2012 Nissan Versa Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
100/100
#1 most-complained of 16 Versa years
The 2012 Nissan Versa ranks worst of 16 model years tracked, with a Complaint Index of 100 and 486 complaints, 10 recalls, and top issues in Airbags (167 complaints) and Transmission & Powertrain (163 complaints). NHTSA data give it an Avoid verdict relative to other Versa years.
- Complaints
- 486
- Recalls
- 10
- Crashes / fires
- 40 / 6
- Injuries / deaths
- 31 / 1
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 30
- 27 city / 33 hwy
Top 2012 Nissan Versa problems
NHTSA owner 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%)
What owners report
- Airbags reportedly fail to deploy in low-speed frontal or head-on crashes, sometimes with injuries.
- Some owners report the vehicle rolling out of park on its own while parked, leading to backing into walls, trees, or other vehicles.
- Windshield glare has been described as obscuring the driver's view, contributing to a rear-end collision where deployed airbags emitted smoke and caused burns.
- Owners describe the engine stalling at speed, cutting power steering and brakes and resulting in a crash.
- Front suspension or steering has been described as causing sudden unintended acceleration or a pull toward curbs, according to one owner.
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?
- Among 16 Nissan Versa model years tracked, 2012 has the highest Complaint Index (100) and ranks worst overall, earning an Avoid verdict based on NHTSA complaints and recalls.
- What are the biggest problems with the 2012 Nissan Versa?
- NHTSA data show Airbags (167 complaints, 34% share) and Transmission & Powertrain (163 complaints, 34% share) as the top problem areas, followed by Engine (82 complaints) and Brakes (42 complaints).
- Does the 2012 Nissan Versa have airbag recalls?
- Yes. NHTSA lists multiple airbag-related recalls covering 2012 Versa vehicles, including passenger and driver frontal inflator replacements and a side impact sensor fix, none marked do-not-drive.
- At what mileage do 2012 Versa problems usually show up?
- Median mileage at failure varies by system: Airbags at 44,357 miles, Transmission & Powertrain at 70,000 miles, Engine at 61,026 miles, and Brakes at 49,500 miles, per NHTSA complaint data.
- Which Versa model years are better than 2012?
- NHTSA data show 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Versa model years carry Best verdicts with much lower Complaint Index values (0, 20, 7, and 13 respectively), compared to 2012's index of 100.