Model year record
2016 Nissan Versa recalls & problems
The 2016 Nissan Versa has no safety recalls on file with NHTSA, and 81 owner complaints. The most-reported problem area is air bags (21 complaints).
Safety recalls
No safety recalls have been filed for the 2016 Nissan Versa.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Crash test ratings
2016 Nissan Versa 4 DR FWD
| Frontal crash | ★★★★★ |
|---|---|
| Side crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover risk | 14.3% |
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.
Fuel economy
Versa
| City / highway | 31 / 39 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
1.6 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (variable gear ratios) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $1,950/year to fuel
Versa
| City / highway | 27 / 36 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
1.6 L · 4 cyl · Manual 5-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,250/year to fuel
Versa
| City / highway | 26 / 35 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
1.6 L · 4 cyl · Automatic 4-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,300/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
| Problem area | Complaints | Typical mileage* |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 21 | 30,761 mi |
| Power trainAutomatic transmission › Internal › Cvt | 20 | 79,000 mi |
| Unknown or other | 16 | 55,855 mi |
| Engine | 10 | 51,000 mi |
| Service brakes | 8 | 9,730 mi |
| Electrical system | 8 | 37,800 mi |
| Steering | 7 | 9,000 mi |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 6 | — |
| Vehicle speed controlThrottle › Throttle position sensor (tps) | 5 | 128,000 mi |
| TiresTread/belt | 3 | 33,000 mi |
| Exterior lightingBrake lights | 3 | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 30,000 mi |
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
- Electrical systemFire
The turn signal lights suddenly came on and were stuck on. When I started the car it began smoking in the dashboard then caught fully on fire.
- Electrical system
In July 2024 my airbag light came for no apparent reason. I took it to Nissan Service-they got it off with no guarantee it would stay off and said the airbag would have to be replaced if it came on again. In came on again in June 2026. I got my oil changed at a local shop and they got the light off verifying it was the L side airbag causing it to flash. That lasted about 2 months and it is flashing again. I got it off turning the key on and off 3 times. I am not 100% sure the airbag would work if needed. Nissan wants thousands of dollars to fix it. I wonder why this hasn't been a recall.Many Nissan owners have had the same issue.
- Unknown or other
0 The vehicle has a CVT transmission failure causing severe shuddering, jerking, and progressive loss of acceleration. Initially the vehicle would not exceed 20 mph, then worsened to 15 mph, then 10 mph, and now will not exceed 5 mph. The issue consistently occurs after the vehicle has been driven for more than approximately 2 minutes. There are no warning lights or alerts prior to the failure. The vehicle has completely lost power while driving and has stopped in the middle of the road with no ability to accelerate or restart the vehicle, creating an extremely dangerous situation and risk of collision. This appears to be a known and common defect with the CVT transmission on this vehicle…
- Power train
While merging onto [XXX] toward [XXX] , my 2016 Nissan Versa suffered a total loss of power while crossing active railroad tracks. The car stuttered and jerked before completely stalling and stopped responding. I was stranded in a high-traffic zone around [XXX] PM. I was worried that the vehicles coming behind me would not see my small car right away, as I was positioned past the railroad tracks and partway down the middle of the downhill slope. Because of the crest of the hill behind me, I lost sight of approaching traffic in my rearview mirror, which meant drivers coming over the top of the hill wouldn't see my stalled car until they were already descending toward me. I was fortunately…
- Unknown or other
The vehicle has a CVT transmission failure causing severe shuddering, jerking, and progressive loss of acceleration. Initially the vehicle would not exceed 20 mph, then worsened to 15 mph, then 10 mph, and now will not exceed 5 mph. The issue consistently occurs after the vehicle has been driven for more than approximately 2 minutes. There are no warning lights or alerts prior to the failure. The vehicle has completely lost power while driving and has stopped in the middle of the road with no ability to accelerate or restart the vehicle, creating an extremely dangerous situation and risk of collision. This appears to be a known and common defect with the CVT transmission on this vehicle…
- Unknown or other
There is a shutter leaving 1st gear
- Air bags
The airbag warning light has come on and is flashing.Brought it in twice for it was in diagnosis mode the first time. History mode second time and two days later it is on again and flashing that is three times in one month! Nissan needs to have this problem fixed!
- Air bags
My Check Airbag light came on without any incident and has stayed on since January, 2025. I took it to a Nissan dealer and they told me they would charge me $4,000.00 to see if it could be fixed. Charged me $209.96 just to look at the car. Their report said AIRBAG SIDE MODULE LH FAULTY. I am very uneasy now driving around not knowing if my airbag will deploy if ever needed. It is now July, 2025 and I cannot afford putting out this kind of money for the airbag light. I am a [XXX] over [XXX]. Can anyone help? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled…