2012 Nissan Versa problems and recalls

Owner complaints on the 2012 Nissan Versa include 1 fatality report, 40 crashes and 6 fires across 486 filings.

486
Complaints
11
Recalls
40
Crash reports
6
Fire reports
31
Injuries
93.0
Severity index

Severity index 93.0 High. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 93.0p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 22 of 130 by severity index among 2012 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 83% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2012 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

Air BagsAir Bags: 167 complaints (34.4%)167 34%Power TrainPower Train: 163 complaints (33.5%)163 34%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 51 complaints (10.5%)51 10%EngineEngine: 50 complaints (10.3%)50 10%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 34 complaints (7.0%)34 7%Vehicle Speed ControlVehicle Speed Control: 33 complaints (6.8%)33 7%Service BrakesService Brakes: 32 complaints (6.6%)32 7%SuspensionSuspension: 28 complaints (5.8%)28 6%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
AIR BAGS16734.4%
POWER TRAIN16333.5%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER5110.5%
ENGINE5010.3%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM347.0%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL336.8%
SERVICE BRAKES326.6%
SUSPENSION285.8%

Complaints filed per year

0651302011: 22012: 202013: 182014: 402015: 652016: 552017: 1282018: 642019: 312020: 222021: 152022: 82023: 72024: 52025: 52026: 1 (partial year)11121314151617128181920212223242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
20112
201220
201318
201440
201565
201655
2017128
201864
201931
202022
202115
20228
20237
20245
20255
2026 (year to date)1
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 0.4x those in 2020 to 2022 (17 against 45).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
18V40100015/06/2018AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULENissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2011 Nissan Versa sedan vehicles and 2011-2012 Nissan Versa hatchback vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri,
17V14400006/03/2017AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOWNissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2012 Nissan Versa vehicles. Degradation of the side impact sensor connector pins may cause the curtain and seat-mounted air bags to deploy unexpectedly if the door is slammed.
17V44900017/07/2017AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULENissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and 2007-2012 Versa Hatchback vehicles. The affected vehicles have a driver frontal air bag inflator that may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to moderate absol
17V02800010/01/2017AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULENissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2012 Nissan Versa hatchbacks originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Isla
17V63700011/10/2017SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGSNissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2012 Versa Hatchback vehicles that were sold or ever registered in the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hamps
18V04400010/01/2018AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULENissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Versa Hatchback, and 2009-2011 Versa Sedan vehicles ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam,
15V50700012/08/2015VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDALNissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Nissan Versa sedan vehicles manufactured June 9, 2011, to March 11, 2015, and 2014-2015 Nissan Versa Note vehicles manufactured April 23, 2013, to March 11, 2015. The affected vehicles have a center co
15V57300014/09/2015SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGSNissan (Nissan North America, Inc.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2012 Nissan Versa vehicles manufactured May 8, 2006, to November 12, 2012, that were sold or ever registered in the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachuset
12V05500014/02/2012AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOWNISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 ALTIMA AND VERSA VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS THAT CONTAIN AN INCORRECT PROPELLANT MIXTURE FOR THE INITIATOR COMPONENT USED, RESULTING IN INSUFFICIENT OUTPUT OF COMPRESSED GAS.
12V03200001/02/2012POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:SHIFT PATTERN INDICATORNISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 VERSA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 9, 2011, THROUGH JANUARY 13, 2012 FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 114,”THEFT PROTECTION.” DUE T
22E06600009/08/2022AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULENissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain air bag inflator replacement service parts that may have been installed as part of a theft or collision repair. The parts include certain passenger-side air bag inflators designed to fit Infiniti 2002-2003 QX4, 2006-2010 M

Other Nissan Versa model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 13 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-08-07. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.