2000 Nissan Sentra Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2000 Nissan Sentra most often describe the engine quitting while driving — sometimes at highway speed, sometimes at low speed when braking or accelerating — with the check engine light coming on. Many tie these stalls to the crank/cam position sensors and the engine control module, both of which were covered by recalls. A second common theme is a plastic oil dipstick handle that snaps off and leaves the metal stick lodged in the tube.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Engine stalls or cuts out while driving

   • 55 complaints (32%)
   • median 64,551 mi at 5.8 yrs old (32 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $650 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2002–2023

   Complaints describe the engine shutting off without warning while driving, sometimes at highway speed and sometimes after slowing or braking at low speed. The check engine or service engine soon light typically comes on, and some vehicles restart after sitting a while, others need towing. Owners say dealers replaced the crank or cam position sensor, the engine control module, a mass airflow sensor, or an oxygen sensor; several report the symptom returned after repairs, and some were told their vehicle was outside the recall's VIN or mileage range. Reports span roughly 9,000 to 165,000 miles, with many between 25,000 and 90,000 miles; several describe stalls happening after warm-up or on hot days.

   Recall 01V357000Recall 03V455000Recall 03V477000

   What to check: Ask whether the crank and cam position sensor recalls (01V357000, 03V455000) and the ECM-box recall (03V477000) were completed for this VIN, and whether any sensors were replaced afterward. Watch for a check engine light and try a highway test drive to see if the engine falters.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car shut of while driving at 65 MPH. Lucky it was late at night and I was able to coast the car to the shoulder. The car restarted after 10 minutes drove about 2 miles and it shut of again. This time I called my father and had the car towed home. The mechanic indicated that it was a crankshaft and camshaft sensor issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #10704801, filed 2015-04, 11,661 miles

   “Consumer received recall 01v357000 concerning crank position sensor: after recall repairs were done it started experiencing crank position sensor failure. Less than two months after the recall repairs were done was driving and the vehicle cut off. Consumer spoke to the dealer, who claimed that recall repairs were done properly.”

   NHTSA complaint #10075502, filed 2004-06, 84,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Plastic oil dipstick handle breaks off

   • 11 complaints (6%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 4.5 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2003–2010

   Owners describe the plastic handle of the oil dipstick breaking away as they pull it out, leaving the metal stick stuck inside the tube. Several say the dealer called it a known problem and quoted a large sum to extract it; in some cases the loose stick slid further down toward the crankshaft. Complaints note the handle becomes brittle with heat and age. Mostly reported between about 8,000 and 110,000 miles, often during routine oil checks or service.

   What to check: Pull the dipstick gently and inspect the plastic handle for cracks or brittleness; ask whether the dipstick has ever been replaced, and check that the stick is fully seated in its tube.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Went out to check my oil and the plastic puller on the oil dip stick broke off as I removed it and the remaining part of the stick fell into the dip stick shaft and became lodged. My Nissan dealer quoted me several hundred dollars to remove the dip stick.”

   NHTSA complaint #10003091, filed 2003-01, 55,000 miles

   “I own a 2000 Nissan gxe. The handle to the dip stip broke in the technician's hand leaving the dipstick in the tube . I haven't asked yet, but records show that Nissan will charge up to $700 to remove the broken dip stick.”

   NHTSA complaint #10102958, filed 2004-12, 50,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Dashboard gauges quit intermittently

   • 15 complaints (9%)
   • median 83,245 mi at 9.0 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2013

   Complaints describe the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, odometer and temperature gauge all stopping at once while driving, then coming back after a period of time. Some owners report the gauges have behaved this way since the car was new, and dealers were unable to reproduce the fault. In one case a dealer replaced a control sensor for an inoperative instrument cluster. Reported from as little as 3,000 miles up to around 197,000 miles, with several cases between 50,000 and 90,000 miles.

   What to check: During a test drive, watch whether all gauges move together and sweep normally when the key is turned; ask whether the instrument cluster or any related sensor has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The gauges on my dashboard stopped working intermittently - I will be driving and there is no speedometer, odometer, tachometer, gas gauge or temperature gauge. They all stop working together for various lengths of time, and then just click on again.”

   NHTSA complaint #10273996, filed 2009-06, 85,000 miles

   “I just bought the car used on 6-22-13. The gauges on my dashboard stopped working intermittently - I will be driving and there is no speedometer, odometer, tachometer, gas gauge or temperature gauge. They all stop working together for various lengths of time, and then just click on again. The gauges seem to be stuck in place on the gas meter but the speedometer would just fall to the corner (left or right depending on the angle it is on when it stops working. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10522494, filed 2013-06, 197,125 miles

Buying note. Check the recall status for the crank and cam position sensor, engine control module and front suspension campaigns by VIN before buying, and confirm from service records that they were actually performed. A thorough test drive, watching for a check engine light, stalling and steady gauge readings, is worthwhile given how often those symptoms appear in owner complaints.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.