Nissan Versa 2007–2011 problems by year and mileage
1st generation (C11)
NHTSA data through 24 September 20261,775 complaints, 1,063 with mileageMethod
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2007 Nissan Versa
Close- Median failure report
- 55,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 354
- Recalls naming this year
- 8
Most reported on the 2007
- Airbag system150 reports · median 71,000 mi
- Suspension54 reports · median 64,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system30 reports
8 recall campaigns name the 2007: Air bags — frontal; Suspension — front; Seat belts. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2008 Nissan Versa
Close- Median failure report
- 52,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 381
- Recalls naming this year
- 7
Most reported on the 2008
- Airbag system171 reports · median 74,000 mi
- Suspension70 reports · median 62,000 mi
- Electrical system25 reports
7 recall campaigns name the 2008: Air bags — frontal; Suspension — front; Equipment — electrical. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2009 Nissan Versa
Close- Median failure report
- 64,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 503
- Recalls naming this year
- 7
Most reported on the 2009
- Suspension182 reports · median 65,000 mi
- Airbag system179 reports · median 88,000 mi
- Steering28 reports
7 recall campaigns name the 2009: Air bags — frontal; Suspension — front; Equipment — electrical. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2010 Nissan Versa
Close- Median failure report
- 65,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 268
- Recalls naming this year
- 7
Most reported on the 2010
- Airbag system130 reports · median 73,000 mi
- Suspension69 reports · median 56,000 mi
- Electrical system17 reports
7 recall campaigns name the 2010: Air bags — frontal; Suspension — front; Equipment — electrical. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2011 Nissan Versa
Close- Median failure report
- 64,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 269
- Recalls naming this year
- 6
Most reported on the 2011
- Airbag system152 reports · median 74,000 mi
- Suspension46 reports · median 70,000 mi
- Steering21 reports
6 recall campaigns name the 2011: Air bags — frontal; Suspension — front. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. The 2010 reports latest and the 2008 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 2008 has had 2 more years on the road to accumulate mileage.
The short answer
“Is the 2007–2011 Nissan Versa reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 61,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 123,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 1,063
- Recalls
- 11
Most reported
- Airbag system44.1% of complaints · median 76,000 mi
- Suspension23.7% of complaints · median 65,000 mi
- Steering5.9% of complaints · median 48,000 mi
Owners filed 1,775 complaints with NHTSA about the 2007–2011 Nissan Versa; the airbag system leads with 44.1% of them, and half of the 1,063 that record an odometer reading came by 61,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 33,000 and 90,000 miles.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2007–2011 Nissan Versa last?
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 2007–2011 Nissan Versa, half of the 1,063 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 61,000 miles and 90% by 123,000 miles.
48 reports came in past 150,000 miles and 15 past 200,000 — each one proof that a Versa reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Nissan Versa 2007–2011 · 1,063 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 119 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 15 complaints (1.4%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 8,000
- 25%
- 33,202
- Median
- 60,930
- 75%
- 90,000
- 90%
- 123,155
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 119 | 11.2% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 46 | 4.3% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 69 | 6.5% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 87 | 8.2% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 89 | 8.4% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 106 | 10.0% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 110 | 10.3% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 87 | 8.2% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 84 | 7.9% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 59 | 5.6% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 49 | 4.6% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 35 | 3.3% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 41 | 3.9% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 21 | 2.0% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 13 | 1.2% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 12 | 1.1% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 8 | 0.8% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 9 | 0.8% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 4 | 0.4% |
| 200,000+ | 15 | 1.4% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Common Versa problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Nissan Versa 2007–2011
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Engine and its cooling system81 reports47,00012,000–67,000Engine and its cooling system: 81 reports, median 47,000 miles, middle half 12,000 to 67,000 miles.
- Steering105 reports48,00026,000–79,000Steering: 105 reports, median 48,000 miles, middle half 26,000 to 79,000 miles.
- Electrical system102 reports51,00016,000–94,000Electrical system: 102 reports, median 51,000 miles, middle half 16,000 to 94,000 miles.
- Problems owners could not categorise79 reports61,00037,000–101,000Problems owners could not categorise: 79 reports, median 61,000 miles, middle half 37,000 to 101,000 miles.
- Suspension421 reports65,00045,000–92,000Suspension: 421 reports, median 65,000 miles, middle half 45,000 to 92,000 miles.
- Body structure70 reports70,00048,000–89,000Body structure: 70 reports, median 70,000 miles, middle half 48,000 to 89,000 miles.
- Airbag system782 reports76,00051,000–113,000Airbag system: 782 reports, median 76,000 miles, middle half 51,000 to 113,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 782 | 44.1% | 76,000 | 51,000–113,000 |
| Suspension | 421 | 23.7% | 65,000 | 45,000–92,000 |
| Steering | 105 | 5.9% | 48,000 | 26,000–79,000 |
| Electrical system | 102 | 5.7% | 51,000 | 16,000–94,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 81 | 4.6% | 47,000 | 12,000–67,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 79 | 4.5% | 61,000 | 37,000–101,000 |
| Body structure | 70 | 3.9% | 70,000 | 48,000–89,000 |
| Wheels | 65 | 3.7% | 55,000 | 35,000–75,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 64 | 3.6% | 69,000 | 38,000–115,000 |
| Engine | 61 | 3.4% | 70,000 | 42,000–94,000 |
System by system, in words
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 61,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The airbag system accounts for 44.1% of complaints (782 reports, 203 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 76,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 51,000 and 113,000 miles.
A single system taking 44.1% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The suspension accounts for 23.7% of complaints (421 reports, 375 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 65,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 45,000 and 92,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 5.9% of complaints (105 reports, 93 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 48,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 26,000 and 79,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 5.7% of complaints (102 reports, 83 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 51,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 16,000 and 94,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 4.6% of complaints (81 reports, 72 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 47,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 12,000 and 67,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 4.5% of complaints (79 reports, 50 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 61,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 37,000 and 101,000 miles.
Known problems with the 2007–2011 Versa
Transmission 2007–2011
Xtronic CVT overheating, shuddering, hesitation and premature failure. Nissan extended CVT coverage to 10 years/120,000 miles across its 2007-2010 CVT-equipped vehicles in response to widespread failures. Belt and pulley wear generates metal debris that contaminates the valve body.
Before you buy a 2007–2011 Versa: the 3-minute check
Generated from 1,063 mileage-tagged complaints, 11 recall campaigns, 1 documented problem area. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 11 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check transmission on 2007–2011 cars. Xtronic CVT overheating, shuddering, hesitation and premature failure. Nissan extended CVT coverage to 10 years/120,000 miles across its 2007-2010 CVT-equipped vehicles in response to widespread failures. Belt and…
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 33,000 and 90,000 miles, with a median of 61,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the airbag system and the suspension are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The suspension in particular shows a median failure mileage of 65,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Versa problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi49% below | At 90k mi75% below | At 120k mi88% below | At 150k mi95% below | At 200k mi99% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag system | 51,000–113,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Suspension | 45,000–92,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Steering | 26,000–79,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 16,000–94,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Engine and its cooling system | 12,000–67,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 37,000–101,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Body structure | 48,000–89,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Nissan Versa 2007–2011 · 1,063 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 49% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 75% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 88% of reports below
- 150,000 mi — 95% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 99% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
The staircase tops out at 99%: the remaining 1.4% of reports (15) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
2007–2011 Nissan Versa recalls (11)
NHTSA records 11 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the airbag system (7), the suspension (1), equipment (1). Several campaigns against one area can mean a remedy that did not hold, or separate defects in parts filed under the same heading; the summaries below name each defect.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Jan 2020 · 2007–2011 · Air BagsAn inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in…
The defect. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and…
What can happen. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The free fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020. Owners may contact…
Jul 2018 · 2007–2008 · Air BagsIf an inflator were to explode it may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in…
The defect. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2007-2008 Nissan Versa sedan and Versa hatchback vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii…
What can happen. If an inflator were to explode it may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The free fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began July 25, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at…
Jun 2018 · 2010–2011 · Air BagsAn inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in…
The defect. 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…
What can happen. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The free 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…
Jan 2018 · 2009–2011 · Air BagsAn inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in…
The defect. 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…
What can happen. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The free 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…
Jul 2017 · 2007–2011 · Air BagsAn inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious…
The defect. 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…
What can happen. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The free 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…
Jan 2017 · 2007–2009 · Air BagsAn inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury…
The defect. 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…
What can happen. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The free 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…
May 2016 · 2007–2011 · Air BagsAn inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury…
The defect. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45, 2003-2004 Infiniti I35, 2006-2010 Infiniti M35 and M45, and 2007-2011 Nissan Versa vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California…
What can happen. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The free fix. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2017. All owners should receive a second notice by May 15…
Sep 2015 · 2007–2011 · SuspensionIf a front coil spring fractures, it may contact the tire, possibly puncturing it, increasing the risk of a…
The defect. 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…
What can happen. If a front coil spring fractures, it may contact the tire, possibly puncturing it, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free 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.
