MODELYEARINDEX

Which Nissan Versa years to avoid

Across 12 scored model years, the 2012, 2014 and 2015 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Nissan Versa Full report
F
Grade 2010–2021
2012 vs model median 3.6×
Model median3× median
Drivetrain 75
Airbags & Restraints 36
Engine 26
Avoid

2012 · 2014

Best

2019 · 2020

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
0.67× 51 C
2011
1.04× 76 C
2012
3.65× 269 F
2013
1.56× 124 C
2014
2.59× 163 F
2015
2.34× 166 F
2016
1.18× 69 C
2017
0.95× 69 C
2018
0.90× 52 C
2019
0.33× 30 A
2020
0.66× 62 B
2021
0.59× 36 B
2022 P
0.46× 35 A
2023 P
1.21× 72 C
2024 P
2.37× 157 F
2025 P
0.32× 17 A

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2012 F 269 reports · median 44,000 mi

  1. Drivetrain 75

    The contact owns a 2012 nissan versa. The contact was driving approximately 10 MPH approaching a traffic signal with the brake engaged, the vehicle jerked with force in reverse for a few seconds. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Airbags & Restraints 36

    I was given this car as a rental. I AM an extremely safe driver with a perfect driving record. Within 7-8 minutes of driving this vehicle there was a crash! owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 26

    On sept 29th at or around 3:45pm my family and I were driving to a swim meet on highway 60 in mesa, az. About 5 miles into the trip I heard a hissing sound coming from the AC system and a minute later we had no AC… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

43 crash · 9 fire · 28 injuries

2014 F 163 reports · median 27,658 mi

  1. Brakes 29

    I had an accident on 4/8 in the parking lot of my job and a truck slammed into my passenger side and no air bag deployed. She had accelerated due to a manual transmission in her truck. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Drivetrain 28

    We recently (2 nov) purchased a 2014 nissan versa with the 5 speed transmission ,our problem is with down shifting from 5th to 4th . owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Airbags & Restraints 23

    The contact owns a 2014 nissan versa. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle became involved in a head-on collision and the air bags failed to deploy. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

44 crash · 25 injuries

The best year for the Versa

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2019 is the best-scoring Versa model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 89.3 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2019 0.33× 30 A
2020 0.66× 62 B
2021 0.59× 36 B

Recalls

24 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
19V654000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2018, 2019 1,228,830
17V449000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010–2012 515,394
16V349000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010, 2011 413,852
20V008000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010, 2011 307,962
15V507000 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL 2012–2015 298,747
15V573000 SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS 2010–2012 218,019
18V551000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION 2017, 2018 153,047
17V028000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2012 152,554
18V401000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010–2012 104,762
17V144000 AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW 2012 54,751
18V044000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010–2012 52,614
12V032000 POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:SHIFT PATTERN INDICATOR 2012 36,608

+ 12 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2012 were reported at a median of 44,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Nissan Versa years should you avoid?
2012, 2014, 2015 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Nissan Versa model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Nissan Versa?
2019 is the best-scoring Nissan Versa model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 89.3 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Nissan Versa have?
24 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Nissan Versa model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2012 Versa
Complaints in window
269
Severity-weighted
464
Model median (weighted)
127
vs model median
3.65×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
11
Open investigations
1
Score 6.7 F