2018 Nissan Versa Problems, Recalls & Reliability

91 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Nissan Versa, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 16/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Electrical leads the reports.

One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2018 Nissan Versa has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.

91Complaints
16/100Trouble index
2Recalls
28,652Typical trouble mileage

Better year

Where 2018 sits among all Versa years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Electrical 17 complaints (19%)
Engine 14 complaints (15%) · typically ~38,354 miles
Other 14 complaints (15%)
Airbags 13 complaints (14%)
Transmission & drivetrain 11 complaints (12%)
Brakes & stability 7 complaints (8%)

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 40 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 28,652 miles. Half of those reports fall between 12,000 and 80,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (2)

BACK OVER PREVENTION 19V654000 2019

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti…

Fix: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners…

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 18V551000 2018

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2018 Frontier, Versa Note, and Versa Sedan vehicles that have a mechanical (physical) key…

Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the production information on the ignition switch, and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2018. Owners may…

Federal defect investigations

Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture EA21002 opened September 17, 2021 · still open

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

Technical service bulletins

92 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2018 Nissan Versa. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2018 Versa TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2017peak 19 in 20192026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2018 Nissan Versa reliable?

The 2018 Nissan Versa drew 91 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 16/100, scored against the model's worst year (2012).

What are the most common 2018 Nissan Versa problems?

The top reported problems for the 2018 Nissan Versa are electrical (17 complaints), engine (14), and other (14).

At what mileage do 2018 Nissan Versa problems show up?

Owners most often report 2018 Nissan Versa problems around 28,652 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 12,000 and 80,000 miles.

Does the 2018 Nissan Versa have recalls?

2 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 Nissan Versa. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 2017 Versa All Versa years 2019 Versa →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

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. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.