RoadVitals

2002 Nissan Sentra Transmission Problems

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

Data refreshed

Transmission 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.
13
Latest Apr 12, 2011
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.
4%
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 the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. 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. 13 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 transmission

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

Transmission
Filed Apr 12, 2011

LOSS OF POWER IN REVERSE AND ALL UPSHIFTING. *TR

NHTSA ID
10395593
Incident
Mar 20, 2011
Mileage
79,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jul 28, 2005

DT: CONTACT STATED TRANSMISSION FELL APART AT 38,456 MILES, AND THE SECOND ONE FELL APART A T39,007 MILES. CONTACT TALKED TO THE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION . BUT HE SAID THEY WOULD ONLY PUT REBUILT PARTS INTO IT. CONTACT WOULD LIKE A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE FIRST ONE WAS PUT IN ON 7-1-05. SHE ASSUMED THE FIRST TRANSMISSION WAS NOT PUT TOGETHER CORRECTLY, AND THE SECOND ONE WAS REPLACED WITH REBUILT PARTS ON 7-26-05. *AK

NHTSA ID
10130422
Incident
Jul 26, 2005
Mileage
30,456 mi
ElectricalTransmission
Filed Sep 28, 2004

WHILE DRIVING OR AT IDLE THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL. *NM RECALL NUMBER 03V455000 . ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS CONSISTING IN ENGINE STALLING WHILE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING AT LOW RATES OF SPEED. SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT COMES ON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *TC

NHTSA ID
10095483
Incident
Sep 1, 2004
ElectricalEngineTransmission
Filed Sep 14, 2004

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND SHIFTING ANY GEAR THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THE VEHICLE 10 TIMES ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK THERE WERE NUMEROUS PROBLES WITH ENGINE STALLING, THE MAF HAD TO BE REPLACE NUMEROUS TIMES, THE CHECK ENGINE AND THE REVERSE LIGHT DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. (THE WIRING HARNESS ALSO REPEATED INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS) THE ENGINE WOULD STALL WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS DEPRESSED AND WHEN IN NEUTRAL IDLING AND WHEN SHIFTING THE GEARS. THE FRONT SPEAKER/TWEETERS MADE CRACKING NOISES. THE COOLING FAN WOULD COME ON WHEN NOT ACTIVATED. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID
10087709
Incident
Aug 11, 2004
Mileage
1,345 mi
EngineTransmission
Filed Jul 26, 2004

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLED. *AK VEHICLE ALSO INTERMITTENTLY JERK WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. *LA

NHTSA ID
10079701
Incident
Apr 17, 2004
Mileage
16,850 mi
Transmission
Filed Feb 16, 2004

TRANSMISSION GRINDING NOISE GOING INTO 3RD GEAR. CLUNK NOISE FROM LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION. *AK

NHTSA ID
10058250
Incident
Aug 10, 2003
Mileage
20,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Feb 16, 2004

MY TRANSMISSION IS TERRIBLE. I CAN'T GET INTO REVERSE. IT IS CLUNKY. THAT'S WHY THEY CHANGED IT FOR 2004. IT ALWAYS POPS OUT OF GEAR. IF I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER, THEY'LL JUST TELL ME IT'S MY DRIVING LIKE THE OTHER 1000 PEOPLE OUT THERE I GUESS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. IT NEEDS TO RECALLED AND REPLACED WITH THE 04 TRANSMISSION. THIS IS RIDICULOUS.*AK

NHTSA ID
10058248
Incident
Jan 1, 2004
Mileage
1 mi
EngineTransmission
Filed Dec 24, 2003

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, THE VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY.*AK WHILE DRIVING 35-45 MPH THE VEHICLE JERKED WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHTS THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES. ONE TIME IT STALLED FOUR TIMES WITHIN ONE MILE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER RETRIEVED THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT ALL WINTER WITH NO PROBLEMS. WHEN THE WEATHER BECAME WARM THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL AGAIN. THE DEALER WAS STILL UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE STALLING PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. *PH *NM

NHTSA ID
10047865
Incident
Sep 4, 2002
Mileage
11,900 mi
Transmission
Filed Dec 14, 2003

