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It had to be towed at 7000 miles due to not starting., the plugs were fried , they did not due the pre-buyers check on i, and the timing was out of whack and it messed up the plugs.
AT 8000 miles, we got our am/fm/cassette player replaced...it died.
At 10,000, the black strips on the doors fell off, replaced under the 12month/12,000 miles warranty.
The bulbs in the dash area were replaced every 6 months or so, $20 a pop.
Had CV boots replaced 3x @ $400. Had Takata seatbelt recall for original ownership of car(alot of japanese cars and a few rebadged usa cars had this recall) seat belts could shred and break. Had belts replaced about every 2 years.(had the car 9 years).
It did get 233,000+ miles. It was sturdy car, but it had problems.
200sx(a sentra with 2 doors)1997 model, base, automatic. Hmmmm..where to start..the old car was good, excep for MINOR stuff.
This one, well, at 63,000 miles, the plugs,ignition coil and starter were burnt to a crisp..$1000 repairs.
Seat frame acutally broke through the foam backing and was never replaced. This was becasue this happened at 40,000 miles, Warranty only up to 36,000 miles.
Engine Light kept coming on, but , the shop couldn't find anything wrong.
I also had problems similar to this to Chevy car I owned in 1980's.
My father in law had a Toyota truck...and he had problems.
ALL cars (maybe not all..) But rthere is no such thing as a perfect car Mfg. We have 2 Hyundais. Our 1999 SOnata V6, at 58,000(2000 miles before time) the timing belt was worn out..car still ran, but....Guess what? They replace dit free, under warranty.
Not bad deal..saved me $400, if it were Nissan or about anyone else, we'd have been left to pay for it ourselves.(like the broken car seat, CV boots the first time,etc).
Just a thought.
First, a couple of thoughts about what you're looking for: you had an original SE-R, right? So I assume you like to drive and you're more passionate about cars than the average driver. Therefore, I'd say that things like crash test ratings and resale value are abstractions that don't do a lot for your daily driving experience. So I wouldn't overvalue them compared to how a car feels and drives to you.
Another thought--you may get the impression that people here are at best lukewarm about their Sentras. But it's been my experience in the Town Hall forums that we all love to nitpick, and since no car is perfect for everybody, there's always plenty to nitpick about. Especially in this class of car, where all the manufacturers have to cut corners one way or another to keep costs down. In the Sentra topics, it seems to me that people are often trying to compare them to more expensive or more purely sporting cars. So that's a sign that Nissan's coming up with something a little better than your average econobeater.
All that said, I'm really happy with my Sentra SE, and I plan to own it for a long time, so I don't really care about future resale. I like it better now than when I first got it. I have total confidence in the car, it's fast enough, handles well, is comfy, the mileage is good, it's not a lot to insure, car thieves ignore it, etc. I had two disappointing Hondas before this Nissan, one a '99 Accord that was a FAR INFERIOR car to the Sentra in every way, yet cost a couple grand more even as a stripper. For the money, I think Nissan has done a great job of making the Sentra drive like a car in a pricier class. It's the most European-feeling Japanese car I've owned.
My other thought--why get a GXE if you can still find a 2001 SE (which I bet you can)? For one thing, you get the recall-free 2.0 engine with 20 more horsepower, and I think the SE has all the options of the GXE, if not more. It'll remind you of your old SE-R too...at least a little.
One last jab against Honda--the current Civics are just insipid appliances compared to earlier versions. Decontenting has been massive in that car. Maybe the new Si will be OK, but the Civic is a car that didn't benefit from its most recent overhaul. Nissan is trying to make its cars better each time they revise them, at least.
Here is a link to Sentra Owners:
http://www.b15sentra.net/UBB.html
No less than THREE recalls so far on the model. Wheel might come off, due to faulty bolt on the front suspension. Wheel might come off, due to cracks that may develop from burrs on the steel wheel. And now the engine-stall problem that I read about in this forum.
So far, I've received NO letters from Nissan announcing any of the recalls. But I'm scared -- and my car already has an unusual vibration at high speeds (vibration is one of the symptoms of the bolt problem)-- so I'm taking my car in as soon as possible.
I have a feeling Nissan is riding on its reputation, and skimping when it comes to its newer vehicles -- but that's just my opinion. (THREE recalls on the same model? That's crazy!)
