Nissan Versa Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Nissan Versa model year from 2007 to 2025, benchmarked against each other with 4,910 federal complaints, 27 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 2007–2009, 2012, 2014–2015. These years top the Versa's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 2017–2022 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the Versa's own worst year — full methodology.
Under investigation. Federal regulators currently have an open defect investigation on the Nissan Versa.
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Model years named: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Airbags tops the Nissan Versa file with 1,123 complaints, concentrated in the 2007–2012 model years, most often reported around 47,179 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Few reports | 17 | 0 | — | 3 |
| 2024 | Too early to call | 158 | 1 | Engine | 17 |
| 2023 | Typical | 72 | 1 | Engine | 7 |
| 2022 | Better year | 35 | 0 | — | 4 |
| 2021 | Better year | 53 | 3 | Electrical | 10 |
| 2020 | Better year | 119 | 2 | Driver assistance | 17 |
| 2019 | Better year | 47 | 1 | Transmission & drivetrain | 6 |
| 2018 | Better year | 91 | 2 | Electrical | 16 |
| 2017 | Better year | 107 | 3 | Airbags | 19 |
| 2016 | Typical | 158 | 0 | Transmission & drivetrain | 29 |
| 2015 | Avoid | 398 | 1 | Transmission & drivetrain | 64 |
| 2014 | Avoid | 501 | 2 | Transmission & drivetrain | 77 |
| 2013 | Below average | 294 | 1 | Transmission & drivetrain | 42 |
| 2012 | Avoid | 673 | 11 | Airbags | 100 |
| 2011 | Below average | 327 | 7 | Airbags | 53 |
| 2010 | Below average | 337 | 8 | Airbags | 47 |
| 2009 | Avoid | 615 | 8 | Suspension | 79 |
| 2008 | Avoid | 461 | 8 | Airbags | 73 |
| 2007 | Avoid | 447 | 9 | Airbags | 63 |
Technical service bulletins
Beyond complaints and recalls, 1,944 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Nissan Versa. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Browse the Nissan Versa TSB list by year →
Questions buyers ask
What Nissan Versa years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 2007–2009, 2012, 2014–2015 as the Nissan Versa years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Nissan Versa problem?
Airbags tops the Nissan Versa file with 1,123 complaints, concentrated in the 2007–2012 model years, most often reported around 47,179 miles.
What are the best Nissan Versa years to buy used?
The quietest Nissan Versa years in federal records are 2017–2022 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Nissan Versa only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.