2012 Nissan Versa Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2012 Nissan Versa has a complaint index of 94, the second-worst of 19 model years, earning an Avoid verdict. Airbags (34% of complaints) and transmission/powertrain (34%) dominate, backed by 10 recalls including multiple airbag inflator campaigns.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 94/100
- #2 of 19 Versa years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 486
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 10
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 40
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 6
- Injuries
- 31
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 30
- 27 city / 33 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 31 / 1
Top 2012 Nissan Versa problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags167 (34%)
- Transmission & Powertrain163 (34%)
- Engine82 (17%)
- Other52 (11%)
- Brakes42 (9%)
- Electrical System41 (8%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires33 (7%)
- Steering24 (5%)
- Structure & Body21 (4%)
- Fuel System15 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Some owners report the vehicle rolling away or shifting into reverse on its own while parked, leading to crashes with no clear diagnosis found.
- Several complaints describe airbags failing to deploy in moderate-speed crashes, including side-impact and frontal collisions.
- Owners report sudden stalling at speed with loss of power steering and brakes, resulting in collisions.
- One case describes unintended acceleration while parking that continued despite braking, ending in a crash.
- A separate report describes electrical burning smell and smoke that escalated into a vehicle fire while driving.
2012 Nissan Versa recalls
10 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 18V401000Jun 15, 2018Airbags104,762 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Nissan 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, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Nissan is also recalling 2010-2011 Nissan Versa sedan vehicles and 2010-2012 Nissan Versa hatchback vehicles ever registered in the states of ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.
- NHTSA 18V044000Jan 10, 2018Airbags52,614 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Nissan 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, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Nissan is recalling certain 2009-2010 Versa Hatchback, and Versa Sedan vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Nissan is also recalling certain 2009 Versa Hatchback and Versa Sedan vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 9, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
- NHTSA 17V637000Oct 11, 2017Suspension, Wheels & Tires1,119 vehicles
Suspension:front:springs:coil springs
Nissan 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 Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Road salt may corrode the front coil springs, possibly resulting in the coil springs fracturing.
Risk: If a front coil spring fractures, it may contact the tire, possibly puncturing it, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front coil springs, free of charge. The recall began December 6, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. This campaign expands recall 15V573.
2012 Nissan Versa fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 27 MPG
- Highway
- 33 MPG
- Combined
- 30 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,150
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2012 compared with other Versa years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Nissan Versa reliable?
- Compared to other Versa model years, the 2012 ranks poorly. It has a complaint index of 94, the second-highest among 19 model years tracked, and carries an Avoid verdict.
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Nissan Versa?
- Airbags account for 34% of complaints and transmission/powertrain issues account for another 34%, followed by engine complaints at 17% and brake complaints at 9%.
- Does the 2012 Nissan Versa have airbag recalls?
- Yes. NHTSA lists multiple airbag-related recalls for the 2012 Versa, including inflator replacements and a side impact sensor connector fix, among 10 total recall campaigns.
- What year Nissan Versa should I avoid?
- The 2012 Versa ranks second-worst of 19 model years with a complaint index of 94, behind only the 2009 model year at 100. Later years like 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025 earn a Best verdict.
- At what mileage do 2012 Versa problems typically show up?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage of 44,357 miles for airbag complaints, 70,000 miles for transmission complaints, and 61,026 miles for engine complaints.