2003 Nissan Sentra Engine Problems
- 17
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 17 stored complaint records:
- 3 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- check engine · 5 records
- engine light · 5 records
- light came · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 1–30k mi | 5 |
| 60–100k mi | 5 |
| 100–150k mi | 4 |
| 30–60k mi | 3 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Electrical System · Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. While driving 40 mph, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. Once the contact turned off the vehicle, it did not restart until the following day. Once the vehicle was started, the contact noticed that the tachometer was not working. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 86,000.
ODI 10275205
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. She took the vehicle to a repair shop and the mechanic replaced the camshaft and crank sensors. The repair cost was $278.41. Report number 6531990 was filed by the manufacturer and they stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling); therefore, they would not assist.…
ODI 10275617
Engine · Engine And Engine Cooling
The "service engine soon" light came on. I took it to my mechanic. He ran it through the computer and told me that it could be a transmission problem. I had a transmission flush done and light went off. A week later the light came back on. And now the car wont start. I went to the nhtsa.gov website, read that the crank position sensor, or the camshaft position sensor or the variable timing control sensor, on the…
ODI 10259539
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). The crank position sensor needed to be replaced. The failure caused the service engine soon warning indicator to illuminate. In addition, the vehicle will periodically shut off in the middle of the road and will not restart. Occasionally, the vehicle takes at least a half an hour before…
ODI 10258223
Engine
Car started idling rough, skipping. Check engine light came on and was flashing. Found a damaged spark plug, the gap had been smashed shut and could see where something was pounding on the plug repeatedly. I did some research and found out about the butterfly (power valve) issue of the assembly falling into the 2.5l engines. Using an extendable magnet i was able to collect all of the pieces of the butterfly assembly…
ODI 10231342
Engine
One day in january i was driving to work on the freeway when my engine just shut off. Needless to say i was very scared but was able to coast over to the side of the freeway without incident. I waited about 20 minutes and started the car back up but is was running very badly. I took it in and was told by my mechanic that it was the engine control module that had went out. He said he had heard there was a recall on…
ODI 10231626
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. While driving 15 mph and while idling, the vehicle stalled and restarted an hour later. The engine warning indicator light illuminated. The dealer stated that the cam and crank sensors needed to be replaced. The manufacturer stated that his vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 03v455000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was 60,000 and current…
ODI 10205440
Electrical · Engine
I purchased my 2003 nissan sentra from toyota direct in columbus ohio and the day i purchased it that evening my check engine light came on i took it back and they took it to germain nissan twice for service to find out what was wrong, well they fixed it as they thought (the fuel pump) but a year later the same problems were occurring so i took it to another mechanic and they said it was what nissan said so i had it…
ODI 10273505
Engine
Nissan sentra ser spec v 2003 has power failure problems, experiencing a mild loss of acceleration. Driving at 70 mph, vehicle lost full power and reduced speed to 40 mph, shut down by itself. Took it to dealership and they discovered that the screws and the "power valve" were sucked into the engine bay. Internal engine damage, same problem as 2004-2005 qr25de engine recalls, but manufacturer has not issues a recall…
ODI 10190777
Engine · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Tl* - the contact called regarding the 2003 nissan sentra. The driver was traveling at 45-50 mph when the engine suddenly shut off,and the vehicle continued to move. The driver applied the brakes and the vehicle would not stop, and the steering wheel locked. The road conditions were icy. The vehicle hit a cement wall. The driver and passenger air bags deployed. There were no injuries. The contact was given a police…
Crash reported
ODI 10183632
Engine
The vehicle has very heavy oil consumption. The vehicle currently consumes 1qt per week. I did not notice the problem as it has progressed since 40,000 miles where it was only 2-3 quarts between changes. I have meticulously maintained the vehicle (i was trained by a master volvo technician). He has over seen the maintaining of my vehicle since mile 1. I noticed that oil consumption was becoming an issue around…
ODI 10174114
Engine · Fuel System, Gasoline
Car began running rough, had trouble starting, check engine light stayed on. Didn't drive much after problem. Took to dealer (leitzinger imports) where i attend college, penn state university. Problem diagnosed as p0462 - fuel/sensor circuit, as per tsb. Engine control unit needs reprogrammed which was done. My father picked up after fixed & service personnel mentioned it was a known problem with this car. Nissan…
ODI 10169745
Engine
Tl*- the contact received a recall letter two months ago for the 2003 nissan sentra, but the vehicle failed last year. While driving the weather was poor, the temperature dropped to 17 degrees and itstarted snowing ,he was driving under blizzard conditions. He was tried to slow down and the vehicle stalled on the highway. Due to the icy conditions a truck had stopped, but the contact's vehicle slid into the rear of…
Crash reported
ODI 10184900
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 nissan sentra. The contact was involved in two crashes. The engine and catalytic converter were replaced twice. The engine stalls and loses power intermittently. When driving uphill at various speeds, the vehicle jerks. When traveling downhill, the vehicle shuts off. When the vehicle is on level ground, it will automatically restart. The first crash occurred in july of 2007, but the…
Crash reported
ODI 10226060
Body · Engine · Fuel Gauge System · Glass, Side/Rear
I purchased my 2003 nissan sentra gxe on june 10, 2003. Since that time, i have 7 work orders on my vehicle and that doesn't count each time i had to go to the dealership to show the problem and then made an appointment for problems with the drivers side door and window, a ding they put in the hood, not even close to sticker gas mileage and the service engine light coming on for no reason found and now there's a…
ODI 10052321
Engine
While driving, the vehicle intermittently stalls leaving the consumer stranded on the highway. After a few minutes the vehicle can be started as if nothing ever happened. The vehicle was taken to dealer to be checked out only to have them to say that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The manufacturer is aware of the problem. *ph
ODI 10039888
Column · Engine
While driving during inclement weather a noise from the steering column could be heard. Also, when stopping vehicle steered to the right. Dealer found no problem with steering. Vehicle, at times, hesitated and stalled while driving at highway speeds. At about 4,000 miles, the check engine indicator warning light illuminated. *ak *mr
ODI 10043972