13 complaints reported

2008 Nissan Sentra Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
13
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jul 2020

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. MECHANIC DIAGNOSIS IS DEFECTIVE CATALYTIC CONVERTER SENSORS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2020
Jun 2019

ON JUNE 20, 2016, I TOOK MY CAR INTO A NISSAN CERTIFIED DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REDONE UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT NISSAN DID FOR THE CVT ENGINE. THE CAR DROVE FINE AND THEN IN THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST 2019 JUST 3 YRS LATER AND 40,00 MILES ON THE NEW TRANSMISSION, THE TRANSMISSION IS MESSING UP AGAIN AND WE ARE TOLD THAT WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FOR THE SECOND TIME AT OUR COST. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN SENT OUT TO THE TECHNICIAN ON AUGUST 15, 2014 STATING THAT A 2007-2012 SENTRA WILL NEED A TRANSMISSION COOLER ADDED TO THE CVT TO PREVENT IT FROM OVERHEATING. THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP DID NOT PUT THAT ON OUR CAR WHEN WE HAD OUR TRANSMISSION REDONE UNDER THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY IN 2016, AND NOW BECAUSE OF THEIR LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY OUR TRANSMISSION IS OUT, AND NISSAN IS NOT WANTING TO MAKE IT RIGHT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: May 2019
Mar 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE RPMS INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT POWERED OFF THE ENGINE. ONCE RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE CONTACT CALLED ALAN JAY NISSAN AT (863) 402-4280 (LOCATED AT 1700 FLARE RD, SEBRING, FL 33872) WHERE AN APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,481.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2018
Feb 2015

SLOWING APPROACHING STOPS ENGINE WOULD CUT OFF, IT HAS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Aug 2015
Feb 2013

IT STARTED WITH A SMALL CLUNK NOISE THAT WILL GO AWAY AFTER A WHILE OF DRIVING THE CAR, SIX MONTHS LATER THE CLUNKING NOISE DOESN'T STOP,MOVE FROM REGULAR OIL TO FULL SYNTHETIC OIL, NEW SPARK PLUGS, BUT NOTHING SEEMS TO WORK, NOW THE NOISE IS SO LOUD I AM AFRAID THE CAR MAY CATCH FIRE, BUT HAD NO CHOICE BUT DRIVE IT, MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 100 K AND I BOUGHT IT NEW EXPECTING THIS CAR TO LAST WAY LONGER THAN THIS, IS NOT FAIR OR THIS TO HAPPEN SPECIALLY WITH NISSAN KNOWING THE PROBLEM THEY HAD WITH PUTTING SMALLER PISTONS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BREAK, PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!! *JS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2013
Feb 2012

THE EXHAUST MUFFLER FLANGE FAILED. IT WAS SEVERELY RUSTED, WHILE THE EXHAUST PIPE AND MUFFLER WERE IN GREAT SHAPE. THE FLANGE APPEARS TO BE MADE OF STEEL WHILE THE REST OF THE EXHAUST APPEARS TO BE STAINLESS STEEL AND NOT AFFECTED BY THE WINTER WEATHER IN WESTERN NY STATE. THE CAR WAS 5 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2012
Jul 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN SENTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND GASOLINE FUMES WERE EMITTED ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2011
Mar 2011

THE AIR COMPRESSOR ON MY 2008 NISSAN SENTRA WENT OUT. WHY THERE'S NOT A RECALL??? *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 2010
Apr 2010

MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY CAR ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS WE NOTICED A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT MORNING TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. I WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE OIL SLUDGE BUILT UP IN MY ENGINE. THEY WANTED $6300. I HAD 20K MILES ON MY CAR. THE WARRANTY WOULDN'T COVER IT BECAUSE I HAD MY OIL CHANGES DONE BY FAMILY AND I DIDN'T HAVE THE RECEIPTS FOR MY OIL FILTERS AND THE OIL WE BOUGHT. I HAVE CHECKED DIFFERENT SOURCES ONLINE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH 2008 NISSAN SENTRA'S, BUT THE WARRANTY DEPARTMENT DENIES IT. I ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD AT LEAST TAKE SOME FAULT SINCE I COULDN'T FIND RECEIPTS (EVEN IF THE OIL WAS NEVER CHANGED, AN ENGINE IN A BRAND NEW CAR SHOULD NOT BE SLUDGED AFTER 20K MILES OF IT), BUT THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING. THEY WOULDN'T DISCOUNT THE COST TO ME AT ALL. I HAD TO PAY THE FULL PRICE OUT OF POCKET. I BOUGHT THE ENGINE AND HAD IT DONE ELSEWHERE, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY NISSAN IS NOT VERY TRUSTWORTHY. AS I CALLED AROUND TO GET QUOTES ON THE COST TO HAVE AN ENGINE INSTALLED JUST ABOUT EVERY MECHANIC I SPOKE WITH SAID THAT'S CRAZY TO NEED A NEW ENGINE AFTER 20K EVEN IF THE OIL WAS NEVER CHANGED. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2010
Jan 2010

