2012 Nissan Versa Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Versa years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 19 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 10 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 486 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Nissan Versa. That ranks 2nd out of 19 Versa model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (167 complaints, 34%), typically at around 44,357 miles. Complaints mention 40 crashes, 6 fires, 31 injuries. There are 10 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 7 defect investigations involving it.

- 486owner complaints
- 10safety recalls
- 7NHTSA investigations
- 40complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Nissan Versa problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 167 | 34% | 44,357 | “takata air bags” (12%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 163 | 34% | 70,000 | “cvt transmission” (15%) | $5,400 |
| Unknown or Other | 51 | 10% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Engine problems | 50 | 10% | 62,482 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 34 | 7% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 33 | 7% | 51,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 29 | 6% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 28 | 6% | 56,877 | — | — |
| Steering | 24 | 5% | 21,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 18 | 4% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 14 | 3% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 10 | 2% | 67,734 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 2% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 1% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 6 | 1% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 1% | 26,910 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 1% | 32,662 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 1% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 1% | 3,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 0% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 0% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 32,662 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Nissan Versa recalls (10)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Suspension:front:springs:coil springs
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Suspension:front:springs:coil springs
Problem: Nissan (Nissan North America, Inc.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2012 Nissan Versa vehicles manufactured May 8, 2006, to November 12, 2012, 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.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front coil springs, free of charge. The recall began on February 2, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal; service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Power train:manual transmission:shift pattern indicator
Problem: Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012 versa vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission and manufactured from june 9, 2011, through january 13, 2012 for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 114,âtheft protection.â due to interference between the shifter rod and the shift knob, the vehicles may be shifted out of the park position without depressing the brake pedal.
Risk: The operator can inadvertently shift the vehicle into gear without the brake pedal being depressed, increasing the risk of a crash or injury to a nearby pedestrian.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the shifter knob or the shifter assembly as needed, free of charge. The safety recall began on mearh 5, 2012. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
- Inadvertent Curtain and Seat Air Bag (PE16013) — opened Sep 28, 2016, closed Mar 20, 2017, led to recall 17V144000.
- Front Coil Spring Fracture (PE15019) — opened May 13, 2015, closed Oct 2, 2015, led to recall 15V573000.
- Pedal Operation Interference (EA15003) — opened Apr 1, 2015, closed Sep 1, 2015, led to recall 15V507000.
- Pedal Operation Interference (PE14018) — opened Jun 24, 2014, closed Apr 27, 2015.
- SRS Warning Light Illumination (PE12023) — opened Aug 15, 2012, closed Jan 22, 2013.
- Autoliv Air Bag Propellant Mixture (EQ12002) — opened Feb 14, 2012, closed May 8, 2012.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My car keeps having sensors go out. Such as the tire pressure sensor and fuel compression sensor I think is what they called it anyways. They start to go up a hill. And my car loses all speed and slows way down my traction control. Don't turn on when it's supposed to. And needs to my cruise…
The transmission failed on the highway making the car serging violently from high to low speeds and then to nothing
The contact owns 2012 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling or while driving at various speeds, the driver's side floor was significantly hot, and the contact could feel the heat on her feet. The contact stated that the front driver's side floor carpet was burned, and…
I bought a used 2012 Nissan Versa from a third party at a very low mileage (46k miles), and itâs now at 54k, and the CVT is showing issues. Check engine light recently came on and Iâve always went to Nissan technicians and they said theyâre surprised at 54k miles Iâm even having this kind…
It wonât let me go over 30 without the rpmâs significantly increasing and transmission light is on
Other Nissan Versa years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Versa | 12 | 0 |
| 2024 Versa | 96 | 1 |
| 2023 Versa | 37 | 1 |
| 2022 Versa | 20 | 0 |
| 2021 Versa | 31 | 3 |
| 2020 Versa | 64 | 2 |
| 2019 Versa | 24 | 1 |
| 2018 Versa | 57 | 2 |
| 2017 Versa | 62 | 3 |
| 2016 Versa | 81 | 0 |
| 2015 Versa | 168 | 1 |
| 2014 Versa | 207 | 2 |
| 2013 Versa | 204 | 1 |
| 2012 | 486 | 10 |
| 2011 Versa | 269 | 6 |
| 2010 Versa | 269 | 7 |
| 2009 Versa | 504 | 7 |
| 2008 Versa | 381 | 7 |
| 2007 Versa | 354 | 8 |
See all Nissan Versa problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.
Similar Nissan models
Embed this 2012 Nissan Versa badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Nissan Versa?
Owners most often report air bags, power train, unknown or other problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 167 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Nissan Versa?
Yes, 10 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Nissan Versa a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Versa model years, the 2012 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.