repaired · 2022 Q4
Air bags
Do not driveRisk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
2002 Nissan SentraProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 304 owner complaints about the 2002 Nissan Sentra, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 10 safety recalls, and for recall 20V-747 the manufacturer reports only 23% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 24, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2002 Nissan Sentra has problems
304 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
127Engine and engine cooling5 crash/fire/injury
54Electrical system3 crash/fire/injury
30Air bags10 crash/fire/injury
27Engine1 crash/fire/injury
20Power train
20Vehicle speed control
13Tires
10Structure
7Steering
4215 other systems1 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and engine cooling | 127 | 5 |
| Electrical system | 54 | 3 |
| Air bags | 30 | 10 |
| Engine | 27 | 1 |
| Power train | 20 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 20 | 1 |
| Tires | 13 | 2 |
| Structure | 10 | 3 |
| Steering | 7 | 0 |
| 15 other systems | 42 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
10 recalls
2002 Nissan Sentra recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2021 Q2
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2017 Q1
Air bags
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…
no report yet
Engine and engine cooling
Risk. IF THE INTERRUPTION IN THE SIGNAL FROM THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR IS SO BRIEF THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) LOGIC DOES NOT HAVE TIME TO DIAGNOSE…
Show 6 more recalls
no report yet
Engine and engine cooling
no report yet
Engine and engine cooling
Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON, CREATE A NO START CONDITION, CAUSE REDUCED ENGINE POWER, OR CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STOP…
no report yet
Ignition: module
Risk. IF ONE OF THE RESISTORS INSIDE THE ECM HAS A CRACK ON THE SURFACE COATING, THE GAS MAY CAUSE CORROSION OF THE RESISTOR.
no report yet
Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
Risk. EITHER OF THESE TWO CONDITIONS COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
no report yet
Unknown or other
Risk. IF THIS OCCURS UNEXPECTEDLY, IT COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.
no report yet
Exterior lighting: headlights
Risk. THESE CAPS ARE INSTALLED TO PREVENT MISADJUSTMENT OF THE HEADLAMPS.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Nissan.
Mileage at failure
When do engine and engine cooling problems start?
72kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 94 engine and engine cooling complaints. 71% were reported before 100,000 miles.
22under 30k miles67under 100k miles27100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Engine and engine cooling
17 owners mentioned a cost$370median
Middle half: $168 – $600
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2002 vs. every other Sentra year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Sentra median. How we score
1136636374139636258991171411085859171236304180197170116154167551441421806383813522702311852232081338120413220
'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2002 Nissan Sentra safety ratings
2002 Nissan Sentra 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2002 Nissan Sentra, and the recalls they led to.
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
In owners' words
What Sentra owners report
Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
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…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THERE WAS A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS SMOKING AND OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER, WHO ADVISED THAT THE…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V084000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE). THE CONTACT LATER BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE ISSUES WITH THE ENGINE. THE DEALER AND…
Own a 2002 Sentra?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.