WHILE DRIVING TO FLORIDA FROM DC FOR VACATION, THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A RATTLING NOISE. SINCE WE WERE ON A TRIP, I FIGURED I WOULD TOP OFF THE ENGINE OIL JUST IN CASE. THE ENGINE WAS BONE DRY. THE NOISE SEEMED TO GO AWAY AFTER ADDING OIL AT FIRST, BUT THEN THE NOISE BECAME LOUDER, AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE NEAREST DEALER WE COULD FIND. WHEN THEY LIFTED THE HOOD AT THE DEALER, THE OIL HAD EXPLODED AND WAS EVERYWHERE. WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE IN MY 2008 SENTRA, BUT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE. SINCE I DID NOT HAVE MY MAINTENANCE RECORDS WITH ME (I WAS ON VACATION), THEY REFUSED TO EVEN CONTACT NISSAN WARRANTY WITHOUT PROOF OF ALL OIL CHANGES. THEY CLAIMED THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO LACK OF OIL CHANGES. I COULD NOT AFFORD A FACTORY ENGINE, SO THE PURCHASE OF A USED 2008 SENTRA ENGINE VOIDED MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. AT THE TIME OF FAILURE, THE CAR HAD A LITTLE OVER 35K MILES. FURTHER RESEARCH ONLINE INDICATES A POSSIBLE OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE, WHICH THE DEALERSHIP DENIES. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2010
Mar 2009

AT 50,000 MILES, I HAD A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WITH MY 2008 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0. WHEN I PULLED INTO THE GAS STATION, MY CAR HAD NO COOLANT AND NO OIL AT ALL. THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE AND THE COOLANT GAUGE APPEARED NORMAL. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT TELL ME WHY THE WARNING LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN FLUIDS BECAME LOW. I SERVICE MY CAR REGULARLY. MY CAR GAVE NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEMS. DEALERSHIP STATES THAT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE. NISSAN IS STATING THAT IT IS DUE TO LACK OF SERVICE - MY POINT IS THE WARNING LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE AT ALL WHICH RESULTED IN ENGINE FAILURE. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT INJURY, FIRE, ETC. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2009
Sep 2008

AT 700 MILES, CAR WOULDN'T START. HAD TOWED TO DEALERSHIP-CAR STARTED-COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. AT 1700 MILES, CAR WOULDN'T START-HAD TOWED--COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM. 9/15/08 (2480 MILES) CAR STALLED IN TRAFFIC, WOULDN'T START. POLICE PUSHED ME TO A SAFE AREA--HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP-NO RESPONSE YET. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE, NOT KNOWING WHEN I'M GOING TO BE RANDOMLY LEFT ON SOME STREET CORNER WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK. AM PLANNING A TRIP OUT OF STATE--DO I DARE? I DON'T THINK SO. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2008
Jan 2008

2005 SENTRA 1.8 S. HEATER WOULD BE HOT THEN COLD, HAVE REPLACED THERMOSTAT 5 TIMES. CAR NEVER OVERHEATED. GAUGE WOULD GO JUST UNDER 3/4 OF WAY AND THEN SUDDENLY DROP TO NORMAL. 69,000 MILES, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, READING MULTIPLE MISFIRES. BRINGING TO DEALER FOR FUEL TANK RECALL. RUNNING VERY ROUGH, RPMS 2000 BEFORE VEHICLE WILL MOVE MAX OUT AT 5000. AS SOON AS YOU REMOVE FOOT FROM GAS, SUDDENLY DROPS TO ALMOST 0 RPMS. DEALER SAID BLOWN HEAD GASKET, OIL PAN GASKET BAD. HAD TO HAVE HEAD IN MACHINE SHOP DUE TO 2 PLUGS STUCK. WHEN I PICKED UP VEHICLE, MECHANIC SAID HEAD WAS WARPED. I ASKED WHAT I NEEDED TO WATCH FOR BEING THAT IT NEVER DID OVERHEAT. THE RESPONSE WAS, WITH THIS GAUGE GOES JUST OVER HALF, IT IS OVERHEATING. ENDED UP COSTING 2,000.00 FOR A 3 YR 4MONTH OLD VEHICLE THAT NEVER OVERHEATED. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2008 NISSAN SENTRA, Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2008

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2008 Nissan Sentra has 13 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.