Used 2003 Nissan Sentra Consumer Reviews
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i have owned 3, let me be the judge!
i just bought my 3rd Ser spec v today. and there is a reason i have owned 2 spec v's prior to this and the reason is simple, the cars are amazing for the cost. i know you will read alot of bad reviews here and a bunch of fake hype but you cant find another car to out perform or outlast a Spec v for 4000$-5000$ period. unless you wanna risk buying a lemon. i owned a 2002 spec v, a 2005 spec v and now just bought a 2003 spec v and have NEVER had any issues aside from the fuel pump Recall they had which was FREE. best car for the price and a great car to start learning how to tune on, super easy to find your way around the engine. change the oil and tires and it'll last you 250k miles NP
Not for the Average Joe.
If you are one of those non car savvy folks with little to no mechanical skills, this is NOT the car for you. Well, unless you have loads of cash at your disposal for repairs. I have owned my SPEC V since 2004, and trust me, changing the oil and basic maintenance just does not cut it for these things. The 2 main issues on this particular model are the butterfly screws inside the intake manifold that NEED to be loctited and the stock exhaust manifold that NEEDS to be replaced with an aftermarket header ASAP after purchase, due to the poor factory design that can cause SERIOUS DAMAGE to your engine. If you enjoy modding, working on cars and learning about them, this car can be very rewarding.
I Miss my Sentra
I bought my Sentra new in 2003. It was a great car, but since I live in the north, I found out the first winter that it needed snow tires, and after getting those it was a great winter car. I live in a town with steep hills so great traction is really important. Although the car rode a little low, it never got stuck in snow. The cluster that controls the gauges failed in about the 5th year, and luckily my extended warranty covered it. I recently traded it for a very low mile 2007 Toyota Corolla and regret it so far. The Toyota has horrible road noise and handling. I am going to replace the tires and hope that helps.
Love my car!
I bought my Nissan Sentra in 2003, right off the lot. I wanted something dependable. I had my first issue with the car at 85,000 miles. I had to replace a belt, $30. At 93,000 miles I replaced a battery, $75. At 115,000 miles I replaced a sensor, $160. An now at 125,000 miles I have another $50 issue. So in 7 years, I have only put $315 worth of parts in it(minus tune ups, oil changes, & tires). I can't complain AT All! Daily Driver and now is managing to be my childrens car to learn to drive it. I trust it completly with my kids. Just not sure that I trust my kids with the car! :) My next new car will be a Nissan. Hope this one lasts over 300,000 miles though!
Fun car to drive
I've had my car for almost 6 years and it is still a fun little car to drive. And it handles very well. My biggest problems with it was the faulty pre cat failure and I had to replace the ignition coils a few times as well. Another thing that I don't like about my car is the gas mileage, its a good car for local runs but I don't think its good car for long distance trips.
Bought a 2003
It only had 30 miles on it and after 5 minutes of driving through some pretty rough roads it HAD TO BE mine. Stiff but not uncomfortable ride. Very secure handling and the 6 speed is one of the best I have ever driven. The enthusiast will be very pleased with the large wheels, suspension bars, and upgraded exhaust.
First car
My father got me this car for my high school gradation. It looks like King Kong drop a load on it When i got it. it had all the recalls done to it. It has now 264,xxx miles on the frame, the engine haves around about 150,xxx miles. the last engine die because last owner did not care for it. Now it taking me though college. After i'm out of college I do a complete rebuilt of the car.
Good for the first 7 years
I purchased my Nissan GXE with only 17,000 miles on it.....drove it for YEARS with NO problems, took excellent care of it & then last year the bottom fell out! After reaching 100,000 miles, I started having major repair issues...one after the other...The sensors started going crazy...crank shaft & cram sensors,...the head gasket had to be replaced, the steering rack 6mos later....& these are $1000+ repairs!!! Major disappointment. Don't get me wrong, I did get a lot of usage, but I know people with nearly 200,000+ miles on their cars(different makes/models) & I thought I would be one of them... guess Not! Now I have to consider purchasing another vehicle & I'm Not happy about it one bit.
