Worst 2002 Nissan Sentra Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2002 Nissan Sentra.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 67 | — | 3 | 78,575 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 41 | 2 | — | 62,397 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 30 | — | 1 | 78,393 mi | |
| ENGINE | 27 | — | 1 | 114,862 mi | |
| AIR BAGS | 26 | 6 | — | 76,008 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 17 | 1 | 1 | 82,002 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 15 | 2 | — | 84,237 mi | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 14 | 1 | — | 41,946 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 9 | — | — | 24,858 mi | |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 8 | 1 | — | 26,580 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN | 7 | 1 | — | 117,898 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 6 | — | 1 | 41,130 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 6 | — | — | 42,600 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 5 | 4 | — | 60,000 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 5 | — | — | 100,000 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 5 | — | — | 113,605 mi | |
| TIRES | 5 | 1 | — | 27,812 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 4 | — | — | 72,037 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 4 | — | — | 19,735 mi | |
| STEERING:RACK AND PINION | 4 | — | — | 30,471 mi | |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID | 4 | — | — | 146 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 4 | — | — | 55,000 mi | |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 3 | — | — | 74,468 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 3 | 1 | — | 28,593 mi | |
| STRUCTURE | 3 | — | — | 70,000 mi | |
| SUSPENSION | 3 | — | — | 30,000 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 2 | — | — | 7,500 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 2 | — | 1 | 41,012 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 2 | — | — | 32,500 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | 2 | — | — | 45,000 mi |
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.
Recalls for 2002 Nissan Sentra
4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~1,406,391 vehicles.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2002-2006 Sentra vehicles whose passenger air bags were previously inspected and may have been released without replacing the Takata air bag inflator. In the event of a crash, Takata frontal passenger air bag inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2002-2006 Sentra vehicles whose passenger air bags were previously inspected and may have been released without replacing the Takata air bag inflator. In the event of a crash, Takata frontal passenger air bag inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated, frontal passenger air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Other Nissan Sentra Years
Wider context: See the full Nissan Sentra reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
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.
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