# Typical expected life of a Sentra?



## matt123 (Dec 2, 2004)

Hi all,

This is my first post here.  

I bought an 04 1.8S 5 speed Sentra back in January of this year after my Civic was rear-ended and totaled. Honestly, I bought the car because it was in-expensive and was reported to get fairly good gas mileage.

Basically, it's my commuter car. For fun, I have an 04 Mazdaspeed Miata (factory turbocharger = good stuff) that I play with. It's a go-kart on steroids and a blast to toss in the turns. 

Anyway, I drive 120 miles round trip each day to work...that's about 25k miles per year. It's literally all highway driving.

Are my expectations that I get 150K+ miles out of this car realistic? What sort of mileage is common for the Sentras before they die? I'm hoping to keep the car for a minimum of 5 years so I'm hoping it was a good choice.

Any long term mileage experience from the members here would be great.

thanks,
matt


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## dmroberson (Jun 24, 2004)

matt123 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> This is my first post here.
> 
> ...


Keep up with your maintenance and such, it will give you long years of dependable service. As long as you take good care of it, you should be okay for a long time.


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

the 1.8 is a very reliable engine and has a very good blend of good gas mileage and power. those engines last a long time, you'll be happy with your purchase.


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## 85seventwenty (Dec 15, 2004)

*lucky you*

you may have stumbled upon the ideal vehicle for your ugly purpose. in october 2001 i bought a 2001 sentra w/auto trans for exactly the duty you have specified. this car is now at 76k miles, never disabled or a no-start or even a fuctional difficulty. 32mpg consistently. i run in central florida, typical temps of 90+ the engine runs cool. ac is good. powertrain very well matched for engine power/tranny ratios. i do oil changes at 3k(5w-30 valvo) and watch the serpentine belt-any cracks replace. possible problems are the drum rear brakes: they require cleaning and adjustment. which you'll notice by the squeaking and groaning noises. the front brakes will probably need service before schedule and don't be surprised if the rotors warp; they're light duty parts. i wish nissan hadn't gone cheap on that. follow recommendations on transmission service etc. and you should be good. I have installed a K+N filtercharger airfilter which i reccomend for improved filtration and better flow at high revs, you'll feel it running onto the interstate. also if you still have the stock dunlop tires, dump them immediately. mount a premium tire and you will feel like you have a new car. there may be a better commuter car but probably not for the price and this rig is a fun ride, well appointed, expect 26 mpg around town, 32+ highway.

bottom line-pretty near ideal commuter strengths-good powertrain, fuel economy, interior and features. weakness-cheap ass brakes and tires
I've gone this far with only brake wear as a service problem. I think that 100k is realistic for reliable vehicle service and engine life is much longer given proper maintenance. just remember i advise you as the owner of a 1983 Chevrolet Suburban that as vehicles age they require attention. this little scooter car will serve you well for many miles, probably more than you expect. just don't try to milk it-for this class of vehicle it's cheaper to buy something newer then to fix an old one.


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## skatehard90 (Dec 20, 2004)

85seventwenty said:


> I've gone this far with only brake wear as a service problem. I think that 100k is realistic for reliable vehicle service and engine life is much longer given proper maintenance.


most vehicles should live up to those kinds of miles if taken care of. . . like stated above. . . and most of the time, cars break down, die, whatever you want to call it, because of the owner. And to tell you the truth. . . the best thing is to know your car front to back (love it, kiss it, haha lmao). most people don't know shit about the car they drive and they wonder why it breaks down.

i'm an owner of a VW Jetta 2.0L I4 1995 - - - > which has 320k at this moment. . . now is that a miracle? NO, cuz all i do is love the car and take care of it with any regular maintenance. And the miles are pretty much split between hwy and city, and surprisingly it gets around 24+ mpg. 

P.S. if you have drum brakes. . . don't let the wheel bearings go unnoticed. at around 310k, the tire, half the drum brake w/lug nuts, came flying off the car on the hwy without warning. . . all because of that bearing. lol *side note

have a nice day :banhump:


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## USNJMC83 (Jul 31, 2004)

I had a '93 sentra se with the 1.6 in it. I had well over 170k on it, I was extreamly rough on it but changed the oil ever 3k. Only reason for getting rid of it was due to the fact of 2 accidents and loss of 5th gear  Love my Spec-V though


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

my old car was a B11, 86, Sentra, I gave it to my son with 261,000mi on it..... and its still running! the key is to keep the oil changed, keep an eye on the hoses,belts... maintenance!! My Spec, I am looking for at least 200,000 mi if not more!


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