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#BS-2002-NISSEN-8CEA

2002 Nissan Sentra

Based on reports from 387 owners and 14 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
387
Crashes
24
Fires
9
Recalls
14
TSBs
71
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 387 complaints, 24 crashes, 9 fires, and 14 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.2x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

engine failure

2 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

head gasket blown

2 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

service engine soon light is on

2 complaints • Severity 9/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the EngineHIGH

94 owners reported engine issues — failures commonly reported around 70K miles.

!Inspect the Engine And Engine Cooling:engineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

74
0–30K
41
30–60K
51
60–90K
37
90–120K
35
120–150K
22
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (74 reports) • Median: 70K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Engine (94 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Engine94 (24%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine41 (11%)
Electrical30 (8%)
Airbags25 (6%)
Electrical System:ignition:module17 (4%)
Speed Control15 (4%)
Other15 (4%)
Power Train:manual Transmission9 (2%)

2002 Nissan Sentra: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 24% of all reports filed for the 2002 Nissan Sentra, with 94 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 70,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 70K-mile mark.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2002 Nissan Sentra, with 41 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2002 Nissan Sentra, with 30 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2002 Nissan Sentra, with 25 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

1
01
16
02
58
03
47
04
40
05
35
06
29
07
30
08
13
09
25
10
14
11
7
12
10
13
20
14
10
15
10
16
12
17
3
18
1
19
5
20
1
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Nissan Sentra. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (14 recalls)

01V376000Jan 2002

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 HEADLAMP ADJUSTMENT.

02V056000Mar 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 WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND NOT ALLOW THE PEDAL TO RELEASE AFTER IT IS DEPRESSED.

03V084000Jul 2003

ENGINE AND 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 THE PRE-CATALYST TO OVERHEAT AND DAMAGE THE CATALYST SUBSTRATE.

03V455000Dec 2003

ENGINE AND 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.

03V477000Dec 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.

+ 9 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Nissan Sentra is the 2015 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2002 Nissan Sentra vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

387

Class avg

176

2.2x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical compact cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 387 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 14 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Nissan Sentra Model Years

202620252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861985198419831982
View all Nissan Sentra years →

2002 Nissan Sentra: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Nissan Sentra?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2002 Nissan Sentra is related to the engine, with 94 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2002 Nissan Sentra reliable?
The 2002 Nissan Sentra has 387 complaints, 24 crash reports, and 9 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 2.2x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 2002 Nissan Sentra problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2002 Nissan Sentra have any recalls?
Yes, the 2002 Nissan Sentra has 14 recalls on record. At least one is a critical “Do Not Drive” recall. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Nissan Sentra problems start?
Based on 260 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 70,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 387 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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