RoadVitals

2002 Nissan Sentra Fuel system Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Fuel system reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Dec 5, 2014
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 318 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Nissan Sentra submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming fuel system

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Dec 5, 2014

I CURRENTLY OWN A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA SE-R SPEC V AND IT IS OLD BUT HAS BEEN TAKEN GOOD CARE OF AND IT ONLY HAS 110,000 MILES ON IT. VEHICLE PROBLEMS SMOKE BLACK REALLY BAD, USES UP TO 5 QUARTS BETWEEN OIL CHANGES, IDLES ROUGH, RUNS ROUGH. IT HAS HAD A COUPLE RECALLS I CHECKED UP ON LIKE THE PRE CAT HEADER IT HAD BEEN REPLACED IN 03. I REPLACED COIL PACKS, SPARK PLUGS, MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, CAM SENSOR, AND CRANK SENSOR. ALL THIS VIRTUALLY DID NOTHING AND WITH VEHICLE OIL CONSUMPTION AND FUEL USAGE THE ENGINE IS SHOT AND WILL BE IN NEED OF REBUILD OR REPLACEMENT. I HAVE READ MANY REVIEWS OF OTHERS WITH THE SAME CAR AND HAVE HAD THE SAME AND WORSE PROBLEMS, AND IT JUST MAKES NO SENSE HOW NISSAN CAN SCREW UP THAT BAD AND SCREW THAT MANY PEOPLE OUT OF MONEY BECAUSE OF MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. I ALSO CALLED NISSAN AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM AND THEY BASICALLY SAID TO BAD NOTHING WE CAN DO YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN. I STILL OWN THE CAR AND FEEL LIKE AS MANY OF THESE CAR OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUES IT IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING NISSAN DID WRONG AND SHOULD COMPENSATE ME AND OTHERS WITH THIS DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10662473
Incident
Jan 13, 2013
Mileage
110,000 mi
EngineFuel system
Filed Sep 15, 2014

WHILE DRIVING UP A STEADY GRADE THE 'SERVICE ENGINE SOON', BATTERY, AND OIL LIGHTS ALL CAME ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. A FEW SECONDS LATER, OR POSSIBLY AT THE SAME TIME, THE ENGINE STALLED AND ALL FORWARD POWER WAS LOST WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING (EXCEPT FOR THE WARNING LIGHTS A COUPLE OF SECONDS EARLIER). I STEERED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD USING THE EXISTING MOMENTUM. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAD BEEN NORMAL UP UNTIL THE INCIDENT BUT SHOWED AN OVERHEATED ENGINE AFTER TURNING OFF THE CAR AND TURNING ELECTRICITY BACK ON (THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START AT THIS TIME). *TR

NHTSA ID
10633412
Incident
Sep 14, 2014
Mileage
146,500 mi
Fuel system
Filed Nov 10, 2008

TOOK MY CAR IN FOR OIL CHANGE AND THE DIP STICK PLASTIC TOP BROKE OFF. FORTUNATELY THE MECHANICS MANAGED TO USE SOME GLUE TYPE PRODUCT TO THE SICK AND RETRIEVE IT. THEY HAVE ORDERED A NEW DIP STICK FOR ME AT NO COST, BUT OBVIOUSLY, ON READING YOUR SITE THIS IS A NISSAN PROBLEM AND THE GARAGE THAT CHANGED MY OIL SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE OIL STICK. A RECALL AND DIFFERENT MATERIAL SHOULD BE USED INSTEAD OF PLASTIC WHICH GOES BRITTLE WITH HEAT OF ENGINE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10248366
Incident
Nov 4, 2008
Fuel system
Filed Aug 17, 2008

1) CAR WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY WHILE GONE FOR THE WEEKEND. CAR WAS DRIVEN AS RECENTLY AS THE FRIDAY PRIOR TO THE START OF THE WEEKEND. THE CAR WAS TO BE DRIVEN FOR GROCERIES SUNDAY NIGHT, HOWEVER WHEN THE CAR STARTED, GAS SPRAYED FROM BELOW THE CAR UNTIL THE TANK WAS EMPTY. UPON EXITING THE CAR, THE DRIVEWAY WAS COVERED IN GASOLINE. CAR WAS THEN TURNED OFF. 2) SECOND OCCURRENCES OF THIS FAILURE. FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS 3 MONTHS PRIOR. 3) AFTER FIRST OCCURRENCE, CAR WAS TOWED TO LOCAL MECHANIC. FAULT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO SMALL ANIMAL CHEWING ON FUEL LINE AND ENTERING GAS TANK (FOUND DEAD IN TANK). FOR SECOND OCCURRENCE, CAR WILL BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10238601
Incident
Aug 17, 2008
Mileage
89,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Oct 20, 2007

