There are 14 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2002 Nissan Sentrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
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.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE IGNITION TURNED OFF, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ROLLED AWAY AND CRASHED INTO A POLE. AN OCCUPANT WAS PRESENT IN THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED BUT WAS NOT INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 186,385.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACTED STATED THAT WHEN IDLING AT A STOP LIGHT, THE ENGINE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE AND THE DEALER REPAIRED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT LATER WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS REPAIRED A SECOND TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 161,000.
LOSS OF POWER IN REVERSE AND ALL UPSHIFTING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 165,112.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION AND THE RPMS WOULD NOT INCREASE OVER 1,000. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER STATED THAT A NEW RPM WAS NEEDED INSTEAD OF REPROGRAMMING THE CURRENT ONE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
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
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
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
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
TRANSMISSION GRINDING NOISE GOING INTO 3RD GEAR. CLUNK NOISE FROM LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION. *AK
WHILE BRAKING THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON SIX OCCASIONS. *JB *CB *NLM
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
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
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026