NHTSA Complaint #10127872 — 2003 NISSAN SENTRA

THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD A NUMBER OF RECALLS FROM ITS PRELIMINARY 02 MODEL YEAR TO ITS LATEST 05 MODELS. THE FOUR CYLINDER MOTOR THAT POWERS THIS CAR WITH THE ENGINE CODE QR25DE HAS A HABIT OF INGESTING BUTTERFLY VALVE SCREWS. THESE SCREWS SECURE PLATES THAT OPEN AT A CERTAIN RPM WITHIN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO ALLOW MORE AIR TO ENTER THE ENGINE. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME THESE SCREWS CAN WORK THEMSELVES LOOSE BECOME SUCKED THROUGH THE INTAKE SYSTEM AND ENTER THE CYLINDERS OF THE MOTOR. DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE THE RESULTS COULD LEAVE THE OWNER NOTICING ABNORMAL THROTTLE RESPONSE BECAUSE OF LOOSE PLATES, THEY MAY NOTICE THEIR MOTORS ARE BURNING AN INCREASINGLY LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL OR AT WORSE IMMEDIATE ENGINE STALL/FAILURE THAT COULD OCCUR AT ANY SPEED. AT TIMES THEY MAY BE TOTALLY UNAWARE ANY DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED UNTIL MORE SCREWS BECOME DISPLACED. SCREWS HAVE BEEN NONE TO SCORE CYLINDER WALLS AND CLOSE SPARK PLUG GAPS AS WELL. I AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT NISSAN IS AWARE OF THIS FAILURE BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF OWNERS STRICKEN BY THIS PROBLEM HAVE HAD THEIR ENTIRE MOTOR REPLACED AND AT TIMES JUST THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. HOWEVER THERE HAVE BEEN A GOOD AMOUNT OF CASES WHERE DEALERS HAVE REFUSED TO DO WARRANTY WORK ON THESE VEHICLES. SOME OF THE MORE MECHANICALLY INCLINED OWNERS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM BY USING AN ADHESIVE DESIGNED TO SECURE SCREWS BY THE NAME OF LOCTITE. OWNERS WHO HAVE DONE THIS HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WHAT SO EVER, BUT FOR THOSE OF US NOT SKILLED ENOUGH TO TAKE THIS TASK ON OURSELVES WE ARE PRETTY MUCH WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN AND HOPING IT DOESN''T HAPPEN AT A VERY INCONVENIENT TIME. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN SEEN IN ALL B15 SENTRAS WITH THIS PARTICULAR MOTOR FROM 2002 TO 2004 WHICH INCLUDES THE SE-R, SE-R SPEC V AND 2.5 SPECIAL EDITION. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS.