Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2012 Nissan Versa: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 486 safety complaints about the 2012 Nissan Versa with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

486
Complaints
11
Recalls
7
Investigations
4★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 40 crashes, 6 fires, 31 injuries, 1 death.

Key findings
  1. Airbags & restraints leads the complaint list, cited in 170 of 486 complaints, followed by Power train / transmission.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 33 of the 486 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. Complaints peaked 5 years after the model year (128 filed in 2017) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  4. 7 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2012 Nissan Versa, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 486 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Airbags & restraints
170
Power train / transmission
163
Engine & cooling
56
Other / unspecified
53
Brakes & stability
42
Electrical
34
Speed control
33
Suspension
28

"The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Versa. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number 17V449000 (Air Bags) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted."

Owner complaint filed May 2022 · Air Bags · NHTSA ODI 11463640

"NISSAN VERSA 2012 HAS A ENGINE PROBLEM WITH THE MASS AIR SENSOR AND ALSO THE ELECTRICAL PROBELM.MY CAR SHUT OFF ON THE ROAD WHILE I WAS DRIVING.I SENT TO THE MECHANIST BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE EXACT PROBLEM.I ALSO SENT TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP BUT THE PROBLEM STILL REMAIN IT. I ONE TIME ALMOST GOT A ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF IT."

Owner complaint filed February 2021 · Electrical System,Air Bags,Engine · NHTSA ODI 11395606

When complaints were filed

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2012 Nissan Versa peaked later than usual, in 2017.

Complaints filed per year — 2012 Nissan Versa
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
2
20
18
40
65
55
128
64
31
22
15
8
7
5
5
1
11121314151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

Recall history: 11 recalls

11 recalls apply to some or all 2012 Nissan Versa vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Feb 201212V-032
Power Train:Manual Transmission:Shift Pattern Indicator

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,”THEFT PROTECTION.” DUE TO INTERFERENCE BETWEEN…

Feb 201212V-055
Air Bags:Side/Window

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.

Aug 201515V-507
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…

Sep 201515V-573
Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs

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,…

Jan 201717V-028
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module

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…

Mar 201717V-144
Air Bags:Side/Window

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.

Jul 201717V-449
Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module

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, tempera…

Oct 201717V-637
Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs

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, Ne…

Jan 201818V-044
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module

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 Marian…

Jun 201818V-401
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module

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, N…

Aug 202222E-066
Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain air bag inflator replacement service parts that may have been installed as part of a theft or collision repair. The parts include certain passenger-side air bag inflators designed to fit Infiniti 2002-2003 QX4, 2006-2010 M35 and M45; Nissan 20…

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★☆
Overall
★★★☆☆
Frontal crash
★★★★☆
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2012 Nissan Versa have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 486 complaints about the 2012 Nissan Versa with NHTSA. The most-reported system is airbags & restraints.

How many recalls does the 2012 Nissan Versa have?

The 2012 Nissan Versa has 11 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2012 Nissan Versa safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2012 Nissan Versa an overall crash rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.