THE OXYGEN SENSORS IN MY 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA COMPLETELY BROKEN AWAY FROM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. (NOT AT THE BOLT, BUT AT THE WELDED OR FUSED END) THIS IS ALLOWING EXHAUST FUMES TO FILL THE INSIDE OF THE CAB OF THE AUTOMOBILE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10206398
Incident
Oct 14, 2007
Mileage
120,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Oct 17, 2007

CAR STALLS WHEN DRIVING. *TR

NHTSA ID
10205984
Incident
Sep 18, 2002
Mileage
97,000 mi
EngineFuel system
Filed Oct 1, 2007

SEVERE ENGINE FAILURE. I BOUGHT MY 2002 NISSAN SENTRA SPEC-V WITH ONLY 7,000 MILES ON IT AND THOUGHT I HAD A GREAT CAR. THANK GOODNESS I OPTED FOR THE EXTRA 100,000 EXTENDED WARRANTY. MY CAR'S ENGINE EXPERIENCED MASSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION AROUND 60,000 AND I NOTICED THE WHOLE TIME I OWNED THE CAR THAT THE OIL WAS ALWAYS LOW EACH TIME I CHANGED IT. I USED ONLY MOBIL 1 FULL SYN EVERY 5,000 MILES. THE ENGINE FAILED 3,000 OVER THE STANDARD 60K POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. I FOUGHT WITH NISSAN FOR 1 MONTH WHILE THEY KEPT MY CAR UNTIL I PROVIDED OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS. ONCE I PROVIDED THEM THEY CHANGED THE COMPLETE ENGINE WHICH TOTALED $8,500 AND MORE THAN THE CAR WAS WORTH ANYMORE. FURTHER FOR ABOUT 70,000 THE CAR HAD EXTENDED CRANK PROBLEMS AND WERE SEVERE IN HOT OR EXTREME COLD WEATHER. THE CAR WOULD TAKE 20 SECONDS OR LONGER TO CRANK OVER WHILE PUMPING THE GAS. AFTER MY 3RD COMPLAINT AT MY 3RD NISSAN DEALER THEY FINALLY FIXED THE PROBLEM AND PUT IN A NEW FUEL PUMP AND SENSOR. THE CAR HAS 98,000 AND 36,000 MILES AFTER THE NEW ENGINE. I AM THINKING OF GETTING RID OF IT BEFORE MORE TROUBLE HAPPENS BEYOND MY 100K WARRANTY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10204558
Incident
Oct 10, 2005
Mileage
63,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Feb 10, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. ALTHOUGH THE DEALER HAS NOT DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM, THE CONTACT BELIEVES IT TO BE THE FUEL PUMP. UPDATED 03/03/06. *JB

NHTSA ID
10149942
Incident
Feb 6, 2006
Mileage
40,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jan 30, 2006

MY 2002 NISSAN SENTRA SE-R STALLED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE NISSAN DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE THROTTLE CONTROL UNIT. THEY REPLACED THE UNIT TWICE BECAUSE THE FIRST ONE WAS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE SINCE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO NISSAN 4 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS NOT BEING FIXED PROPERLY. THEY ALSO REPLACED THE COMPUTER AND CHARGED ME $1200 FOR WHAT WAS BASICALLY AN OIL CHANGE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT JUST CAME ON AGAIN TODAY AND I WILL TAKE IT BACK TO NISSAN TOMORROW. THERE IS SOMETHING DEFINITELY WRONG WITH THIS CAR AND IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AS IT STALLS OUT WHILE I AM DRIVING. I AM NOT GOING TO RISH MINE OR MY CHILDRENS LIFE BECAUSE NISSAN CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM! THEY KEEP BLAMING IT ON OTHER THINGS LIKE THE BRAND OF GAS I USE! IT'S DISGRACEFUL HOW DEALERSHIPS DO THIS.

NHTSA ID
10149077
Incident
Nov 14, 2005
Mileage
36,654 mi
EngineFuel system
Filed Jul 26, 2004

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND REPLACED IT. THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR HAS BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE STALLING RECURS. *AK THE OIL PAN, REAR MAIN SEAL AND FRONT ENGINE SEAL WERE LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE DRIVE BELTS ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *NM

NHTSA ID
10081420
Incident
Oct 1, 2002
Fuel system
Filed Feb 24, 2003

THE VEHICLE RAN OUT OF GAS, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE GAS TANK CONTAINED A HOLE.*JB

NHTSA ID
10009083
Incident
Feb 21, 2003
Mileage
17,900 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .