One problem related to engine head gasket failure has been reported for the 2002 Nissan Sentra. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2002 Nissan Sentra based on all problems reported for the 2002 Sentra.
1. Car overheated first night it was bought new zero miles. Dealership fixed a stuck thermostat. (car should have been checked before it was sold to the customer!) this may have forever damaged this car. 2. 59,000 miles - car blows head gasket. Fixed by dealership. 3. ~60,000 miles - car running rough because the spark plug sleeve was not put in correctly after head gasket was replaced at the dealership leading to a pressure leak in a cylinder. This miss should have been found by the dealerships mechanic before releasing the car back to the customer. Fixed by dealership. 4. ~119,000 miles - car blows second head gasket. Dealership and Nissan both say they wont help pay because the car has too many miles on it. 5. Car is currently at dealership where they are repairing the head gasket at my expense of 2,000 dollars plus I won't have a car for over a week. I asked if I would have to pay another 2,000 dollars in 60,000 miles for another head gasket because of this defective engine. I was told that it was a possibility. I did a google search on this model Nissan Sentra and found this to be a common issue. We even purchased a warranty that is good for 100,000 miles or till 2009, whichever comes first. We are just barely out of that warranty which we spent extra money on.