1992 Nissan Sentra GXE from North America - Comments

Driver's power windows and door locks started working only intermittently at 110K miles; two of the 13" alloy wheels can't seem to hold air pressure, no matter what tires are on there; trunk key lock ceased working around 60K miles, so we have to use the remote lever to open the trunk; power sunroof motor/cable slips intermittently, so we have to "help" it open or close.

This car is loaded with every available convenience/comfort option, and most of them have held up better than I would have expected from most European or American cars I've had experience with.

The normal wear-and-tear parts (brakes, pads, belts, wipers, etc.), however, seem to last LESS time than I think they should. They don't seem to be engineered as stoutly as on most European or American cars I've had experience with.

On the other hand, we do regular oil and filter changes, but very little other "routine scheduled maintenance," and this hasn't been a problem (the car has never left us stranded anywhere).

This was my wife's first new car, and she chose what to buy and how it should be equipped. At the time, I said "it's going to be your car, honey, you choose it." I just wanted her to get a nice reliable 4-door Japanese car.

Unfortunately, I wasn't thinking that eventually, when we have kids, the husband seems to inevitably end up driving the wife's old hand-me-down car, so she can cart the family around in a new larger, safer minivan, wagon or SUV. Lesson learned -- too late.

She chose the upscale GXE model, with every comfort and convenience option available. Nice. She chose bright candy apple red paint, which with the cute little rear deck spoiler and silver alloy wheels, makes the car look fittingly "cute." Also nice.

All that really doesn't bother me. What burns me every single day I drive this car is that she chose an automatic transmission.

The SOHC 16V 1.6L 4-cyl is no torque monster to start with. But to load it down with an economy-oriented slushbox, and you have killed any hope of this thing ever getting out of its own way.

It can't travel up hills with the air conditioning on, and maintain highway speeds. It just slowly loses forward momentum as we proceed up the hills.

If I turn off overdrive, the engine revs higher, but it doesn't go any faster. I have to actually turn off the the air conditioning until we get to the top.

This wouldn't be such a discomfort, except that we can't open the windows or the sunroof (my wife has allergies) while the air conditioning is not on.

You also might wonder then, why even having a sunroof was important. I wonder too. Especially when we traded off ABS brakes for it (apparently, the Sentra's electrical system doesn't have enough channels for the ABS brakes AND power windows/locks/mirrors AND the power sunroof).

Oh, and the useless brakes. They fade after only a few blocks of stop signs, or even a single hard stop. So it can't seem to go OR stop !!!

The lack of stout engineering extends to many areas. The wheel alignment can get tossed out with just one good size pothole, despite the relatively tall flexible walls of the little tiny 70-series doughnut tires it came with.

Of course, like any car you don't enjoy driving, and want to find any excuse to replace, it will probably NEVER die.

I'm sorry for you and your automatic but next time, standard is your choice.

More power and for a 1.6 liter with a k@n filter + exhaust, this car does 0-60mph in low 8seconds.

If you look up any other car, you won't get this for the same price.

You seem to be one of the VERY few people who are not happy with this car. My sister has one with 126,000 miles and no problems except a slight fender bender and one punctured radiator hose because of that accident. Other than that absolutely no problems.

I just purchased my 1992 Nissan Sentra GXE about 3-4 months ago for 1800, I think I got ripped, but I love the car. Except when I bought it, it had 155,000 on it, but you know what, it runs beautifully. I love the sporty look of it with the spoiler, and I have a sun roof which I love to open. It had a fender bender when I bought it, and water was leaking in, but I fixed it as soon as I found out. Otherwise I love it and hope to drive it to the ground at 300,000.

Hopefully. :-)

That has to be the first story of a faulty Sentra (to that extent) where it seemed to be falling apart. I think you just have gotten a bad egg, but, I also think you have gotten your money's worth.

I bought my Nissan Sentra GXE new and within the first year the alternator went and was replaced under warranty. Last year it went again and I had to have it replaced while away on vacation. Now just 12 months later I again have to have it replaced. It only has 48,000 and it just seems totally unacceptable to me. The Nissan dealership is no help at all. It doesn't even keep records for more than two years and has no idea of the history of this car. I will never purchase another Nissan!

One point of correction to you: The '92 Sentra GXE is equipped with the GA16DE engine, and that's DOHC, *not* SOHC. This is a 16 valve engine that has *dual* overhead cams.

"This car is loaded with every available convenience/comfort option, and most of them have held up better than I would have expected from most European or American cars I've had experience with."

The car is not European NOR American, She's japanese :-)

I Had a 92 Nissan Sentra E what a piece, water pump went out when I got it also had to put in a new cam shaft, new tires, drive shaft and front axle, NO heat at all blower motor went out. I Will NEVER buy an another older Nissan worse car I've ever been in or driving and. it ONLY got 13.7 miles per gallon. The car was bad when I got it, but Nissan just go down hill as they age.

Please don't rate his review as poor just because you don't agree with his comments. The review is not to debate weather or not you agree with what he is saying. You are rating how well it was written.

Every manufacturer has good and bad cars.

Completely biased voting FTL.

We had a Sentra the first year they came out and it lasted over 270,000 miles without problems... what was the problem was when my mom decided to drive it into a pole head on... but it drove back to our house from the parking lot where she hit the pole. it drove without a problem which is amazing considering the engine was completely pushed back into the firewall and the radiator was blown to kingdom come. Great little cars... the only foreign car I would buy (that is Nissan's...)

Tell your missus to ask for a test drive next time (before she blows all your money on something you don't like).