Anyone know where I can find out if my car is part of the recall from its Vehicle ID Number?
2001 Nissan Sentra Recalled
Detroit, MI (SafetyAlerts) - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has published a recall affecting certain 2001 Nissan Sentra automobiles manufactured between July 2000 and April 2001.
One or more of the three bolts used to attach each front suspension lower control arm to the body on the left and right sides may not have been properly manufactured. The bolts could fracture, increasing the risk of a crash.
80,000 vehicles are affected by this recall.
Dealers will replace the lower control arm attachment bolts. Owner notification is expected to begin by the end of June 2001.
Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261. Also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V174000/Mfg. Recall No. 01V174000]
-----------
(Recall #2)
Detroit, MI (SafetyAlerts) - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has published a recall affecting 2000-2001 Nissan Sentra manufactured between February 2000 - June 2001.
Number Involved: 115,000
Defect:
On certain passenger vehicles, the cooling holes in the
steel wheel may have burrs on their edges as a result of improper manufacturing. These burrs can cause cracks as the vehicle is being driven. Cracks can propagate between adjacent cooling holes. If enough cracks develop between the cooling holes, the wheel could fail and separate from the mounting hub without prior warning. Separation of the wheel from the vehicle while being operated could result in a vehicle crash.
Remedy:
Dealers will inspect for cracks and replace the wheel if
cracks are discovered. The manufacturer has reported that owner notification will be conducted in two phases. The first mailing is expected to begin during October 2001, asking owners to bring their vehicles to a dealer for inspection of the wheels. Any wheels with cracks will be replaced. A second owner notification will begin in early December, at which time Nissan will have an adequate number of replacement wheels, requesting owners who only had the wheels inspected but not replaced, to return to the dealers for a wheel replacement. Owners who do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
[NHTSA Recall No. 01V277]
-----------
(Recall #3 -- discovered on this forum...)
Year of Recall: 2001
Manufacture: 2001
Manufactured: FROM 2000JAN TO 2001MAY
Component: ENGINE
Summary:
Vehicle Description: Passenger vehicles equipped with a 1.8 liter engine. The engine could stop running while being driven due to a defective crank position sensor. This could also result in the "Service Engine Soon" warning light coming on or reduced engine power.
If the engine stops running while driving, this could result in a crash.
Dealers will replace the crank position sensors. Owner notification is expected to begin during December 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261. Also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Incredible.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that "the car is going to be hurt by high revs"--I've seen this discussion in several forums, and it's pretty laughable. Modern cars are designed to be able to run up to their redlines for hours if not days at a time. If the engine was dangerously stressed by running anything near the redline, the manufacture would lower the redline. They don't want to deal with the warranty claims of engines that blow up under normal use.
The only thing you need to worry about is making sure the car is properly warmed up before driving it at high rpms, and that you keep up on scheduled maintenance, especially oil/filter changes.
So, don't worry about your GXE...hope you enjoy the car!
Thanks
Here's another point of view: (find the "break in" topic)
http://www.micapeak.com/TL1000S/faq/index.html#Q4
It is good to be able to get online and see what is new in the world of the Sentra. I used to visit this website EVERY day for a while back in early 2001. I purchased my new Sentra SE during the Memorial Day weekend.
I now have 24,900 miles, mostly from driving back and forth between San Diego and Vallejo California...(about 500 miles each way.) I have had my share of problems, but nothing significant. It took 4 trips to the dealer to get the air conditioning problem fixed. I finally demanded a new compressor, as the original one became very noisy. Cooling was virtually non-existent.
The most annoying problem has been heat shield rattles, and the loss of bolts on the front heat shield. I have had the bolts replaced 3 times. They just vibrate off. I guess it is due to 8 to 9 hours of constant 4000 rpm operation each trip I make.
The car is powerful, but the engine is buzzy above 4000 rpm. It really needs another gear. I hope I don't get that CD problem at the 8 or 9 month mark, which is next month. I use my CD EVERY day while driving. Wished I had a cassette deck too, but why complain?
Everything else about the car is good. The tires are wearing very well..(I keep them properly inflated) I get excessive torque steer only when one front tire is a bit lower in air pressure than the other.
