What breaks most · 2007 to 2018 model years
Nissan Versa problems by year
Owners have filed 2,473 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Nissan Versa across model years 2007 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2009 for suspension complaints, 2012 for air bags complaints and 2008 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2016, 2015 and 2013.
- Years to check closely: 2009, 2012, 2008
- Fewest complaints: 2016, 2015, 2013
- Complaints on file
- 24732007 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 2009469 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 21131 fires · 174 injuries · 11 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 55kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 60Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 336 | 20 | 9 | Air bags (142) | |
| 362 | 21 | 8 | Air bags (161) | |
| 469 | 23 | 8 | Suspension (174) | |
| 237 | 16 | 8 | Air bags (114) | |
| 226 | 16 | 7 | Air bags (129) | |
| 404 | 37 | 11 | Air bags (149) | |
| 133 | 18 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (30) | |
| 135 | 25 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (41) | |
| 104 | 14 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (22) | |
| 34 | 11 | 0 | Air bags (11) | |
| 20 | 5 | 3 | Air bags (10) | |
| 13 | 5 | 2 | Unknown or other (4) |
What fails on the 2009 Nissan Versa
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 37% |
174 | 2 | Shop suspension parts for the 2009 Nissan Versa |
| Air bags | 35% |
163 | 15 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 6% |
27 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 2009 Nissan Versa |
| Wheels | 6% |
26 | 2 | — |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 5% |
23 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2009 Nissan Versa |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 4% |
18 | 2 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2009 Nissan Versa |
| Tires | 4% |
18 | 0 | — |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 3% |
16 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2009 Nissan Versa |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Motor mount bushing cracked, deteriorated. Brought to my attention during last maintenance done. Advised to replace to avoid future damage to drive train.
-
Car will not go in reverse nor park and is in drive when i stopped. It will nor start it is in my drive way. It was slipping out of gear while travelling forward.
-
I have had 3 recalls on my nissan since 2015. It has been 2 years and all 3 are still unresolved. When contacting nissan, the response is - to await the invitation to the dealership. Driving this vehicle is unsafe and yet i have to risk my well-being every day to get around.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Nissan Versa years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2009, 2012, 2008 carry the most filings on the Nissan Versa. The 2009 alone has 469 complaints, led by suspension.
What is the most common Nissan Versa problem?
On the 2009 model year, the most-reported component is suspension with 174 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Nissan Versa problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Nissan Versa complaints that include mileage is about 55,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.