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2002 Nissan Sentra

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2002 Sentra.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2002 Nissan Sentra is a passenger car whose maintenance footprint — 2.9 quarts of 5W-30 API engine oil — speaks to a modest, straightforward powertrain, yet its ownership record suggests that simplicity has not translated into trouble-free motoring. Across the model's complaint history spanning 1990 through 2026, this year's 333 owner complaints and 14 recalls place it firmly in the upper-middle tier — well shy of the 638-complaint peak reached in 2013, but far from the single-digit quiet of the newest model years. Because Engine & Engine Cooling dominates as the top complaint area, researchers and prospective owners should understand that this Sentra's reliability story centers squarely on under-hood durability, making vigilant cooling-system and engine maintenance the defining concern of ownership.

Model year2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2002

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity2.9 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque72-87 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 21R · 490 CCA battery, OE oil filter 1520865F0E. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 21R · 490 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP185-65TR14OEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	1520865F0E alt 152089E01A
Engine air filter	165460Z000 alt 16546V0100
Fuel filter	164002Y922 alt 164002Y505
Spark plug	224015M016 alt 224015M014
Front wiper blades	288904Z800 alt 288904Z010
Serpentine belt	119505M001 alt 117200M200
Thermostat	212006M43A alt 212306N20A
Cabin air filter	27277VP01A

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	177.6 in
Overall width	67.3 in
Overall height	55.5 in
Wheelbase	99.6 in
Curb weight	2747 lb
Track (front / rear)	57.5 / 56.7 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	62/38

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Sentra of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.1–9.0 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.10 sec — 2002 SE-R Spec V

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2002	SE-R Spec V 2.5L I-4	7.10 sec	15.50 sec	175 hp	FWD
2002	SE-R Spec V 2.5L I-4	7.40 sec	15.70 sec	175 hp	FWD
2002	GXE 1.8L I-4	9.00 sec	17.00 sec	126 hp	FWD
2003	SE-R Spec V 2.5L I-4	7.30 sec	15.60 sec	175 hp	FWD
2003	SE-R Spec V 2.5L I-4	7.30 sec	15.60 sec	175 hp	FWD
2000	SE 2.0L I-4	7.90 sec	16.00 sec	145 hp	FWD
2000	SE 2.0L I-4	8.00 sec	16.30 sec	145 hp	FWD
2000	SE 2.0L I-4	8.30 sec	16.30 sec	145 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 2.9 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 72-87 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	2.9 qt
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.3 qt
Power Steering Fluid	ATF

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	98-112 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	AT: 69-76 ft-lbs, MT: 61-69 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	76-83 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	12-17 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	20-22 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	13-15 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	29-32 ft-lbs
Main Bearings	34-38 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	72-87 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	145-202 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	163 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	MT: 750, AT: 800 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	50 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	50 rpm
Spark Plug Gap	0.031-0.035 in
Spark Plug Torque	14.0-22.0 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing	9, Not adjustable degrees

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	.99-1.21 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	100
Oil Capacity	6.10 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	21R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	490 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	35

Service checks

Injector Primary Resistance	13.5-17.5 ohms
Injector Primary Resistance	11.6-14.9 ohms
Engine Compression	192-168 PSI. 14 Maximum variation PSI.
Engine Compression	181-154 PSI. 14 Maximum variation PSI.
Engine Oil Pressure	14 psi @ 600 rpm, 43 psi @ 2000 rpm psi
Engine Oil Pressure	14 psi @ Idle, 43 psi @ 3000 rpm psi
Intake Valve Lash	0.00 in
Exhaust Valve Lash	0.00 in

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket	16-23 ft-lbs / 53-72 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	28-38 ft-lbs / 72-87 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness	0.059 in
Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.008 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.0028 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages

Tighten all bolts finger tight

4 ft. lbs

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages

Finger tight, Step 2

2 ft. lbs

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

11 ft. lbs., Step 2: 35-40

11 ft. lbs

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

14 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

14 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

28-34 ft. lbs., 60

28–34 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages

Prep Bolts 1-10:

1	22 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	43 ft. lbs.	43 ft. lbs
3	Loosen all bolts completely.
4	22 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
5	50-55 degrees.; Bolts 11-14:	50–55 degrees
1	56-74

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages

1	72 ft. lbs.	72 ft. lbs
2	Loosen all bolts completely.
3	26-32 ft. lbs.	26–32 ft. lbs
4	75-80 degrees.	75–80 degrees
5	75-80 degrees.	75–80 degrees

Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

Bolts 1-10

27–30 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs at 105,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Cruise Control System (inspect) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect)
At 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 105,000 mi	Spark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The federal record for this generation shows a sharp upward trend in complaints and recalls starting in 2000, culminating in 2002 before declining in 2003. The 2002 Nissan Sentra sits at the apex of this arc with a generation-high 333 complaints and 14 recalls, representing a stark increase from the 248 complaints and 8 recalls documented for the 2001 model year. Engine and engine cooling issues dominate the 2002 complaint record at 109 reports—supplemented by 16 engine-specific complaints—followed by the electrical system (35) and airbags (31), though the data does not specify the root causes of these failures. Falling precisely at the peak of this generation's defect trajectory implies the 2002 model bears the brunt of the era's manufacturing and engineering deficiencies, making it notably less reliable than the surrounding years. Given the disproportionate safety recalls and severe complaint volume, you should avoid the 2002 Sentra and instead consider the 2003 model, which shows a marked decrease to 180 complaints and 10 recalls.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

333

Owner complaints

23 involved a crash · 8 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01’02’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’22 ’23 ’24 ’25 ’26

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 333 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling109

Electrical System35

Air Bags31

Engine16

Vehicle Speed Control13

Power Train12

Tires12

Unknown Or Other11

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 14 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

20V008000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 09/01/2020

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4… Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020…

20V747000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 01/12/2020

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2002-2006 Sentra vehicles whose passenger air bags were previously inspected and may have been released without replacing the Takata air bag inflator. In the… Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been completed. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will re-inspect the vehicle and, if necessary, replace…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 75 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
NTB09-131C	2026-04-13	Structure	CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision…
NTB09-131C	2026-04-13	Structure	CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision…
NTB13-107G	2024-05-20	Electrical System	VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been…
NTB17-019H	2024-04-29	Visibility/Wiper	WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY…
NTB13-028I	2024-04-29	Visibility/Wiper	REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Sentra. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 21R battery Vehicles taking 2.9 qt Engine oil filter 1520865F0E Engine air filter 165460Z000 Fuel filter 164002Y922 Spark plug 224015M016

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2002 Sentra take?

2.9 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2002 Sentra have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 14 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.