Nissan Versa Complaints (2021)

31 consumer complaints on file.

#11741559June 2, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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 busy street [XXX] ). I had only reverse and had to back my way out of traffic. Extremely dangerous situation. New Issue: Left Front Door (Driver) Locking actuator failure on XXX Not a safety issue yet. Will not lock or unlock with key fob. Manual entry only. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740221May 26, 2026
POWER TRAIN
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 failed, I was in the process of making a left turn and came very close to being hit by oncoming traffic. After Nissan claimed to fix the issue and I paid a substantial amount of money and drove about 40 miles, the same thing happened. And again it was during a left turn into oncoming traffic. Twice I've come very close to an accident. Something needs to be fixed with these cvt transmissions. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11724857March 17, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719379February 20, 2026
POWER TRAIN
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. Dangerously leaving us in harms way. Haven't had the vehicle inspected by nissan yet but will be doing so in the next day or so. Vehicle is and will be Available for inspection or assessment at any time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718275February 16, 2026
AIR BAGS, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Transmission failure 2 Times. First time experienced jerking and some smoke coming out and second time same jerking and smoke along with electrical system failure. Nissan paid 40% the first time to help and I paid 60% even though I did not agree with that I did it. 2nd time they refuse to pay anything because of warranty even though it only took 40, 000 miles and transmission went out gain. Obvious that the transmissions are trash. The constant jerking and smoking in engine and electrical failure not to mention I was in a hit and run and ran into a tree and brake system did not work and the air bag did not come out after running into a tree. Please people run from Nissan fast. I'm thankful for my life.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714561January 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN, STEERING, SUSPENSION
My 2021 Nissan Versa was struck at high speed while parked and required extensive repairs that exceeded the vehicle’s value. After the repairs, the transmission began acting erratically. The car shudders, hesitates, and feels unstable while driving. Acceleration is unpredictable and the vehicle does not feel safe or reliable. These issues were not present before the collision and have continued to worsen. I have children and do not feel it is safe to operate this vehicle, so it is currently parked.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708227January 1, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Mileage: Approximately 45,000 Current Status: Inoperable; held at Joe Machens Nissan pending evaluation by Nissan Consumer Affairs. Description of the Problem The vehicle has become completely inoperable, making it unsafe to operate. In the months prior to the failure, traction control warning indicators intermittently appeared on the dashboard. I did not recognize their significance at the time and did not document them, but they may have been early warning signs of the current operational failure. Approximately 22 days prior to the vehicle becoming completely inoperable, it underwent a recall update, oil change, and tire rotation at Joe Machens Nissan. Staff reported no concerns at the time. Shortly afterward, the vehicle began exhibiting reduced driving function and erratic power, which eventually led to complete inoperability. On [XXX], while commuting approximately 40 miles at highway speeds (up to 70 mph), the vehicle exhibited unpredictable engine response. The RPMs fluctuated erratically, and the vehicle would not accelerate beyond 70 mph. There were no dashboard warning indicators at the time. The vehicle is currently in the care of Joe Machens Nissan pending evaluation by Nissan Consumer Affairs. I am submitting this complaint to document potential safety concerns and to contribute to investigations regarding this vehicle model, including similar complaints reported by other 2021 Nissan Versa owners. Safety Impact Statement The operational failure poses a risk of reduced vehicle control and potential accident while driving at highway speeds, even in the absence of dashboard warnings. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689040September 22, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Need to put in complaint the CVT transmissions has been doing a lot of whining and jerky. Spoke to the dealership they stated had no idea what it was. Started to investigate and found out there were recalls in the 2012 to 2015 CVT transmissions on Nissans and there is pending investigation in the years 2020 to 2023 for the same thing. Was told by a car repair to put in complaint. Due to the fact my Nissan stopped and would not move in the middle of an intersection which almost caused a wreck. There were no warning lights it just wouldn't go into gear. This is a big safety issue. It was due to the CVT transmission issues same as the ones in the 2012 to 2015 investigations. It was inspected by a independent service center.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661166May 15, 2025
SEAT BELTS
On three separate occasions while driving, my driver seatbelt has come unbuckled on it's own. Most recently today. It also sometimes sticks and is difficult to unbuckle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11635655January 13, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Versa. The contact stated while attempting to reverse at 2 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound. Additionally, the contact stated that the high-beam headlights were failing and were independently deactivating. The contact stated that the high-beam headlights switch had to be held manually for the high-beam headlights to remain activated. No warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys to be diagnosed. The local Pep Boys was unable to duplicate the failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired, because the dealer was unable to duplicate failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11615709September 20, 2024
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The brakes fight and lock from time to time. The steering will get a tug like a car is in front of me. The engine has a weird tug before pulling of and switching gears.when I pull off while turning the car feels like it completely losses power!?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11611743August 30, 2024
