2001 Nissan Sentra

1&2) DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH. THE CAR SUDDENLY STARTS TO SHUDDER AND BECOMES HARD TO CONTROL. SLOWED DOWN TO 35 MPH, STILL SHUDDERING BUT NOT AS MUCH. STOPPED AT A LIGHT, THE CAR DIES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. OTHER CARS VEER AROUND ME. TRIED TO START THE CAR AGAIN IMMEDIATELY. DOESN'T START. WAIT 5 MINUTES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD (IT WAS RAINING AND HAILING AT THE TIME) AND TRY TO START AGAIN. THIS TIME IT STARTS BUT IDLES VERY HEAVILY. AT THIS POINT THE CHECK ENGINE SOON LIGHT COMES ON. I TRIED TO DRIVE A FEW MORE BLOCKS, AND THE CAR ALMOST ENDED UP DYING IN AN INTERSECTION. AT THAT POINT I PULLED OVER RIGHT AFTER ROLLING SLOWLY OUT OF THE INTERSECTION AND WAITED FOR A TOW TRUCK. THE CAR WOULD STILL START BUT I DIDN'T TRUST IT TO DRIVE IT. 3) THE MECHANIC TELLS ME THAT THE FAILURE IS THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. THE PART IS ONLY AVAILABLE FROM A NISSAN DEALERSHIP, AND COSTS $488.19 PLUS A HALF HOUR OF LABOR FOR INSTALLATION!!! THE NEW PART ALSO NEEDS TO BE SYNCHED UP WITH THE CAR'S COMPUTER BECAUSE ITS DIFFERENT THAN THE OLD PART SINCE NISSAN KNOWS THAT THE OLD PART IS NO GOOD. SEEMS TO ME THEY SHOULD HAVE INITIATED A RECALL IF THIS IS REALLY THE CASE. IF YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW THAT ANY OF THIS IS FALSE, I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE KNOWING THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS MECHANIC KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT OR NOT SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE USED HIM. THANKS. *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE AND STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH SPUTTERING THREE TIMES BUT IT DID NOT STALL. THE DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE COIL ASSEMBLY FAILED. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD SEVEN RECALLS AND FOUR OF THEM HAVE BEEN ENGINE RELATED. UPON PICKING UP THE VEHICLE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND FOUND THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE. *NM *NM

WHILE I WAS HAVING MY OIL CHANGED, THE DIPSTICK BROKE. NISSAN TELLS ME THAT THIS WILL COST $366 TO FIX!!! AFTER LOOKING ONLINE, HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE GUY AT TRONCOLLI NISSAN IN ATLANTA SAYS THAT ITS BASICALLY "TOUGH LUCK" BECAUSE I SHOULD HAVE PAID THE INSANE PRICES OF A DEALERSHIP OIL CHANGE. NISSAN NEEDS TO RECALL THIS BECAUSE IT IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM, AND IF THEY FIX THEM BEFORE THEY BREAK IT WILL BE ONLY A SMALL COST. *AK

THE TOP OF THE PLASTIC DIPSTICK IN MY 2001 NISSAN SENTRA BROKE OFF TODAY AND THE DIPSTICK ITSELF SLID DOWN INTO THE ENGINE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, THIS IS COMMON WITH MANY OTHER NISSAN SENTRAS. I NOW NEED TO FIND A REPLACEMENT DIPSTICK AND WAS FORTUNATELY ABLE TO RETRIEVE MINE (EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOW BROKEN). HOWEVER, SOME DEALERSHIPS ARE TRYING TO CHARGE OVER $100 TO RETRIEVE THE DIPSTICK. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. ALSO, MY POWER WINDOWS ARE STARTING TO STICK AND NOT GO UP AND DOWN. MY CAR IS BARELY 3 YRS OLD; THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS TOO. *AK

HELLO, I OWN A 2001 NISSAN SENTRA. I'VE HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT 3.5 YEARS AND DURING THAT TIME IT'S HAD AT LEAST 4-5 RECALLS. MOST RECENTLY I TOOK IT IN FOR THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE CASE HOLDER RECALL IN EARLY MARCH. THIS RECALL WAS TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT COULD RESULT IN THE ENGINE SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING. ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER, I WAS ON THE ROAD SITTING AT A RED LIGHT, AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. I THOUGH THAT MAYBE I HAD IT IN GEAR AND I JUST RELEASED THE CLUTCH ON ACCIDENT, BUT IT HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES ON THAT TRIP. NOW I CONSTANSTLY HAVE THE ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN ON ME WHILE DRIVING OR WHEN SITTING IN IDLE. IT HAS HAPPENED DURING TURNS IN WHICH IT MADE IT VERY VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AS THE POWER STEERING IS CUT OFF. I DID TAKE THE CAR IN FOR INSPECTION AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A BAD AIR FLOW METER. I DECLINED TO HAVE IT FIXED AS I THOUGHT THAT IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I EVEN WROTE A LETTER TO NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS, AND REQUESTED THEY FIX MY VEHICLE. HOWEVER THEY DECLINED. *AK

I HAVE A 2001 NISSAN SENTRA AND THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT HAS COME ON. I NOTICED FROM THE NISSAN WEB SITE THAT THERE ARE THREE RECALLS THAT MAY RESULT IN THE LIGHT COMING ON. MY CAR FALLS WITHIN THE VIN RANGE LISTED ON NISSAN WEB SITE. SO, I CONTACTED ONE OF THE NISSAN DEALERS AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD HAVE MY CAR INSPECTED FOR $81 BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN THE WARRANTY ANY MORE. I CONTACTED THE NISSAN NATIONAL CONSUMER AFFAIRS OFFICE AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE TO PAY THE DIAGNOSTIC FEE IF THE CAR IS ON THE RECALL LIST AND MAY HAVE A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT. I AM SURE NISSAN (OR NISSAN DEALERS) CAN MAKE HUGE MONEY BY JUST DIAGNOSING DEFECTIVE NISSAN VEHICLES. *AK

RECALL FOR CRANKSHAFT KIT AND RECENT SHUT DOWN OF ENGINE.*MR THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICE AT THE DEALER FOR A CRANKSHAFT SENSOR RECALL. AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE VEHICLE. THE TEST INDICATED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR WAS THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT I THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST HE RUNS CAME UP AS THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR THEN THE CONSUMER WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY THE DIAGNOSTICS FEE. THE DIAGNOSTIC WAS RUN AND THE TEST INDICATED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR WAS THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER THEN STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THE TEST INDICATED THAT IT WAS THE CRANKSHAFT, IT REALLY WAS NOT THE SENSOR BUT THE WIRING AROUND THE CRANKSHAFT. THEREFORE THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY THE DIAGNOSTIC FEE. THE CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS COMPLETELY DISHONEST AND IRRESPONSIBLE OF THE DEALER. *NM