra with NHTSA between Dec 2001 and Feb 2026. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (136).

Complaints
333
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
23
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
22
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling136
  2. Electrical system57
  3. Air bags34
  4. Engine27
  5. Vehicle speed control21
  6. Power train21
  7. Tires13
  8. Structure10
  9. Steering9
  10. Service brakes, hydraulic9
  11. Exterior lighting8
  12. Equipment6
  13. Visibility6
  14. Fuel system, gasoline6

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20011
200214
200348
200446
200537
200625
200725
200829
200913
201019
201112
20127
20139
201415
20158
20166
201710
20182
20191
20204
20210
20220
20230
20240
20251
20261

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

136 reports2 crashes4 fires4 related recalls
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE FLUCTUATED FROM HOT TO COLD AND THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ECM NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07V527000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 19, 2015Engine and engine coolingODI 10684288

Electrical system

57 reports1 crash4 fires1 related recall
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 28, 2018Electrical system, Air bagsODI 11075491

Air bags

34 reports12 crashes4 related recalls
“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 the contact’s address. The manufacturer was contacted.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 24, 2026Air bagsODI 11720117

Engine

27 reports1 fire
“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 THAT A DEFECT RELATED TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY MAY ARISE IN SOME OF THE SUBJECT NON-DESICCATED AMMONIUM NITRATE INFLATORS DUE TO PROPELLANT DEGRADATION OCCURRING AFTER PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO HIGH ABSOLUTE HUMIDITY, HIGH TEMPERATURES AND HIGH TEMPERATURE CYCLING THIS CAR.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 4, 2020Unknown or other, EngineODI 11373048

Vehicle speed control

21 reports2 crashes
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 9, 2017Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 10959864

Power train

21 reports1 crash
“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 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V084000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) A FEW YEARS BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 24, 2015Power train, EngineODI 10743386
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.