Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Nissan Sentra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the engine began to run roughly and the vehicle was shaking. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled off the road safely where the vehicle stalled. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but eventually had the vehicle towed to his residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched the failure online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 06V242000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
My car usually takes two tries to start. After it warms up and I've been driving, it stalls suddenly, and I'm stranded for several minutes. When it does start up again, it goes a short distance, and as soon as the engine warms up again, it stalls again. Today it stalled on the way home, three times, in less than 4 miles. I was left sitting on the side of the road, hoping I wouldn't get hit. I have also had it stall in the middle of a busy intersection, and am very concerned about it stalling when I pull out in front of other traffic to cross a road. I am at risk of a crash because of this. It has stalled whiie driving on the highway, city streets and on rural roads. One night it stalled over a dozen times as I was passing through a bad area of time ten o'clock at night. …
2004 Nissan Sentra. Born on date of April 2003. Bought in oct 2004. Currently has 4495 miles. Car stalled twice. Brought to dealership on 04/02/2004 to check for problem (4331 miles). No failure codes indicated in memory of computer. On April 8th the car was involved in an accident. Son has memory loss from stop sign to when car came to rest. He does not have full memory recall. It is coming back but is spotty. He currently recalls talking to a paramedic, a small bumping sensation and dashboard lights coming on (like when the car stalled before). Is there any other information about these cars? I know there is a recall for cars built from jan 2000 to March 2003 for cases of stalling. We got this car brand new. Only Nissan has performed any mntc. Oil change.
Driving down the highway in 2015 the car engine would just stop running. My husband called the towing company and me after he pulled over after ten minutes or so and the car started again, we cancelled the tow and he returned home but near the home the car stalled out again. We managed to get it started again and drove it to a Firestone repair shop which charged us 280.89 dollars for a crankshaft position sensor. Nissan recalled a crank angle sensor for the 2.5 l but we have the 1.8 l engine.
2004 Nissan Sentra shut off while stopped in drive. Second incident, and many thereafter, was while the A/C was running, the vehicle shut off while in drive and physically moving. Service engine soon light appeared and currently displays code p0335: crankshaft position sensor circuit malfunction. There is currently a recall for my 2003 Nissan Sentra for this exact situation, but not the my 2004 and I highly suggest this is reconsidered because this issue is affecting more that the my 2003.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the engine revved up and the vehicle accelerated out of control. The brake pedal was applied and traveled to the floorboard. As a result, the emergency brake was activated and powered off the vehicle. The failure occurred multiple times. The contact did not disclose if the vehicle was diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Nissan Sentra. The contact stated that while driving from a stop, the vehicle jerked and the engine RPM's revved rapidly without warning. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,000.
In the morning, car took multiple attempts to start. In afternoon, after having sat for an hour, it was again hard to start. Drove approx. 1/2 mile across highway into a parking lot, slowed and car stalled. Restarted after several attempts, drove approx. 1/4 mile and car stalled as I slowed again prior to attempting to turn into parking space. Would not restart until left sit for approx. An hour.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Nissan Sentra. While driving at approximately 38 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact was made aware of NHTSA action number: rq06001 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was 130,000.
Vehicle hesitates when starting & stalls out or shuts down when slowing down or coming to a halt. If let to sit for a while it will restart, but has left me stranded multiple times. Crank sensor replaced as well as all fluids. Have had it checked for codes, but nothing shows up. Car was recently purchased in late May 2016. Vendor repaired several items,but now car is out of vendor warranty.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crank angle sensor is affected by temperature variations. Under certain driving conditions, these variations in temperature can be large enough to cause a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the ECM free of charge. The recall began on August 21, 2006. Owners May contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Engine complaints in other Sentra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2004 Nissan Sentra?
NHTSA has 85 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2004 Nissan Sentra, 43% of the model year's 197 complaints. The component named most often is engine (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Nissan Sentra engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 06V-242 (engine and engine cooling, Jul 7, 2006). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2004 Nissan Sentra engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling 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.