The 2002 SE-R and Spec V's take a little getting used to though. I don't like the new front end as much, and I don't like the fact that the accelerator has no cable linkage between the pedal and the throttle body on the engine. It is the new "drive-by-wire" arrangement. The throttle is opened by an electronic "actuator" and the accelerator has a variable resistor that moves as you press the accelerator. I hope that doesn't go out while driving. It is spring loaded to the "off" position, and will not run away, but if it goes out, it will not speed up to get out of traffic.
I have been out of the country in Penang Malaysia for a few months. I got to see the foreign version of the Sentra, complete with steering wheel on the right side, and everything. It is on a larger body than the one we have. Once I find out how to put the pictures I took with my camera, I will post them, and everyone can see them.
Well, I have been on long enough.My car will get another rest when I return to malaysia in March for about a month.
Take care and thanks again!
GSEREP1
Yes I feel that another gear in the 2001 Sentra SE would help tremendously. The engine is real buzzy around 3500 to 4000 rpm, and a sixth gear would lower the rpms significantly.
I am not worried about engine wear, but at higher rpm, the engine develops a resonance, or a point where everything seems to be vibrating in unison, so to speak. That is when the little heat shield bolts start backing out. I do not want to use "lock-tite" or another similar chemical on the manifold. I have already had 1 heat shield replaced due to cracking around those bolts. It may need to be replaced again soon.
It is good to be back on the forum. I hope some of my old friends remember me, and start posting comments again.
Thanks,
GSEREP1
I will agree that the 2001 SE's are not the "IN" car anymore since the arrival of the SE-R and the SPEC V, but I can assure you that the Sentra SE 2.0L engine can comfortably run 85 miles per hour all day. I live in California, and Interstate 5 is my playground. It has been for nearly 30 years. I don't consider myself a "speed demon", but running the speed limit of 70 mph in certain stretchs of that road can be dangerous. Even the big trucks will run over you out there.
My Sentra does all I want it to do and then some. It has more horsepower than any other 4 cylinder in it's class in 2001. Pound for pound, this car literally whips up on other cars in it's class like the Toyota Corolla, and Honda Civic, AND the Mazda Protege. If my Sentra does not have enough power to run 85, then NEITHER do any of the cars I just mentioned. I make no excuses for my car. It will be with me for a long time to come.
NOW we can say this is a dead issue! I have made my point.
GSEREP1
I meant no disrespect either. I believe that with a 6th gear, the engine produces enough GRUNT to cruise comfortably. That engine makes 136 ft lbs of torque. That torque is NOT at high rpm, but rather, down low where you need it. It is TORQUE, not horsepower that gets you down the road when it is rolling. I will NOT venture to tell you just HOW much over 115-118 mph that car will go with a 5 speed...suffice to say, it will go faster. I mean on long, straight stretches late at night when no one is around to run into. I can validate that one.
Obviously, I do not run it that hard all the time because gas mileage suffers, it vibrates pretty hard, and it beats the living crap out of the oil. The engine makes a lot of heat at that speed. The car does pose a significant resistance to the wind. It is not lowered to the ground...just stock. Wind noise is considerable at high speeds.
The old SR20DE engine is great just the way it is. Just a bit noisy and buzzy (as most 4 cylnders are apt to be). Honda is a notable exception.
I just know that it is a very capable engine that in my opinion could use a true overdrive gear ratio. NUFF SAID!
Respectfully,
GSEREP1
I'm looking at a few different cars, mainly the Sentra, Protegé, and Civic. I'm hoping to get some honest opinions on the pros and cons car, I know that no car for this price is perfect, the questions is if it's right for me. Comfort and quality are my cheif concerns, but I'm also a bit of an agressive driver. Has anyone had any problems with dealers, mechanics, or general quality? Does anyone regret their purchase?
Again if you consider to carry adults on the rear seats, then Sentra is not a good choice.
BTW, what version of Sentra are you considering? GXE with a lux package?
Just my opinion. Most likely biased, since I own Sentra. But look at what Protege was praised for : handling, look, space, fun to drive. From those four things your wife would care probably only about the look and it might become a selling point. If she doesn't mind any of them in terms of look, then I'd say go for Sentra GXE with a luxury package. Less expensive, more features, better on gas.