(Of Course) Bang for the buck
The Spec-V is one of the best 'bang for your buck' cars available. It is also one of the few with four doors. It will run a mid to low 15 second quarter mile stock, but there aren't many modifications available for the car yet, so for you tuners there isn't very much further to go. The car has its great points, handling, lots of torque, and styling, and it's bad points,
Excellent Value
I bought my 2.5 Limited Edition one month ago. The major selling point for me was the engine. It only takes 1/2 throttle to merge into freeway traffic. It is really great to know that the car will respond immediately when you want to accelerate, even when it's competition won't (even in the 40- 45 mph where most cars take some time to really get going. I have had no problems (so far) and am very pleased. Do yourself a favor and test drive one before you buy any other car in the same class/type.
A lemon on wheels
I purchased this vehicle new. With less than 100,000 miles I have spent over $4,000 in the past two years replacing major parts. Today I was told I need a new engine. All of this despite regular maintenance. Nationwide of Timonium, the dealership, has done nothing at all to address this problem. So, I need a new car. I can't believe what a lemon this car is/was. So much for Nissan and buying new cars and regular maintenance. I hate Nissan. Please do yourself a favor and buy something else.
Not the best, but what really is?
Having traded in my 2001 Focus ZTS on what seemed like a whim, I became the owner of a pure white SE-R Spec V. It's made me feel like I got a much better car for a reasonable price. Though inoffensive on the exterior, it's certainly not ugly. The interior is pleasant and well thought out, though the plastics leave much to be desired. The red gauges are difficult to read sometimes. Seats are comfy, good back support. This is not a car for everyone. It doesn't even attempt to coddle you and your passengers. But I find myself looking for longer ways home just to spend more time driving. That's a hard thing to get people to want to do with an economy car.
Could have been better...
Bought the car new and had lots of problems within the first three years of ownership. The SE-R has a lot of issues that were never properly recalled such as a faulty pre-cat, poor MAF sensor, wheel hop, exterior paint, and a few other things. Had my engine replaced under warranty at 30,000 miles due to screws breaking off my intake runners and blowing up my engine. A simple locktighting of the screws would fix that issue. Aftermarket modification like motor mount inserts and header will get rid of some of the mechanical problems. Also, the plastic undercarriage pieces will gradually fall out. After dealing with those issues the car has gone strong the past 3 years
a pocket rocket for a low price
The nissan sentra se-r spec v, is an easy vehicle to maintain, all you need to do is keep up the usual maintenance and the spec v will be very reliable. the spec v does have alot of torque steer but you get used to it after awhile. the suspension setup in the spec v is ready for auto x, when you toss the spec v around the corners at higher speeds the spec v feels like its right at home. when you want to pass someone on the freeway it could be done in fifth gear without any problems. where else can you find 175hp, 180ft/tq with a helical limited slip differential, 6 speed manual transmission, auto x ready suspension and a fun car to drive for less that 20 thousand dollars.
Good solid first new car for the family
Stiff ride is very nice. Comfy front seats, though th back is cramped. Good child features. I did notice a couple of asthetic things: a) the Nissan symbol on the steering wheel has one crunched part on it (being asthetic and on the inside, not a big deal I suppose). The muffler has a bit of rust on it (not sure why, I'll bring it in). Engine is a bit loud, but expected with timing chain. Overall good car with nice features (tissue holder in CD holder compartment is nice. Heated mirrors are nice. Good perks on this nice looking car.
A good thing gone wrong.
The Nissan Sentra Spec V looks great on paper, and it does drive very well at first. After about a month after buying the car, the transmission became clunky and it even grinds gears during shifts when it is cold out. The car can take up to 15 minuets for the transmissioin to loosen up. Multiple dealers have told as that this is normal operation, but the operation changed after I got it. There were some cosmetic problems with the paint, body molding, and trunk and engine lid that was all fixed under warranty. Mold in the AC system was fixed on the 3rd try. I would not recomend this car to anyone. Build quality is very poor.
2003 Nissan Sentra GXE
Bought an 03 Sentra for my daughter's graduation and would never consider buying a Nissan product again. Head gasket went after 70k and warranty had just run out. Nissan wouldn't listen to our complaints and told us we were on our own. It was extremely tough to get through to any customer service people and when I did they never followed up with us. They don't back up their product and their customer service is terrible. At one point the car just stopped in the middle of an intersection and after a few hundred dollars of diagnostics it was a $3 ignition fuse that was the problem. The dealership I purchased it from was great and the service mgr was very helpful but Nissan is out forever.
No Nissan....ever again!! These cars have a serious safety issue!!
