YearToAvoid

2015 Nissan Versa Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

73/100

#5 most-complained of 16 Versa years

The 2015 Nissan Versa has 168 NHTSA complaints and a Complaint Index of 73, ranking 5th worst among 16 model years and earning a Caution verdict. Top issues are Transmission & Powertrain (28%) and Engine (25%), with one recall covering a console trim panel.

Complaints
168
Recalls
1
Crashes / fires
18 / 2
Injuries / deaths
26 / 1
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
30
27 city / 36 hwy

Top 2015 Nissan Versa problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Transmission & Powertrain47 (28%)
  2. Engine42 (25%)
  3. Brakes29 (17%)
  4. Other26 (15%)
  5. Airbags25 (15%)
  6. Steering20 (12%)
  7. Electrical System18 (11%)
  8. Structure & Body14 (8%)
  9. Fuel System13 (8%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires11 (7%)

What owners report

  • Airbags fail to deploy in moderate to severe frontal or rear-end collisions, sometimes leading to serious injury.
  • Transmission jerks and loses power at various speeds, occasionally after the check engine light comes on, sometimes causing a secondary crash.
  • Brakes reportedly lose pressure and go to the floor when slowing for a stop, resulting in rear-end collisions.
  • The vehicle stalls in stop-and-go traffic with the power steering cutting off simultaneously.
  • Electrical fires have occurred, including one reported while the vehicle was parked in a driveway.
  • Owners note the accelerator pedal sits close to a trim panel edge addressed under recall, making it hard to move the foot off the pedal smoothly.
2015 Nissan Versa complaints: complaints filed per quarter272014 Q32016 Q12017 Q32019 Q12020 Q32022 Q12024 Q2
254 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2014 Q3 to 2026 Q2; peak 2020 Q1 (27).

2015 Nissan Versa recalls

1 NHTSA recall campaign list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 15V507000Aug 12, 2015Engine298,747 vehicles

    Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal

    Nissan 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 console trim panel that may catch the driver's shoe and delay the transition from the accelerator pedal to the brake pedal.

    Risk: A delay in the application of the brake pedal would lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will modify the console trim panel, free of charge. The recall began on September 14, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

2015 Nissan Versa fuel economy and fuel cost

City
27 MPG
Highway
36 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.

2015 compared with other Versa years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2013Caution67204130
2014Avoid80207230
2015Caution73168130
2016Caution5380030
2017Good3362330

All Nissan Versa years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Nissan Versa reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2015 Versa a Complaint Index of 73 and a Caution verdict, ranking it 5th worst out of 16 model years. It is not the worst Versa year, but it trails newer years like 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023, which carry Best verdicts.
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Nissan Versa?
NHTSA lists Transmission & Powertrain complaints as the top problem area at 28% of the 168 total complaints, followed by Engine issues at 25% and Brakes at 17%.
Does the 2015 Nissan Versa have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists one recall, campaign 15V507000, covering a console trim panel modification for engine-related concerns on 2012-2015 Versa sedans and 2014-2015 Versa Note vehicles.
What year Nissan Versa should I avoid instead of 2015?
According to NHTSA complaint index data, 2012 (index 100), 2011 (index 93), and 2010 (index 87) rank worse than 2015, all carrying Avoid verdicts.
At what mileage do 2015 Versa problems typically show up?
NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage at failure of 46,000 miles overall, with Transmission & Powertrain issues appearing around 63,500 miles and Brakes around 19,000 miles.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.