Most common 2002 Nissan Sentra problems
Share of the 304 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Nissan Sentra complaints by model year
Best Sentra years: 2023, 2024. Years to avoid: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020, 2016. Compare all years →
2002 Nissan Sentra recalls (10)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been completed. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will re-inspect the vehicle and, if necessary, replace the air bag inflator, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020.
Air bags
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.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crankshaft position sensor can overheat causing a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. Certain my 2006 altimas which have been previously remedied under recall campaign 06V223 (Nissan r0606) are not included in this recall since the reprogramming for 06V223…
Engine and engine cooling
On certain electric vehicles, the front suspension transverse link's ball joint bracket May break from stress concentration at a notch created by surface roughness and the shape of the material cut-line.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the bracket on these vehicles. Owner notification began December 15, 2003. Owners should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor May have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Camshaft position sensor(s), and in some cases, the variable timing control sensor(s).
Show 4 more recalls
Electrical system › Ignition › Module
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with the qg18de engine or qr25de engines, the foam material used for the interior lining of the electronic control module (ECM) box emits sulfur as it cures.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the inside lining material from the ECM box. Owner notification began on December 22, 2003. Owners should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
On certain vehicles equipped with the 2.5 liter engine, the exhaust pipe hanger pin May catch debris from the road that could be ignited by contact with the main catalyst. Also on 2002 altima and sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions May cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the protruding portion of the exhaust pipe hanger pin. In addition to the corrective action, in order to reduce the risk of fire in the event of poor or improper maintenance that could result in oil…
Unknown or other
On some passenger vehicles equipped with a Nissan-approved accessory floor mat that was installed either at the assembly plant or by the dealer, due to the length of the driver side floor mat, a small amount of mat movement could cause the mat to interfere with the accelerator pedal and not allow the pedal to release after it…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the driver side floor mat and if it is a Nissan floor mat subject to this recall, the dealer will replace both the driver and passenger side floor mats. Owner notification began March 18, 2002.
Exterior lighting › Headlights
Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these vehicles were missing tamperproof caps that prevent horizontal headlamp adjustment.
Remedy: Dealers will install a tamperproof cap over the horizontal adjustment screw for both headlamps. Owner notification began January 14, 2002.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2002 Nissan Sentra:
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2002 Nissan Sentra owners say
Engine & cooling all 153 →
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.
2002 Nissan Sentra gxe would stall while driving after braking at high speeds exiting off highway (60-70 MPH). The vehicle would shake and the "service engine soon" light would display on the dashboard. The first time occurred at 2 weeks after I purchased the vehicle new with only 600 miles on it! This has occurred over 3 times. The 3rd time resulted in an accident. The Nissan dealership has serviced the vehicle and stated that they could not "duplicate" the problem. The Nissan consumer affairs and Nissan arbitration has tested the vehicle and stated that they could not duplicate the problem. This model seems to have the same problems in 2000 and 2001. Is it not obvious that Nissan has a continuous problem with this model.
Electrical system all 54 →
I was driving on the massachusetts turnpike at about 65 MPH in the right hand lane. I smelled a burning smell, but attributed it to a factory I drove by. My foot was on the gas pedal, and all at once my car was powering down, and the spedometer was dropping at a rapid speed, despite my foot on the gas pedal. Then, the brake light came on, the engine light, and I cruised my car over to the breakdown lane. Thankfully, no cars were behind me to rear-end my vehicle. There was a lot of smoke coming out from under the hood. I put my hazards on, but everything powered off. I turned the car off, and ran far away from the car, not knowing what it would do. I called 911, and patrons stopped to assist me before the police and firemen arrived. …
Dt: contact stated while driving vehicle stalled. While pushing the vehicle off the road another vehicle hit the contact's vehicle from behind. The contact stated there was NHTSA recall campaign 03V477000 but the contact wasn't notified about this recall. The contact and passenger sustained injuries.
Air bags all 30 →
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.
On August 14, 2007 at 5:35 pm I was driving north on sparta avenue in a 2002 Nissan Sentra. I was traveling at an estimated 35 miles per hour. A Jeep cherokee on pine terrace failed to yield to at a stop sign and pulled out in front of my car while attempting to turn left onto sparta avenue causing a collision. The collision resulted in extensive damage to the front end of my car that was irreparable; however, my airbag did not deploy.
2002 Nissan Sentra engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 24 / 32 / 27 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 24 / 31 / 26 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 27 / 23 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 25 / 22 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 26 / 22 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Nissan Sentra a good car?
Based on 304 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Sentra rates use caution: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sentra at the same age. It is one of the Sentra years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Nissan Sentra?
The engine & cooling — 153 complaints, 50% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the electrical system (54) and air bags (30).
How many recalls does the 2002 Nissan Sentra have?
There are 10 recalls for the 2002 Nissan Sentra, the most recent from December 1, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Nissan Sentra?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2023 and 2024. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2016. See the full Nissan Sentra years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Nissan Sentra problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 71,000 miles; 39% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.