2017 Nissan Versa reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2017 Nissan Versa has 62 complaints with NHTSA after 10 years, or 9 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Versa years here — under the median of the other years, which is 12. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Ignition, Inflator, and Side and window.

2012 Nissan Versa — Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (15 of 62), then Electrical system (11) and Powertrain (9). Those filings include 9 that report a crash and 6 that report an injury.

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 Versa has 80 complaints, 11 per year, and the 2018 has 55 complaints, 9 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2018.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2017 Nissan Versa. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall electrical system, ignition 2018-08-22 · NHTSA campaign 18V551000

Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2018 Frontier, Versa Note, and Versa Sedan vehicles that have a mechanical (physical) key ignition system. In these models, over time, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.

Remedy Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the production information on the ignition switch, and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2017-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 17V275000

Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Versa, and Versa Note vehicles. The ring plate that secures the air bag cushion to the passenger frontal air bag assembly may fail, possibly causing the air bag to deploy improperly in the event of a crash.

Remedy Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began June 12, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Recall air bags, side and window 2016-10-11 · NHTSA campaign 16V724000

Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2017 Versa vehicles manufactured August 1, 2016, to August 16, 2016. A seam in the fabric section of the side curtain air bags may tear during side curtain air bag deployment, potentially affecting the performance of the air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation", and number 214, "Side Impact Protection."

Remedy Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right side curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall began on December 2, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Complaints by component (62 total)

Air bags

Electrical system

Powertrain

Service brakes

Engine

Fuel and propulsion system

Seat belts

Structure

Steering

Suspension

Visibility and wipers

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Exterior lighting

Latches, locks, and linkages

Speed control

Tires

Visibility

Wheels

Show 10 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The vehicle was involved in a side impact collision at a high rate of speed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss after the accident, as the side impact was the drivers side door and wheel well. The air bags never…"
Air bags · filed 2026-03-27
"To whom it may concern the tint on all four of my doors is obstructing my site with Windows up my back window has bubbles all through it. Mike Erdman Nissan has replaced that one one time and it’s bubbled again. They…"
Visibility and wipers · filed 2025-11-23
"On 3/21/25 I was informed by Malik's Auto Repair that I need my transmission replaced after a diagnostic of my car making a vacuum noise. After researching, I found that many Nissan vehicles have been experiencing this…"
Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2025-05-28
"Car was purchased September 2024 for my grandson. This car was garaged until mid-March when my grandson received his driver's license. End of March 2025, car was in the dealership for service and a complimentary…"
Unknown or other · filed 2025-05-27
"Hood latch allowed hood to fly open at 30 mph, causing $3100 worth of damage to car, Potentially causing serious other vehicular/occupant injuries. Apparently the latch was inadvertently engaged, but the secondary latch…"
Structure · filed 2024-11-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2017 Nissan Versa 4 DR FWD	Not rated	4 stars	Not rated	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Versa	1.6L, 4-cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-wheel drive	31	39	34 MPG	$1900
Versa	1.6L, 4-cyl	Automatic 4-speed	Front-wheel drive	26	35	29 MPG	$2250
Versa	1.6L, 4-cyl	Manual 5-speed	Front-wheel drive	27	36	30 MPG	$2150

Specs and fitment

Second generation (N17 sedan), 2012–2019

Body styles Sedan

Oil SAE 5W-30 with API Certification Mark (10W-30 conventional may be used as temporary alternative per manual) , 3.75 qt capacity

Tire size 185/65R15

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 15V-507 covers certain 2012-2015 Nissan Versa sedan vehicles (and 2014-2015 Versa Note vehicles in the same campaign). The center console trim panel may catch the driver's shoe and delay moving from the accelerator to the brake pedal, which lengthens stopping distance and increases crash risk. Remedy: dealers modify the console trim panel free of charge. When NHTSA lists Versa sedan and Versa Note together, the published unit count is shared across both.

Compare

Previous year 2016 Nissan Versa Next year 2018 Nissan Versa See every Nissan Versa model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Nissan Versa reliable?

What are common problems with a 2017 Nissan Versa?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (15 of 62), then Electrical system (11) and Powertrain (9). Those filings include 9 that report a crash and 6 that report an injury.

Is the 2017 Nissan Versa more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2017 Nissan Versa been recalled?

The 2017 Nissan Versa has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2017 Nissan Versa?

Owners have filed 62 complaints about the 2017 Nissan Versa with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Nissan Versa get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Nissan Versa is 31 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Nissan Versa take?

N17 (2012-2019) manuals list SAE 5W-30 with the API Certification Mark. N18 (2020-on) lists 0W-20 full synthetic (ILSAC GF-5). Confirm the filler-cap grade for your year.

What tire size does a Nissan Versa use?

N17 sedans commonly use 185/65R15. N18 sedans list 195/65R15, 205/55R16, and 205/50R17 depending on trim.

What does NHTSA recall 15V-507 cover on early Versas?

Certain 2012-2015 Versa sedans (and 2014-2015 Versa Note in the same campaign): the center console trim may catch the driver’s shoe and delay moving from accelerator to brake.