Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Nissan Sentra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
11/28/2002 aboard camp pendleton driving approx. 25mph, right front OEM alloy rim blew off "uniformatively" 1 inch outward from center of rim, lower suspension ball joint came apart, vehicle smashed down in road. (I have a video tape of accident to show my car fell in the road, with no outside force causing accident like manufacture claims)
My daughter was driving at the speed limit on highway 94 in san diego, when the rear right tire exploded at approximately 1:45 p.m. The blowout caused extensive damage to the right side door, rear right panel and rear bumper. The car went into a 360 spin in the fast lane and median of the freeway. The car was taken to a&c paint and body at 7083 broadway, lemon grove, ca at the request of my daughter's insurance agency - topa insurance. The obvious damage was repaired. However after picking the car up, my daughter noticed a shimy in the front end of the car. There is some sort of apparent damage to the front end that was not detected by the body shop. Additionally, the day after picking the car up she noticed that the rear left tire is also badly damaged, probably from the car spinning during the accident. …
3 of 7 recall notices related to engine sesnors others related to wheel replacement;and front suspension bolts engine light eluminated prior to 3rd engine sensor recall notice; diagnostic done; 3 weeks klater engine sputtered, stopped and smoked while driving on a highway at speed limit, near collission; 2001 Nissan Sentra towed to dealer; $485.00 engine coil assembly maintenenace done; 2 miles off lot engine light on again; Nissan wants to charge for additional repairs needed because they say the engine repairs are not connected to the engine sensor recall notices. They say the repeated purchase of tires are also not connected to the wheel replacement recall for which the wheels were not upon their inspection. Issue is wheels are separating and engine continues to fail and I keep spending money in the hopes a 21 year old can drive safely.
On 5-4-07 I noticed driver's side rear tire was flat. My boyfriend filled it with air and I thought nothing further of it. On 5-15-07 I picked him up from work and had a flat on the way out of the parking lot. We filled it with air, but could not make it home before it was totally flat again. Since it was after 11 pm and we were close to home I continued to drive. Once we arrived the tire had a chunk of tread missing, exposing metal barbs, on the outside of the tire. The boy friend changed it the next day so we could take it to discount tire. They informed us that 3 of the 4 tires were bad, the other 2 would end up having tread torn in the same wa, due to mechanical error in manufacturing of the tire. Although they were still under warranty per mileage, we still had to buy 4 new tires.
Rear tire blew out on highway. Found a lump starting in second rear tire. Previously I had replaced the two front tires on 3/24/04 due to lumps or bubbles forming. One of these tires started wearing in an odd way and caused very pronounced vibration. These were the OEM tires and at that time had 37,486 miles. Several days prior to the failure I had noticed vibration and skirmyness while driving. I visually inspected the tires and noticed they seemed out of round and odd shaped. I planned to replace themm in a few days. I did not think at the time a failure was imminent. I was wrong as the failure occured two days before I planned to replace them.
Dt: the contact owns 2001 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while parallel parking she hit a curb and dented the wheel. The consumer replaced the wheel at her own cost of $27.86. The service dealer did not state why the wheel was dented. The consumer tried to contact the manufacturer once, but did not get any response. All four wheels had been previously replaced by Nissan because of a defect in the original wheels on the vehicle. The consumer stated the metal used in the wheels are of a poor quality. Updated 11/29/05.
Nissan Sentra 2001 se. Motor stopped on freeway at once, failure was crank sensor. Cost me 500 parts tow and labor, no dealer around or open. New sensor failing now I think, service engine soon light on again. ECM problems , also front rim broke and caused the car to go in ditch, needs body repair now. Bad vibration in steering. Have tried to get this car fixed at dealer no luck also tried Nissan consumer aff. They also had no luck getting car in for safety fixes. They don't have parts and never return my calls.
While driving 70 MPH, the front end began to vibrate at 29K miles. As a result,the driver side tires tread separated. No impact reported. The vibration had become progressively worse. The consumer returned the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer advised the consumer that a tire was defective.
Dunlop tires sp20fe came completely apart while traveling down the highway. This tire failure caused significant damage to my car and potential life threatening situation while I was going over a seven mile bridge.
My engine failed again while driving 70 mphs on the freeway, the very day after the car had been repaired for yet another defect sensor. It was a miracle I did not crash and kill anyone including myself. Each and every time I have taken the car in, I have requested it be checked for a short in the wiring. Each time I was told no. I later learned thar meant if it didn't show up on the computer, then they wouldn't look for it specifically. Following the latest hazard, I got in Nissan's face. Nissan found a defect oxygen sensor this time. Upon retesting the vehicle, the emc (the brain of the vehicle) was found to be defective. I was also told had I driven the car any longer, the air conditioning unit would have blown too. Well, that explains all the lousy gas mileage this past year. …
Related recalls
Wheels
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The cooling holes in the steel wheel May have burrs on their edges as a result of improper manufacturing. These burrs can cause cracks as the vehicle is being driven. Cracks can propagate between adjacent cooling holes.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect for cracks and replace the wheel if cracks are discovered. Owner notification will be conducted in two phases.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Sentra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2001 Nissan Sentra?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2001 Nissan Sentra, 11% of the model year's 236 complaints. The component named most often is tread/belt (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Nissan Sentra wheel & tire problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 01V-277 (wheels, Aug 29, 2001). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2001 Nissan Sentra wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to wheels & tires problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.