1991 Nissan Sentra SE review from North America

The battery required replacement at 117,000 miles.

The alternator required replacement at 138,000 miles.

Had to replace the CV joints at 170,000 miles.

The rear sway bar broke at 180,000 miles when my girlfriend backed the car into a ditch. It was replaced.

The gearbox between transmission and axles required replacement at 185,000 miles due to a crack in the housing, which I suspect began when my girlfriend backed into the ditch.

The heater/air conditioner fan motor was replaced at 210,000 miles.

The passenger door lock mechanism broke at 238,000 miles - cannot unlock door from inside or outside. This has not yet been fixed, though I'm sure it won't be too expensive.

After an accident at 23,000 miles, the driver door latch rattled badly due to improper repair. This was later fixed by having the loose piece of sheet metal around the door latch welded back into place.

The paint, apart from the area repaired after the accident, was badly faded by 195,000 miles, so I had it repainted.

Brake linings and tires have been replaced a few times, but no more often than dictated by normal wear and tear.

This car, having a 1.6L engine and automatic transmission, isn't exactly quick. Nor is it a luxury car. It's an economy car, which excels in its mission of transporting me cheaply from point A to point B.

This car actually started off belonging to my girlfriend, who bought it new and picked it up at the factory in Smyrna, Tennessee with 7 miles on it. I bought it from her in 2000 when my Honda Prelude's transmission died. It (the Sentra) had 190,000 miles on it at the time, and now it's a quarter-million-mile miracle.

This car uses less than a quart of oil between changes and leaks about 1/2 quart of transmission fluid in that time, so I can still change the oil and top off the transmission fluid every 3000 miles and forget about it till the next time. It does not smoke, sputter, miss, or exhibit any other unwanted behavior.

The only visible damage on the interior is a small tear on the driver's seat. The carpet is still in good shape, although it has a few coffee stains. The air conditioner still blows cold air, all the buttons still work.

This car has failed to start on demand a total of ONE time in the 12 years we've owned it, due to the battery developing a dead cell. I recently drove this car to Richmond and back every week for 2 months, and wouldn't hesitate to drive this quarter-million-mile vehicle anywhere, anytime, with no worries about breakdowns.

I still get about 30mpg on the freeway, and the car will still go fast enough to trigger the rev limiter - which kicks in at 120mph. Yes, I've done this, but not often :)

12 years. 249,000 miles. Original engine and transmission. Still drives almost like new. What more is there to say?