2012 Nissan Versa Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 167 airbag complaints for the 2012 Nissan Versa, 34% of all complaints that year, tied to 28 crashes, 1 fire, and 26 injuries. Six airbag-related recalls cover this model year, including inflator ruptures and unintended deployment.
- Airbags complaints
- 167
- 34% of 486
- Crashes reported
- 28
- Fires reported
- 1
- Injuries reported
- 26
- Median mileage
- 44,357 mi
- Related recalls
- 6
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Owners report frontal or side-impact airbags failing to deploy during moderate-speed collisions, including rear-end and head-on crashes.
- Some owners describe airbags not deploying even after the vehicle went airborne or rolled over multiple times.
- A subset of complaints describe airbags deploying but emitting black smoke, with occupants sustaining burns.
- Several owners tie non-deployment incidents to the Takata inflator recall, noting the airbags never activated despite significant crash damage.
- Owners mention driving with outstanding recall parts on backorder, leaving side curtain or passenger inflators unrepaired for months.
When 2012 Nissan Versa airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Jun 30, 2012, latest Jan 27, 2025.
Airbags recalls for the 2012 Nissan Versa
- 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 17V449000Jul 17, 2017Airbags515,394 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Nissan 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 absolute humidity, temperatures, and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the subject inflator with a new one manufactured by a different supplier, free of charge. The recall began on March 9, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
- NHTSA 17V144000Mar 6, 2017Airbags54,751 vehicles
Air bags:side/window
Nissan 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.
Risk: If the curtain and seat-mounted air bags inadvertently deploy, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a new jumper harness, and replace the side impact satellite sensors, free of charge. The recall began November 28, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
- NHTSA 17V028000Jan 10, 2017Airbags152,554 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Nissan 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 Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A". Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" above, Nissan is recalling certain 2009-2010 Infiniti M35 and M45 and 2009 Nissan Versa sedans and hatchbacks originally sold, or ever registered, in 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, or "Zone B". Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Nissan is recalling certain 2005-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45, 2006-2010 Infiniti M35 and M45, and 2007-2008 Nissan Versa vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in 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. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began on June 8, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
- NHTSA 12V055000Feb 14, 2012Airbags976 vehicles
Air bags:side/window
Nissan 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.
Risk: The side curtain air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace one or both side curtain air bag modules, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on march 12, 2012. Owners may contact nissan customer service at 615-725-1000.
Airbags complaints by Versa model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many airbag complaints does the 2012 Nissan Versa have?
- NHTSA lists 167 airbag complaints for the 2012 Nissan Versa, which is 34% of all 486 complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for 2012 Nissan Versa airbags?
- Yes. NHTSA lists six airbag-related recalls covering the 2012 Versa, including campaigns 18V401000, 18V044000, 17V449000, 17V144000, 17V028000, and 12V055000, addressing inflator rupture and unintended deployment.
- Did the 2012 Nissan Versa airbag problems cause injuries or crashes?
- NHTSA data tied to this complaint area shows 28 crashes, 1 fire, and 26 injuries reported for the 2012 Versa.
- At what mileage do airbag problems typically appear on the 2012 Versa?
- The median mileage at failure for airbag complaints on the 2012 Nissan Versa is 44,357 miles.
- Is the 2012 Versa worse for airbag complaints than other years?
- Yes, relative to other Versa years. The 2012 model's 34% complaint share is higher than most later years like 2019 (8%) and 2013 (11%), though lower than 2010 (49%) and 2011 (57%).