The 2002 Nissan Sentra has 8 recalls, the most serious being a Takata passenger airbag inflator that can rupture and send metal fragments into the cabin, posing a risk of serious injury or death.
Prior inspection campaigns did not fully resolve this issue for all vehicles, and some cars may have been cleared without actually receiving a replacement inflator, so the defect may still be present even on vehicles that were previously inspected. On the fire side, vehicles with the 2.5-liter engine have two related concerns: road debris can catch on the exhaust pipe hanger and ignite near the catalytic converter, and certain engine conditions can cause the pre-catalyst to overheat and damage the catalyst substrate, either of which can result in an underbody fire. There is also a concern with Nissan-approved factory or dealer-installed floor mats on the driver's side, where mat movement can pin the accelerator pedal down and prevent it from returning after the driver lifts off. Rounding out the list, the crank angle sensor on 2.5-liter models can malfunction and cause the engine to stall without warning, cutting power to the drivetrain.