Sep 2010 · 2008–2010 · EquipmentOverheated batteries could result in a fire.
The defect. Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected gps units can overheat.
What can happen. Overheated batteries could result in a fire.
The free fix. Nissan will notify owners and the repairs will be performed by garmin technicians by replacing the battery and inserting a spacer on top of the battery free of charge. The safety recall began on…
Mar 2007 · 2007 · Seat BeltsIf this occurs, the air bag warning light will come on and the passenger side frontal air bag will be…
The defect. On certain hatchback vehicles, the terminals for the passenger side seat belt tension sensor harness connector may have been damaged during the manufacturing process. This could result in a loss of electrical continuity causing the occupant detection system…
What can happen. If this occurs, the air bag warning light will come on and the passenger side frontal air bag will be suppressed.
The free fix. Dealers will replace the connector for the seat belt tension sensor harness free of charge. The recall began on june 18, 2007. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Sep 2006 · 2007 · Service Brakes, HydraulicThe purpose of this standard is to ensure safe braking performance under normal and emergency driving…
The defect. Certain sport utility vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, 'Passenger car brake systems.' The brake fluid reservoir cap is missing part of the required brake fluid warning.
What can happen. The purpose of this standard is to ensure safe braking performance under normal and emergency driving conditions.
The free fix. New brake fluid reservoir caps will be mailed to vehicle owners along with instructions for installation. The letters will instruct owners who do not want to replace their own brake fluid reservoir…
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 1,775 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 113 (6.4%)
- Fires
- 27
- Injury reports
- 64
- Fatality reports
- 6
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Versa problems by model year
The 2009 drew the most complaints of this generation, 503, most of them about the suspension, and the 2010 the fewest, 268. A typical year drew about 354.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 354 | 202 | 55,000 | Airbag system (150) | 8 |
| 2008 | 381 | 213 | 52,000 | Airbag system (171) | 7 |
| 2009 | 503 | 348 | 64,000 | Suspension (182) | 7 |
| 2010 | 268 | 155 | 65,000 | Airbag system (130) | 7 |
| 2011 | 269 | 145 | 64,000 | Airbag system (152) | 6 |
What Versa owners reported
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while driving 3 MPH, the front driver’s side air bag unexpectedly deployed. The contact was left with a bruised face and a nosebleed from the air bag deployment. The contact used tissues to stop the nosebleed, but no medical attention was sought. The…
2009 · 160,000 miles · Airbag system
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while driving out of a parking lot at 10 MPH, the front end of the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound, and the contact noticed a strong rubber odor. The contact inspected underneath the vehicle and became aware that a part had fractured underneath the…
2009 · 80,000 miles · Suspension
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the driver’s air bag module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, and…
2009 · 146,000 miles · Airbag system
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH in a parking lot, the front driver's side air bag unexpectedly deployed without an impact to the vehicle. In addition, the air bag exploded. The contact was unsure if any warning light was illuminated. The contact sustained minor…
2011 · 172,000 miles · Airbag system
Built from 1,063 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Versa generations
- Versa 2012–2019 870 reports with mileage, most about the transmission and driveline