TRANSMISSION IS DIFFICULT TO SHIFT INTO 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. THE SITUATION IS WORSE ON COLD MORNINGS, EVEN AFTER LETTING THE CAR WARM UP, AS SUGGESTED BY DEALER. AT TIMES, AFTER VECHICLE IS MOVING THE GEAR SELECTOR CAN NOT BE PLACED IN NEXT GEAR, CAUSING VECHICLE TO ROLL DOWN STREET UNDER NO POWER UNTIL THE GEAR LEVER WILL ENGAGE.*AK

NHTSA ID
10049707
Incident
Dec 13, 2003
Mileage
28,000 mi
BrakesElectricalTransmission
Filed Oct 1, 2003

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE REACHED A SPEED OF 60 MPH A WHISTLING NOISE COULD BE HEARD FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THREE DIFFERENT DEALERS AT LEAST TEN DIFFERENT TIMES AND THEY ALL TOLD HIM THAT THE NOISE WAS NORMAL WITH THIS VEHICLE TYPE . THE CONSUMER SPOKE TO THE MANUFACTURER A FEW TIMES BUT CURRENTLY THEY DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND THE DEALER REPLACED ALL THE ELECTRIC CABLES. THE BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED AT 10000 MILES AND AT 20000 MILES THE ROTORS HAD TO BE RESURFACED. *AK *NLM *JB

NHTSA ID
10034208
Incident
Aug 19, 2003
Transmission
Filed Jul 21, 2003

1. INTERMITTENT MANUAL TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS SINCE CAR PURCHASED NEW. GEARS GRIND, REFUSE TO GO INTO PROPER GEAR, POP OUT OF GEAR (WHEN DRIVING!) PROBLEMS ARE NOT CONTINUAL, BUT DO SEEM TO BE INCREASING. DEALER TELLS US THERE IS NO PROBLEM, AS IT CANNOT BE REPLICATED.. CAR REFUSED TO START ON ONE OCCASION, TOWED TO DEALER, WHERE IT "STARTED UP RIGHT AWAY." PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED SINCE.*AK

NHTSA ID
10028750
Incident
Jan 1, 2003
Transmission
Filed Apr 30, 2003

THE TRANSMISSION (6SPD OF THE SPEC V MODEL) IS DEFECTIVE. 3RD GEAR SYNCHROS GO BAD, SHIFTING FEEL CLUNKY/KNOTCHY TO WHERE ITS HARD TO GET IN GEAR ESPECIALLY WHEN ITS COLD. TOOK IT IN THE FIRST TIME ON 3/26/02 AND THEY DECIDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. DEALER PULLED TRANSMISSION 1. WITHOUT DISCUSSING IT WITH ME AND 2. WITHOUT HAVING THE PART IN STOCK. TOOK 2 WEEKS TO GET THE NEW TRANSMISSION IN WHICH IF WE HADNT FOUGHT WITH THEM THEY WERENT PLANNING ON GIVING US A RENTAL. NOW IM TAKING IT IN AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. GRINDING AS IT GOES INTO 3RD. THIS TIME THEY SAY THEY ARE REPLACING IT WITH A 2003 TRANSMISSION AND IT SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. SO APPARENTLY NISSAN IS AWARE OF THE DEFECT. SINCE ITS ON 2 OCCASION I WILL PUT THE LATER DATE. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS TAKEN IN 3/26/02 AND REPLACED 4/11/02 AND NOW IM TAKING IT BACK IN ON 4/30/03 TO BE FIXED AGAIN

NHTSA ID
10016736
Incident
Apr 30, 2003
Mileage
20,800 mi
EngineTransmission
Filed Mar 13, 2003

I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2002 SENTRA SE-R SPEC V IN FEB OF 2002. I HAVE HAD MAJOR ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, BEFORE THE CAR WAS EVEN A YEAR OLD I HAD TO TAKE IT IN FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS 3 TIMES. THEY REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION 2 TIMES. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT WAS WITH A 2003 TRANSMISSION. I HAVE ALSO TAKEN MY CAR IN 2 TIMES FOR THE ENGINE. MY ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED 2 TIMES. BOTH TIMES MY ENGINE WAS FOUND WITH NO OIL IN IT EVEN THOUGHT IT WAS FAR FROM BEING DO FOR AN OIL CHANGE. MY CAR CONSUMES OIL AND I AM CONSTANTLY HAVING TO ADD. THESE PROBLEMS ARE EXCESSIVE AND RIDICULES FOR A CAR THAT IS NOT EVEN A YEAR OLD. *JB

NHTSA ID
10010390
Incident
Mar 10, 2002

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 .