I bought this car exactly 4yrs ago for my GF. it had about 33k miles on it. it now has about 93k miles on it. These cars & other nissians , have had recalls due to crank and or cam sensors going bad. When this happens...your car STOPS...the engine just shuts completely off! You could be at a light, driving on the highway, going up a hill or on a wet or icy road....the car will just die without warning! BOTH senors went out within a few months of each other. Once on my GF in busy commute comming home! We have no kids and don't smoke and we take care of our cars, however we also have had, 2 window motors die, glove box just broke, visor fell apart, ignition won't unlock..etc etc
great fun car
This car is one of the most fun cars I've ever driven. It's fast accelerates good and hands decent but needs a little work. It doesn't seems to have any problems or kinks and is an all around great car. It gives you the biggest bang for the buck.
Fun Affordable Car
Drove it for 13 years before buying a Toyota definitely miss the more sporty feeling of the car though. Car handled like a dream. Car always had minor issue but nothing to major ignition coils, ball joints, tie rod ends, rear struts, evap vent valve, crankshaft and camshaft sensor, the notorious horrible factory radio, and window motor. Engine had decent power for the size of the car. Smooth transmission before the days of the horrible cvt. Would recommend it as a good first car with the 1.8l engine.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Practical and fun.
I bought a used 2003 Spec V in April 2005. The car has 60,000km on it. I researched many cars and tried to decide which one was best for my situation. As a recent grad with a new condo, the Spec V was the best bang for the buck. Low profile tires make noise on bumpy roads. Handling is very good, low body roll. 4 doors make it practical. I looked at the 1.7 Acura EL and was turned off when I had 4 passengers, the car bottomed out whereas the Spec V does not with 4 passengers. Gas mileage not as good as anticipated but it could be the way I drive. Stereo sounds good. The brakes are good. Torque-steer not an issue unless you're driving too hard. I would reccommend this car to anyone.
Speedy Econobox
Very impressed overall. Got a great price, and I am very happy with the performance. Great buy just coming out of college. Has plenty of guts, but still gets almost 30 mpg. A friend with a '00 civic si loves it. Overall, higly recommended.
2 years down the road
Well, I've had this car now for 2.5 years now so I think I know it pretty well. First, second and third gear rubber, not bad. Torque steer can get very bad and out of control. Looks are excellent. Reverse lockout is very poor. Hitting reverse while shifting to 6th gear is possible with little effort (I've done it several times). Front seats are poor design. Put something flat on it and it ends up in the back on the floor. Turning radius is also poor, Fuel average for city is 20 mpg. I have the black one, paint quality is poor but looks great. Nicks or scratches with little effort. Still, I like this car. Sound system is fine, for me anyway. This car will hold a tight turn like no other.
Spec Vs Rule
I think this is a wonderful car in my opinion its the best front wheel drive car you can get. Great power and handling.
Surprising to drive!
Ever since I first drove this car for the test drive, I've loved it. I like to drive fast and to be able to get around town when I need to, and this car is more than suitable for it. With plenty of power throughout the majority of the RPM's, it will not let you down. For tuner's out there, it has a good aftermarket backing. To other's, it comes with just about everything you will need. I'm having a hard time wanting to replace the stock sound system. In fact, the only thing I would want to replace is the factory header due to the precat restricting the powerband. With the sound package, sunroof, 6-speed transaxle and the 17" rims, you really can't beat this car for the price.
My review
My Nissan Sentra Spec-v has to be the funest car that i have ever driven and is also really relaible. The 6 speed transmission is really easy to shift and the clutch isnt to stiff or to soft it is just right.
FAST LITTLE CAR
i owned a ford escort before my se-r, so i am really happy. the power is amazing for a 4 cylinder, the stereo sounds great and the front end looks so cool. nissan has really done a great job putting some sports into there little sedan. also the brakes are very smooth and the leather heated seats are a great option for such a low priced car.
03 Spec V
I have had my Spec V for a few months now and I would say that it is an excellent vehicle. Handling is great the accl. is very aggressive and fun (for anything, especially a 4 cyl.) and the vehicle seems to be put together very well. You can even feel it when you open and close the doors. Limited slip is a great feature that is tough to find in vehicles within this price range. When the secondaries open up at 5000 rpm, you can really hear it, very nice sound. I really do like this car, and I have had several different sports cars and this one is the most well rounded vehicle that I have owned. This car is so fun to drive, you will love it go ahead, buy one!!!!!!!!
