Nissan Versa reliability by year
26 recalls and 3,430 owner complaints across 19 model years. Best year to buy: 2019. Year to avoid: 2012.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 3 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and others. Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 19 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Versa aggregated across 19 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Nissan Versa?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2019 Nissan Versa scores 8.4/10 — the strongest in the 2007–2025 range. 23 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Nissan Versa year should I avoid?
The 2012 Nissan Versa scores 3.0/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 485 owner complaints with NHTSA, 10 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2012 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Nissan Versa should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2013 (avoid — the brakes — 1 fatality report and 6 crash-related complaints on the brakes); 2007 (avoid — the engine — engine: 34 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 52,000–80,000 mi); 2012 (high-risk ownership — electrical system: 26 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 24,470–66,500 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2024, 2023, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2018. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Nissan Versa are tracked?
19 model years (2007 through 2025) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 26 recalls and 3,430 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Nissan Versa?
airbags is the most-reported category — 1,008 complaints across 14 model years. Average shop repair runs about $1,100.