Nissan Sentra SE 1.8

I decided I needed better gas mileage than my previous vehicle (1995 Ranger 4.0 L truck) and thought Nissan was a reliable brand. Most of my driving is on long trips but at home, it stayed parked most of the time.

Besides a constant rattling under the dash which is impossible to stop without removing the dashboard, my worst nightmare was the charging system. 
Problems began about six months after I got the car. This vehicle ate alternator belts, so as of now I have been through 5 alternator belts plus 2 power steering belts, although the car is only 4 years old. Every few months the belts would start squealing and a new one had to be installed. Apparently they could not adjust the belt tension although the old belts always looked like new.
At 3 -1/2 years, the battery died. I had it towed to the dealer who kept it two days, charged the battery and pronounced everything OK. Three days later the battery died again, so I installed a new one myself. Four months later, the new battery needed replacement (along with new belts for the alternator and PS as usual).  This time I took it to another shop because I have lost all confidence in the dealer. The AVR test on the charging system said the 4 month old battery only read 0.5 volts although the alternator was fine at 14.4 volts ... beats me! I'm guessing the belt pulleys are way out of line and the alternator only works intermittently. 
I have just traded in this vehicle, so I hope this review will be taken into consideration if you are looking at this model.