Newbie
I really love my Nissan; its not hard to handle and comfortable. The air conditioner seems to only have a few settings though: Too Cold or VERY Cold. I constantly seem to be trying to adjust the temperature so that its comfortable. Great stereo system though. Fun to drive, AND THANK GOODNESS for AMAZING GAS MILEAGE. I pay typically about $10-15 of gas every week or so and so its not bad whatsoever. It's a very steady car, reliable, and compact enough that it'll fit practically anywhere. The doors are a little small for moving things, but you can pack a lot of stuff into the car once you get past the door.
Great performance value
I bought this car brand new in 03. Car looks much better than 04 and up. Love the interior, transmission, and all that torque! Only trouble was the recall on the pre cat. I solved that by installing a header. Good performance and looks for the price. Only complaint is it is under powered. cant keep up with wrx or neon srt-4. But a car that can run low 15s for under 19k is hard to pass up. Car handles very well in stock trim but Eibach springs make it handle better and actually improve the ride quality. Suggest an after market shifter to clean up the sloppy action of the stock piece. This car is a blast to drive and it sets you apart from the thousands of civics out there.
Reliving My Childhood
I am re-living my childhood driving this car! It combines the raw power of my 1965 GTO with the reliability of my 1994 Camry. It goes like a bat of hell when you want it and still gets great gas mileage. It impressed my daughter when she drove it the first time and that says alot for the car. It gets a steady diet of compliments from the 'tuners' around my neighborhood. Definitely worth the money
V is for me
Great car...best value if looking for performance and overall quality. 10 times better than Civic and it's not a Neon. 28-30 mpg. 6 speeds could be spread out better at the bottom end, but just a thrill to drive. Quick, comfortable, standard audio is great. Can't say enough how much I fall in love everytime i see it and climb behind the wheel.
2003 2.5LE Sentra
I purchased a limited edition sentra in oct 2002.Overall, I am pleased with the performance of the car- good acceleration, and for the price there is no other car in its class that can compete with all the features that this model provides (ABS/side airbags/165hp, etc) I am upset however because no more than a month after I had the car, I discovered that I had a pin-size hole leak in one of the lower radiator tubes. I am surprised at this and did not really anticipate experiencing this type of problem from a company such as nissan. However, all in all the car is a good buy for commuting.
Bad paint job
The car rides a little rough. You can feel every bump in the road. My car also came with a bad paint job. Two months after purchasing the car the paint job started showing light blotches on one side of the car. After 2 months, 4 trips to the dealer, and 19 phone calls(calls made to dealer and nissan customer line) they are repainting part of the car. I have also been having trouble with the A/C. Once you use the defrost setting, you can not shut the air conditioning off until you turn the car off.
OK, but not great in bad weather
I've owned this car for 4 years now. The engine seems kind of thrashy... doesn't shift smoothly. This car is HORRIBLE in any weather other than bone dry. I even put really nice all season Michelin tires on it and I hydroplane on everything from snow to rain to leaves, even going slow. It's a great first car, but I don't feel safe in it
People need to take better care of cars
When I bought the car it only had 55,000 miles on it. Now 2 years later it has 78,000 miles. I only had to change some wear and tear parts. With Nissan Sentra, like any other car, if you don't keep up on the maintenance the car won't perform or run properly. Little problems turn to bigger problems. If you keep having head gasket problems let up and quit horsing the damn car, and if you are having radio problems keep the volume down or get a hearing aid. Factory radios can only take so much power on any car not only Nissan.
Worst Car I've ever owned.
I purchased this car brand new in April 2003 and owned it for 3 years. It was nothing but problems for those 3 years straight. The catalytic converter failed within 2 months of owning the car and had to be replaced. This happened 3 additional times over the 3 year ownership. About 2 1/2 years in the engine blew all by itself and had to be replaced. The alternator failed multiple times and sometimes the car would die while in motion. The car had many rattles/creaks all over it always. The transmission developed many issues and grinds and had sounds like loose metal inside of it. I have read many problems with this car from others as well. Stay far away from it, its an endless money pit.
