2003 Nissan Sentra Nissan Sentra 2003

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2003 Nissan Sentra repairs by problem area

Engine (59%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (5%)

Brakes and Traction Control (5%)

Suspension and Steering (14%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (13%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (4%)

Other (0%)

Chart based on 56 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2003 Nissan Sentra.

2003 Nissan Sentra repair cost distribution

$2500+ (2%)

$1000 - $2499 (4%)

$500 - $999 (4%)

$100 - $499 (53%)

< $100 (37%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 51 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2003 Nissan Sentra

Engine not specified

Nissan Sentra in Ontario, Canada
Feb 2010 - Jun 2011
Mar 2010

101680 mi

C $1500
Heater stopped working: engine started overheating. Shop replaced thermostat and flushed coolant.  Back in shop - determined a head gasket problem. Repaired as told cheaper than replacing as it was a slow leak in the head gasket. Total cost $1200 
Apr 2010

104160 mi

C $400
Rusted universal ball joint. Clunking noise in wheel. Parts replaced. 
Nissan Sentra in Nova Scotia, Canada
Sep 2012 - Sep 2013
Sep 2013

87420 mi
Rear passenger brake was seized. Body work due to rust damage on passenger rear door and parts of roof. exhaust hangers were gone 
Nissan Sentra in Ontario, Canada
Sep 2010 - Jun 2011
Nov 2010

132680 mi

C $1500
Fuel pump replacement after engine light. 
Nissan Sentra in New York, United States
Mar 2010 - Dec 2014
Feb 2014

26600 mi

US $420
misfire spark plug. Nissan lied and said I need new engine.6 years later and car is fine. do not use Nissan any more. 

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2003 Nissan Sentra 4dr Sedan

175-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed manual FWD

Nissan Sentra in New Jersey, United States
Oct 2008 - Aug 2011
Mar 2010

115000 mi

US $125
LR ABS sensor failing intermittently, turning on ABS light, followed by complete failure of sensor w/light on constantly. Pulled LR sensor code, verified good circuit, replaced sensor, cleared code. 
Feb 2011

139000 mi

US $190
Rear shocks leaked oil and were weak. Shock mounting plates worn out. Both causing clunking noise over bumps. Replaced shocks, mounts, and protective boots. 
Jul 2011

148000 mi

US $90
Cylinder 3 ignition coil failed suddenly. Vehicle was able to be carefully driven to my work where I diagnosed the problem and replaced the ignition coil. 
Aug 2011

149000 mi

US $25
Alternator began making a loud noise, while components inside were glowing red-hot and billowing smoke (but still charging the battery). Left car in parking lot at work overnight. Replaced alternator myself next morning, took 10 minutes. Passenger side outer tie rod end became very loose over the past few months. Replaced now before it broke, aligned front end. 
Nissan Sentra in Virginia, United States
Jun 2013 - Jul 2013
Jul 2013

78000 mi
Camshaft Sensor Problem 
Nissan Sentra in Rhode Island, United States
- Jul 2007
Jul 2007

85000 mi

US $3000
Had to replace motor after 'buttefly valves' were sucked into the engine. This is a common issue with the car, and a VERY COSTLY one. 
Nissan Sentra in Alabama, United States
Feb 2009 - Mar 2010
Jan 2009

85000 mi

US $250
Alternator started to fail due to a bad diode. Replaced alternator and all was fine. 
Mar 2009

88000 mi

US $210
Both tie rod ends were blown. Replaced both and had an alignment performed. 
Nissan Sentra in Texas, United States
- Jun 2008
Jun 2008

125000 mi

US $300
New rotors, calipers, brake pads 
Nissan Sentra in California, United States
Sep 2010 - Apr 2011
Jan 2011

93400 mi

US $150
check engine light came on after idle rpm fluctuation started to between 800 to 2000 rpm. 
Nissan Sentra in Florida, United States
Feb 2011 - Mar 2011
Mar 2011

141000 mi

US $200
hydraulic clutch master went out 
Nissan Sentra in Florida, United States
Apr 2009 - Mar 2010
Sep 2009

103000 mi

US $185
The alternator went bad. Wasn't charging system causing misfire and no starts. Replaced everything is fine now. 
Nissan Sentra in Kansas, United States
Nov 2010 - Jun 2011
Jun 2011

59000 mi

US $230
There was a small amount of oil leaking past seals, dripping onto the cam and crank shaft sensors; the engine didn't want to turn over. Both sensors replaced that day. Nissan did not charge me the for the the CEL diagnostic fee. 
Nissan Sentra in Montana, United States
Aug 2010 - Jun 2018
Dec 2011

