Four problems related to power train have been reported for the 2003 Nissan Sentra. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2003 Nissan Sentra based on all problems reported for the 2003 Sentra.
I was driving and the car shifted itself from a low gear to a very high gear, leaving me with no torque. The next gear wouldnt lock-in until rpms hit redline, and even then it would feel like its slipping, or maybe its in overdrive gear(4th) when it should be in 3rd. . And also the transmission would not shift down until I came to a complete stop. . . This is very dangerous when youre on the freeway, because the car will only move 40 mph. And also dangerous when climbing hills/freeway overpass, because theres no torque to get up the hill, and the transmission wont put itself in low gear until you come to a complete stop. . . I think its an electrical issue because it happened suddenly. . . If it was mechanical, I wouldve felt it slipping gradually, and it never slips. I just drove it a couple days before to the bay area and it climbed the hills smoothly, no problem. . I have no check engine light, so idk what the problem could be. . .
The computer on the car is messed up and keeps turning the check engine light on for p0444 and had a shop check it and replace the part and it's still coming on. It wil trip the code sitting in neutral and or driving less then 5 miles.
Car while in drive will stall and idle. Car also has completely shut off while driving and has continuously occurred intermittently. Multiple engine codes have came on and repairs have been completed but the issue continues. At this time crankshift, and cam sensor have been replaced. It has been suggested that transmission be replaced and is currently in process. Reading up on this issue appears there is a recall for same issue for similar vehicles of the same year and make ( NHTSA campaign number: 03v455000) but my vehicle does not qualify for the recall. Issue is a major safety as car could cause accident and occurs at any time including high speeds. I have been fortunate to not drive and have vehicle towed to mechanic for further followup in hopes of resolution. Nissan needs to address as appears to be a repeat issue.
The contact owns a 2003 Nissan Sentra. While driving approximately 40 mph on normal road conditions, the vehicle hesitated, vibrated, and misfired when shifting from second to third gear. Suddenly, the rpm's increased excessively high when the gears were shifted downward. In addition, the check engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel and remained lit until the engine was turned off. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the failure was related to the secondary butterfly screws and an internal component in the engine. The vehicle is currently inoperable and has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 64,255.