Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit.
Owners have filed 381 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Nissan Versa, and it carries 8 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 154 | 40% |
| Suspension | 58 | 15% |
| Engine and engine cooling | 15 | 4% |
| Fuel system | 12 | 3% |
| Steering | 11 | 3% |
| Power train | 9 | 2% |
| Electrical system | 9 | 2% |
| Wheels | 9 | 2% |
| Tires | 9 | 2% |
| Unknown or other | 7 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The contact owned a 2008 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that he had been receiving recall notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22E066000 (Air Bags) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list beca
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
I had not driven the car prior to noticing the air passenger light blinking and continuing to stay on. This is occurring whether someone is in the seat or not. Regards, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREED
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
Traffic stopped suddenly when I hit my brakes they failed to work and the airbags didn’t work either so I ended up hitting my head on the roof of the car when I ran into the truck that suddenly stopped in front of me at
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
i have a recall for airbag, i made appointment with dealership. on August 16 2023, went to the appointment and it took 4h to replace and they gave me a report that its been fixed, they replaced both driver and passenger
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
The contact owned a 2008 Nissan Versa. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 17V449000 (Air bags) and 16V349000 (Air Bags) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list since he no
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
I park the Nissa Versa and I smell an over heating odor a lightly dense smoke appears over the hood. A thought comes to mind, “I just went to Jiffy Lube last week.” Suddenly two people are running towards yelling, “Fire
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
About 6 months ago my driver air bag light came on. We toLd shortly after that their is a recall on that exact thing I have been but still get no. I am worried as it now is flashing instead of steady
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
I found a piece of a broken coil spring in my driveway (where multiple cars are parked) in NJ. A quick visual inspection of all the vehicles typically parked near that area did not show any sitting uneven or any obvious
NHTSA complaint: Suspension
NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the 2008 Nissan Versa. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
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 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles are
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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
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, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Risk: If an inflator were to explode it may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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 1-800-867-76
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, temper
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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 Ni
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
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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 bec
| Reliability raw | 48 | below average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 63 | average |
| Maintenance | 84 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 54 | average |
| Performance | 43 | below average |
| Efficiency | 51 | average |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 381 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and air bags is the most reported area with 154 of them (40%). There are 8 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 48/100 (below average) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 63/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2008 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: be careful, because the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit. Its overall ownership score is 59/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.