2003 Nissan Sentra Powertrain & Transmission Problems

I WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR SHIFTED ITSELF FROM A LOW GEAR TO A VERY HIGH GEAR, LEAVING ME WITH NO TORQUE. THE NEXT GEAR WOULDNT LOCK-IN UNTIL RPMS HIT REDLINE, AND EVEN THEN IT WOULD FEEL LIKE ITS SLIPPING, OR MAYBE ITS IN OVERDRIVE GEAR(4TH) WHEN IT SHOULD BE IN 3RD.. AND ALSO THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT DOWN UNTIL I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP... THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOURE ON THE FREEWAY, BECAUSE THE CAR WILL ONLY MOVE 40 MPH. AND ALSO DANGEROUS WHEN CLIMBING HILLS/FREEWAY OVERPASS, BECAUSE THERES NO TORQUE TO GET UP THE HILL, AND THE TRANSMISSION WONT PUT ITSELF IN LOW GEAR UNTIL YOU COME TO A COMPLETE STOP... I THINK ITS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED SUDDENLY... IF IT WAS MECHANICAL, I WOULDVE FELT IT SLIPPING GRADUALLY, AND IT NEVER SLIPS. I JUST DROVE IT A COUPLE DAYS BEFORE TO THE BAY AREA AND IT CLIMBED THE HILLS SMOOTHLY, NO PROBLEM.. I HAVE NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, SO IDK WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE...

THE COMPUTER ON THE CAR IS MESSED UP AND KEEPS TURNING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON FOR P0444 AND HAD A SHOP CHECK IT AND REPLACE THE PART AND IT'S STILL COMING ON. IT WIL TRIP THE CODE SITTING IN NEUTRAL AND OR DRIVING LESS THEN 5 MILES.

ON MAY 15, TRAVELING TOGETHER ON A SIDE STREET AT 30-35 MPH, MY WIFE INADVERTENTLY TAPPED THE SHIFTER. THE TRANSMISSION IMMEDIATELY WENT FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL. THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE DANGER AT THAT TIME AS THERE WAS NO CAR BEHIND ME, AND I WAS TRAVELING FAIRLY SLOWLY. I MOVED THE SHIFTER BACK INTO DRIVE AND CONTINUED HOME. THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS EVENT, THE MORE WORRIED I BECAME. SUPPOSING I HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT 70 MPH, IN THE PASSING LANE, WITH A TRUCK BEARING DOWN ON MY REAR? IF THE CAR SUDDENLY WENT FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL, IT WOULD IMMEDIATELY BEGIN A DRASTIC SLOWDOWN, AND NO BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD COME ON! BY THE TIME I GOT IT BACK INTO GEAR AND THE TRUCK DRIVER FIGURED OUT I WAS STOPPING DEAD IN FRONT OF HIM, HIS TRUCK COULD LITERALLY BE ON TOP OF MY CAR. ON MAY 19, I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AT THE DEALERSHIP. PRIOR TO THAT I HELD A TEST AND FOUND THAT I COULD ALSO MOVE THE CAR FROM NEUTRAL INTO DRIVE WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BUTTON! THE DANGER IN THIS IS OBVIOUS, ESPECIALLY FOR ANY OWNER WITH SMALL CHILDREN. I TOLD THE SERVICE ADVISOR THE ENTIRE STORY, AND MY CONCERNS WERE ADDED TO THE WORK ORDER. WHEN MY CAR WAS RETURNED, I WAS TOLD THIS IS THE WAY THE CAR IS DESIGNED. I HAVE THIS IN WRITING ON THE WORK ORDER. I WENT TO THE NISSAN WEB-SITE AND TOLD CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT MY PROBLEM. THEIR ANSWER WAS THEY DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNICAL INFORMATION AND I SHOULD CALL OR VISIT YOUR LOCAL NISSAN DEALERSHIP. I ALSO HAVE THIS E-MAIL SAVED. A MANUFACTURER DESIGNS A TRANSMISSION WHICH WOULD ALLOW A LIGHT TAP ON THE SHIFTER TO RESULT IN MOVING FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL AND VICE VERSA? AND THEN, WHEN CONFRONTED WITH A DANGEROUS SITUATION, SAYS, WELL, THATS THE WAY IT IS! THIS NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BEFORE A TRAGEDY OCCURS.*AK

THE CAR MOVES WHEN IN PARKED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE X3 VEHICLE. IT WAS NEARLY INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT FROM ROLLING WHILE UNATTENDED. *LA

I OWN A 2003 NISSAN SENTRA S-ER SPEC V. WHEN I SHIFT FROM 1ST GEAR TO 2ND GEAR AT RPMS OF 2500 AND HIGHER, THE SHIFTER FEELS LIKE IT POPS OUT OF 1ST GEAR. ALSO, WHEN SHIFTING INTO 3RD GEAR YOU CAN HEAR AND FEEL A GRIND (WITH THE CLUTCH DOWN). THESE 2 PROBLEMS HAPPEN ON OCCASION, ESPECIALLY ON A COLD START. HOWEVER, I CAN ACTUALLY MAKE MY CAR GRIND GEARS BY HOLDING THE CLUTCH DOWN AND MOVING THE SHIFTER IN AND OUT OF 3RD GEAR. *JB

MY CAR MOVES FORWARD WHILE IN PARK. MY REAR BUMPER IS BEGINNING TO FALL OFF. TWO LOUD AND ANNOYING GRINDING NOISES IN THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. BROUGHT IT IN TO TWO NISSAN DEALERSHIPS AND ONLY ONE PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED SINCE THEN. *PH