This Car Stinks
All we've had was problems with it the engine is terrible has no good features the head gasket blew at around 60,000 miles and all we've had to do was put extra money out for the car it's a piece of trash and nissan's customer service is terrible to they don't care about there customers at all i recommend don't get this car or any Nissan at all just avoid them at all costs just a month ago we were in an accident with it and i have to say it lasted pretty well but the airbags never went off so it could have been deadly it's not a safe car and takes more money to take care of it and fix it then it actually costs and also when we bought it used it was in a huge hailstorm no one told us
One of the Worst cars ever owned
I have owned over 18 cars thus far in my life. The worst by far either this car or the Cadillac I owned. I purchased this car used in 2005 with 27K miles on it. I only owned it till 2006. I sold it with 35K miles on it. It was a terrible car. (6 months) What broke in a year. Power windows (new motors) Door would not open due to cheap plastic clips in the door for the connection to the handle. Rattles in all the plastic Motor was burning oil due to bad piston rings. Seat adjuster broke and would not hold the recline adjustment. (I weighed at the time 135LBS) MPG was awful even when compared to a Roush Mustang. Left me stranded twice
2003 SPEC V
Purchased my SPEC V in April. .9% finance rate was the deal sealer. It's silver. The car was fully loaded from the factory. I tacked on many extras offered by the dealer such as LOJACK, Two tone leather seats silver/slategrey, gap insurance (not available in all states), rearview mirror w/auto dimm/compass/temp, wheel locks, and a wind deflector for the sun roof. I only have 970 miles on it so far and break in is 1200 so I haven't really broken 4500rpm yet. It handles REALLY well and the ride although firm is not harsh. Out the door I'm paying 384/60 with no down/no trade in. I love it and have no problems so far.
Handling & Acceleration for Less
I got my fully loaded (sunroof, audio, abs, mats, & microfilter) '03 Spec-V a week ago and have no doubt that I made the right decision. Paid $18,064 /w $500 cash back at 1.9% APR. Acceleration and handling are fantastic, as well as the look /w the mesh grills and 17" wheels. Seats are comfortable yet supportive. Fosgate stero is incredible. Overall a great choice.
I will never ever own a Nissan again!
I bought this car in 2003 as a graduation present to myself, little did I know what a piece of crap I bought. I'm not joking when I say my CD player broke about once a month. Something went wrong with my electrical system and my lights would randomly turn off. Just about any replacement parts have to be bought from Nissan (rip off). After my radiator and my head gasket went at 60,000 I got rid of this car. I couldn't afford to keep up with all of the repairs and of course Nissan kept trying to turn everything around on me even when my car was under warranty! I traded this piece of crap in for a Toyota Matrix and 3 years later I'm still happy I did so! I swear I will never buy a Nissan again
A lot of problems...
I bought this car in 2006. It has about 76k miles on it at the moment. I have had a LOT of problems with this car. One time the car shut off in the middle of an intersection, cost about $500 to repair. The tires wear unevenly, the dealer said it's because the tire arms went bad, and to replace everything wrong with it right now he said it's going to cost over $2,000. Terrible car from a maintenance perspective, and doesn't get nearly as much gas mileage as it claims. Probably will never buy Nissan again, and I do NOT recommend this car at ALL.
2003 SPEC V - The Best of the Pack
I bought the 2003 Spec V yesterday in Molten Silver (Base Package). So far, it has been absolutely top notch. The best improvement over the 2002 model is the seat covers. The "loud" lava color has been replaced by a classy silver/gray with a matching stitch on the steering wheel. It looks a whole lot better, especially with black or silver exterior.
shift!!!!!!
this is a very fun car to drive. the first time i got in it was at the dealership and i felt the power as soon as i pulled out of the space. very nimble. about the only down side to the spec-v was getting used to the outragous torque steer when really pushing it.
nissan
it's the best ever
My first NEW car and its fantastic!
I have only 500 km on the car but it has been a pleasure to drive. The interior finish is excellent and very well layed out. The power is more than adequate and it is very relaxing to drive. Overall, I couldn't be happier. A lot of car for the money!
overall good car
the spec-v has a lot of power for its class. six-speed is awesome, but a little jumpy. i have been driving stick for years and was hoping the transmission was a little bit smoother on this new car. i have continental contisport tires on from the dealer, they have been rated bad for wet roads, but so far have held up well in rainy conditions. suspension is really tight. overall the car is excellent for its class and value. very sporty looking and at the same time very practical and gets pretty good gas mileage.
Leoivench
The best small car on a market
Spec- tacular SER
4 Dr Econo M3... Great build quality. Livable sports sedan. Lives up to the old Sentra SER with a much fresher look and, feel. Handles like my Integra GSR with less lean.