2021 Nissan Versa Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Versa years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 16th of 19 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 32 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Nissan Versa. That ranks 16th out of 19 Versa model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (9 complaints, 28%), typically at around 37,511 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 3 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 32owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 9 | 28% | 37,511 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 8 | 25% | 21 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 16% | 6,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 5 | 16% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 16% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 13% | 6,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 9% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 6% | 6,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 Nissan Versa recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Versa and Kicks vehicles. An intermittent electrical connection in the electric power steering (EPS) torque sensor can disable the power steering assist.
Risk: Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the steering column torque sensor lot code and replace the steering column assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA26. This recall involves vehicles that were previously inspected, but did not receive a steering column replacement, under recall number 22V-693. These vehicles will need to be reinspected for this recall.
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Versa and Kicks vehicles. An intermittent electrical connection in the electric power steering (EPS) torque sensor can disable the power steering assist.
Risk: Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the steering column torque sensor lot code, and replace the column, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 9, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PMA10 / PMA25.
Exterior lighting:turn signal:bulbs
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Titan, Titan XD, and Versa vehicles. The front right and/or left turn signal bulb can crack and fail to illuminate.
Risk: Inoperable front turn signals cannot alert on-coming drivers and/or pedestrians that the vehicle will be turning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the bulbs as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 20, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PM986 and PC811.
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
- Reduced Power After Engine Stall (PE24007) — opened Mar 7, 2024, closed Oct 2, 2025.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The car actuator failed for the left rear door. My car has less than 10k miles, and I submitted a case to their consumer affairs for it to be covered coz it's a premature failure, and they refused to pay for the repairs. I didnt know my car doors were no longer locking properly, and was left in a…
Automatic CVT failure confirmed by Future Nissan of Roseville CA. No warning prior to failure. Replaced by Kirkwood Autoworx Mechanical since Nissan Corporate denied a good-will replacement. Reason: 15k miles over warranty - 75081odometer reading at replacement on 5/27/26. CVT failed while on a…
Hi, My name is [XXX] and I live in [XXX] . In October 2023 I purchased a used Nissan Versa 2021 from a dealership. It only had 30k miles on it when I bought it. On May 9, 2026 I was driving to work when my car experienced acceleration failure. It had 80,600 miles on it. When the acceleration…
I got into the car and started it up. Put in reverse car shuts off. Re started and put in reverse. Was able to drive out of apartment parking lot then no power to speed and car was a little jerky and on dashboard it said warning malfunction see owners manual with a few pictures on dashboard
Cvt Transmission failed While driving transmission popped and no forward drive leaving us in traffic unable to move in forward. Had to get out and push the car to the side of the road. No warning lights no warning signs. Just immediate loss of forward drive. Engine revs up but no movement…
Other Nissan Versa years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Versa | 12 | 0 |
| 2024 Versa | 96 | 1 |
| 2023 Versa | 37 | 1 |
| 2022 Versa | 20 | 0 |
| 2021 | 32 | 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 Versa | 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
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Nissan Versa?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, air bags problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 9 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Nissan Versa?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2021 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 2021 has far fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.