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE
Driving down the road, the car enters a phase where you can not accelerate at all. It seems like the fuel injectors are cut off by 90% and you can only accelerate to about 35 mph. It stalls often and feels as if it's struggling to switch gears. It only has 68k miles on it with regular maintenance being done. It is too new to have these problems.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11605376July 30, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I purchased 2021 4 months ago. Two weeks ago on a very hot day my driver side visor broke. I called Nessan holiness and told them the visor drops. It obstructs vision of driving. I called today and first was put on hold, then call was disconnected. I recalled back and informed Nessan about driver side visor. As we were talking she asked me if I bought car with extended warranty. I said no. Car was sold as is. She hung up the phone on me. She did not call me back, nor did she explain why for hanging up the phone. I googled Nessan Versa driver side visor faulty and found several complaints by other owners about visor dropping down while driving do to cheap visor parts. I don't believe this is my responsibility or other Nessan owners to futuristic keep replacing the driver side visor. Nessan should have a recall on this problem and be forced to make a better quality visor to prevent possible accidents.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577638March 15, 2024
STEERING
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Versa. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V496000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577226March 13, 2024
ENGINE
Driving down the road, the car enters a phase where you can not accelerate at all. It seems like the fuel injectors are cut off by 90% and you can only accelerate to about 35 mph. Although this has happened the whole life of the car 26,000 miles, today I was fed up with it and decided to make it known there is an issue. I've tried different fuel and that did not fix it. As a mechanic myself, I feel there is some kind of programming fault from the factory. I have taken my car into the Nissan dealer and they told me they couldn't find anything wrong and maybe i was using the wrong fuel. I told them the correct fuel was being used. Their technician told me i bought the wrong car for the harsh Minnesota environment. That did not please me. Thank you for your time and hopefully you can have a serious talk Nissan about this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11570706February 8, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Water collects on spark plug coils and the car does not exceed 50 mpg, check engine light comes on. This has happened twice so far, the first time was 1/04/2024. I actually didn't drive the car for two weeks after the first repair, it just sat in the driveway in the rain and snow. The first time I drove it after the first repair, the exact same thing happened. "The water is diverting improperly through the windshield wiper cowl, collecting on cylinder and bypassing seal causing misfire." This is a serious problem that can lead to completely destroying the engine. I joined a few Nissan/Versa forums and this seems to be a common, ongoing problem for 3rd generation Versa owners. I have ordered a 2024 Versa SR and am hoping this issue has already been corrected.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11558512December 5, 2023
POWER TRAIN
When I bought the car, I knew it was not going to be a fast car. After driving for a couple months, I would be going to turn left at an intersection, and it would be sluggish getting across. Eventually you could feel it kick into gear and take off. It now seems to be getting worse. A local mechanic said it had a code P17F4. They would not do touch it there. I took it to Greeley Nissan now and am awaiting a diagnosis.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552996November 1, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Battery continues to die after 6 months of having a new one. Alternator and starter have been checked and are in good working condition.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552115October 26, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
First the furl gage reads the wrong amount I filled up and the gauge never changed. The radio which is a known problem cuts in and out or just stops working
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11545075September 17, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
2021 Nissan Versa S on Aug 26th 2023 driving back from NY heading toward Ma. when a Malfunction sign came up on the dashboard of the car. we pulled over trying to figure out what was happening and took a picture of the warning sign also the Break Assist showing something just happened. turned the car off and the driver turned the car back on. Continue driving. 20 miles down the road the Car brakes locked up the car skid a bit jerking driver and passenger forward. The driver stopped the car. A warning sign was on the dashboard showing a yellow square in front of a car and above two cars colliding. Monday I called the Nissan dealership and explained it and how that is very dangerous and a safety issue. lady said yes it is and we need to get you right in and said she was going to connect me with the Service Manger. after learning what happened he said yes that could be an issue and we need you to bring it in. Then said you did purchase the vehicle here said no in Vt then changed his tune now said we cant get you in right away don't have any opening. made an appointment for Sept 7th 11:00 am. I called Nissan Corporation and reported the issue and the way I was treated and how this vehicle is a safety risk to us and the public. was connected to Nissan Consumer Affair. Explained it to the lady she was going up the chain and get this taken care of. We emailed. I have the emails. called another Nissan dealer where we purchased it. Took me in the next morning. Ran a test then explained the test showing there's been a number of malfunctions happening. Said vehicle isn't having the issue at this moment so it passed. Said it was ok to drive. happened again appointment day came the 7th. Service Manger called me saying he can't get me in needs to reschedule. That afternoon happened again causing a crash. with a Utility pole. Showing emails and pictures to police. The police report reads Mechanical issue. I've tried uploading won't let me. but can email if need be.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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