2002 Nissan Sentra Reliability
The 2002 Nissan Sentra has 333 owner complaints and 14 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about engine & cooling and electrical system. Compared with nearby Sentra model years (2000–2004), it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Sentra's typical year.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
333
NHTSA owner complaints
14
Recall campaigns
23
Complaints citing a crash
8
Complaints citing a fire
2002 Nissan Sentra complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 model year, filed between 2001 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine & cooling | 136 | 41% |
| Electrical system | 57 | 17% |
| Air bags | 34 | 10% |
| Engine | 27 | 8% |
| Speed control / throttle | 21 | 6% |
| Powertrain / transmission | 21 | 6% |
| Unknown or other | 14 | 4% |
| Tires | 13 | 4% |
2002 Nissan Sentra recalls
14 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2002 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01V376000 | Dec 12, 2001 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Vehicle description: certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these vehicles were missing tamperproof caps that prevent horizontal… |
| 02V056000 | Feb 15, 2002 | Unknown or other | On some passenger vehicles equipped with a Nissan-approved accessory floor mat that was installed either at the assembly plant or by the dealer, due to the length of the driver side floor mat, a small amount of mat movement could cause the mat to interfere… |
| 03V084000 | Mar 11, 2003 | Engine & cooling — exhaust system / manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe | On certain vehicles equipped with the 2.5 liter engine, the exhaust pipe hanger pin may catch debris from the road that could be ignited by contact with the main catalyst. Also on 2002 altima and Sentra vehicles, certain engine operating conditions may cause… |
| 03V477000 | Nov 14, 2003 | Electrical system — ignition / module | On certain passenger vehicles equipped with the qg18de engine or qr25de engines, the foam material used for the interior lining of the electronic control module (ecm) box emits sulfur as it cures. |
| 03V455000 | Nov 17, 2003 | Engine & cooling | On certain passenger vehicles, the circuit board for the crank position sensor or cam position sensor may have an improper solder joint due to solder deformation caused by heat stress accelerated by the existence of flux residue during the soldering process. |
| 03V511000 | Dec 10, 2003 | Engine & cooling | On certain electric vehicles, the front suspension transverse link's ball joint bracket may break from stress concentration at a notch created by surface roughness and the shape of the material cut-line. |
| 06E023000 | Mar 13, 2006 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Certain anzo combination headlamp assemblies sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles. Some combination lamps are not equipped with amber side reflectors which fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps,… |
| 06E064000 | Jul 17, 2006 | Exterior lighting | Certain tradesonic combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108,… |
| 07V527000 | Nov 14, 2007 | Engine & cooling | On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a 2.5l engine, the crankshaft position sensor can overheat causing a brief interruption in the signal output from the sensor. |
| 09E025000 | May 11, 2009 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Dope, inc. Is recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety… |
| 15V287000 | May 15, 2015 | Air bags | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2001-2003 Nissan Maxima, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4 and I35, 2003 FX35 and FX45, and 2001 I30 vehicles. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air… |
| 20V008000 | Jan 9, 2020 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and… |
| 20V747000 | Dec 1, 2020 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2002-2006 Sentra vehicles whose passenger air bags were previously inspected and may have been released without replacing the Takata air bag inflator. In the event of a crash, Takata frontal passenger…NHTSA park-it advisory: do not drive until repaired. |
| 22E066000 | Aug 9, 2022 | Air bags — frontal / driver side / inflator module | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain air bag inflator replacement service parts that may have been installed as part of a theft or collision repair. The parts include certain passenger-side air bag inflators designed to fit Infiniti… |
How the 2002 compares with nearby Sentra years
Verdicts come from CarWhere's year-by-year Sentra analysis where it covers the year, otherwise from the years shown here.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 171 | 7 | Engine & cooling | Caution |
| 2001 | 245 | 8 | Engine & cooling | Avoid |
| 2002 (this page) | 333 | 14 | Engine & cooling | Avoid |
| 2003 | 180 | 10 | Engine & cooling | Caution |
| 2004 | 197 | 5 | Engine & cooling | Caution |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
What to check on a used 2002 Nissan Sentra
- Engine & cooling: look for coolant leaks or low coolant, watch the temperature gauge on a long test drive, and check for overheating history.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Air bags: make sure the air bag warning light goes out after start-up and that any air bag recall was completed on this VIN.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 14 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2002 Nissan Sentra can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2002 Nissan Sentra reliability FAQ
Is the 2002 Nissan Sentra reliable?
The 2002 Nissan Sentra has 333 owner complaints and 14 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about engine & cooling and electrical system. Compared with nearby Sentra model years (2000–2004), it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the Sentra's typical year.
What are the most common 2002 Nissan Sentra problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2002 Nissan Sentra are engine & cooling (136), electrical system (57), air bags (34), engine (27). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2002 Nissan Sentra have recalls?
NHTSA lists 14 recall campaigns for the 2002 Nissan Sentra, including 01V376000 (exterior lighting — headlights) and 02V056000 (unknown or other). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2002 Nissan Sentra compare with the 2001 and 2003 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2001 has 245 complaints and 8 recalls (avoid); the 2003 has 180 complaints and 10 recalls (caution). The 2002 has 333 complaints and 14 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2002 Nissan Sentra?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Nissan Sentra research
Other Nissan Sentra model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2002 Sentra, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.