Steve

July 12 (Bloomberg) -- Nissan Motor Co. recalled 200,866 Altima and Sentra sedans, the second recall for the models in three weeks, to fix a faulty engine part that can cause stalling.

The new recall affects Altimas and Sentras from the 2003 model year with 2.5-liter four-cylinder engines, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said today on its Web site. A sensor can fail, causing the engine to stop while the car is moving.

Today's recall is a setback for Nissan, Japan's second- largest automaker, as it works to improve its reputation for quality in North American. Consumer Reports in 2006 ranked four of its models among the least reliable on the market.

The earlier recall, announced June 22, covered 97,000 Altimas and Sentras from the 2006 model year. Their engines can use too much motor oil or catch on fire. Nissan suspended sales of the cars on June 2 after more than 200 complaints, mostly from rental fleets, of excessive oil use. There were 17 reports of engine fires.

Nissan is in the process of moving its U.S. headquarters from Gardena, California, to Nashville, Tennessee. The company didn't immediately return calls seeking comment on today's recall.

Owners will be notified starting on Aug. 21, NHTSA's notice said. Nissan will reprogram a part called the electronic control module to fix the problem.

Recalls typically are done at no charge to the consumer and are paid for out of reserves set aside for that purpose.