85000 mi

US $200
Replaced crank and cam position sensors 

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2003 Nissan Sentra 4dr Sedan

165-horsepower 2.5L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

Nissan Sentra in New York, United States
Nov 2014 - Apr 2015
Apr 2015

144000 mi

US $600
rear struts 
Nissan Sentra in Maryland, United States
Nov 2008 - Mar 2010
Dec 2008

94000 mi

US $88
Very difficult to start during cold mornings, aamco says its due to carbon build up in the throttle body and a faulty fuel pressure regulator. 
Jun 2009

97000 mi

US $150
Crank shaft position sensor needed to be replaced 
Nissan Sentra in Ontario, Canada
Aug 2009 - Dec 2009
Mar 2009

14260 mi
Sensor blew while driving stalling the car. Towed to dealer they replaced sensor after 2 days because they claimed every Sentra has these replaced and they were out of stock. 
Apr 2009

14880 mi
Another 2 sensors blew on the car, cam lift sensor and sensor for main computer because of foam put in during time of build. 
Aug 2009

17360 mi
Catalytic converter blew and was making a noise like marbles in a tin can. Found out pieces of the inside of the cat sucked into the engine scaring the pistons causing excessive oil consumption. Dealer earlier claimed this oil consumption was normal. 
Dec 2009

20460 mi
Engine light came on after another sensor blew. The power window passenger side stopped working also. Took car to dealer and traded it in for a Honda Civic. 
Nissan Sentra in New York, United States
Feb 2013 - Mar 2013
Mar 2013

140000 mi

US $60
Bad ignition coil. 2nd one in ~6 months 
Nissan Sentra in Kansas, United States
Feb 2011 - Apr 2011
Mar 2011

136000 mi

US $700
Replaced shocks and struts on all 4 corners (hadn't been replaced in the life of the car). Replaced worn discs and pads (7,000mi old, but bad spring clip caused premature wear). Replaced Front Left wheel bearing (was replaced before in 06). 

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2003 Nissan Sentra 4dr Sedan

126-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD

Nissan Sentra in Sonora, Mexico
Jun 2012 - Dec 2014
Aug 2012

91540 mi

$200
Overheating problems. It was one of the fans next to the radiator 
Sep 2012

91140 mi

$100
Overheating problems. Now it was a dirty radiator and the thermostast Problem with the muffler 
Jun 2013

97960 mi

$40
Car began to malfunction, some wires were on short near the TPS. 
Oct 2013

100100 mi

$100
One hose was leaking, so had to change it and recharge A/C 
Jan 2014

104780 mi

$350
Change one Shock/Strut. Others also is bad condition, but not as bad as the one further damaged by a pothole. 3 Motor Mounts Change clutch after a small piece in it broke. 
Feb 2014

105280 mi

$80
Doors were out of square, change door pins 

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2003 Nissan Sentra 4dr Sedan

126-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

Nissan Sentra in Tennessee, United States
May 2011 - Dec 2011
Jun 2011

91000 mi

US $400
Fuel pump was dying so it was replaced before total failure by the owner 
Nissan Sentra in Georgia, United States
May 2011 - Jan 2015
Jun 2011

119000 mi

US $377
engine tremble, spark plug and ignition coil replaced 
Nissan Sentra in Ontario, Canada
- Jun 2003
Jun 2003

6200 mi
Heater box foam filter lining replaced. 
Nissan Sentra in Arizona, United States
Aug 2016 - Oct 2017
Aug 2016

394000 mi

US $5
The EVAP canister nipple broke off power steering leaks fluid at a slow rate. the leak may be coming from the HI PSI side of the system. 
Jan 2017

418000 mi

US $125
Fuel pressure drops and dose not recover. Found out is the fuel pump going out. 
Mar 2017

426000 mi

US $20
The car at stop signs can stall or most of the time come near to it. no other driving problems. the idle can get funny at times. The sensor output and ground wires broke. cut the connector off and put a pig-tail on. 
May 2017

430000 mi

US $100
The oil pan had a big dent in it. replaced it and did a oil change 
Oct 2017

452000 mi

US $101
Camshaft position sensor failed. The rear end felt loose. The Scott Russell link bushings wore out. 
Nissan Sentra in California, United States
Jun 2012 - Jan 2013
Oct 2012

50000 mi
Parts Replaced: Crankshaft & camshaft sensors 

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See TrueDelta's information for all Sedans
See TrueDelta's information for all Nissan models.

2003 Nissan Sentra Repair Histories

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2003 Nissan Sentra problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.