Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here.
Owners have filed 486 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Nissan Versa, and it carries 11 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 | 131 | 27% |
| Power train | 117 | 24% |
| Unknown or other | 23 | 5% |
| Engine | 15 | 3% |
| Suspension | 13 | 3% |
| Service brakes | 13 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 10 | 2% |
| Power train | 8 | 2% |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 2% |
| Steering | 8 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
My car keeps having sensors go out. Such as the tire pressure sensor and fuel compression sensor I think is what they called it anyways. They start to go up a hill. And my car loses all speed and slows way down my tracti
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
The transmission failed on the highway making the car serging violently from high to low speeds and then to nothing
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The contact owns 2012 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling or while driving at various speeds, the driver's side floor was significantly hot, and the contact could feel the heat on her feet.
NHTSA complaint: Engine and engine cooling
I bought a used 2012 Nissan Versa from a third party at a very low mileage (46k miles), and it’s now at 54k, and the CVT is showing issues. Check engine light recently came on and I’ve always went to Nissan technicians a
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
It won’t let me go over 30 without the rpm’s significantly increasing and transmission light is on
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at various speeds, the horn failed to function while needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised the conta
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
11587629 does not explain the issue I Reported 2012 Nissan Versa SV made July 2011, purchased Sep. 2011. 2022 45000 miles check engine light. o2, crankshaft position codes. A pig tail connected up stream o2 to cranksh
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Versa. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway and restart the veh
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns for the 2012 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 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
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 inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer
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.
Risk: If the curtain and seat-mounted air bags inadvertently deploy, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install a new jumper harness, and replace the side impact satellite sensors, free of charge. The recall began November 28, 2017. Owners may contact Nissan
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 | 41 | below average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 60 | average |
| Maintenance | 84 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 54 | average |
| Performance | 43 | below average |
| Efficiency | 53 | average |
| Safety | 80 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other compact cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 486 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and air bags is the most reported area with 131 of them (27%). There are 11 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 41/100 (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 60/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2012 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: skip, because the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here. 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.