Reliable Auto DB

2021 Nissan Versa reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Nissan Versa over 6 years — 5 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 Electric power steering and Bulbs.

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

31

Per year

5

Recalls

3

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (9 of 31), then Electrical system (7) and Air bags (5). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Versa has 64 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2022 has 20 complaints, 4 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

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 2021 Nissan Versa. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall Electric power steering 2023-07-18 · NHTSA campaign 23V496000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Versa and Kicks vehicles. An intermittent electrical connection in the electric power steering (EPS) torque sensor can disable the power steering assist.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the steering column torque sensor lot code and replace the steering column assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA26. This recall involves vehicles that were previously inspected, but did not receive a steering column replacement, under recall number 22V-693. These vehicles will need to be reinspected for this recall.
Recall Electric power steering 2022-09-15 · NHTSA campaign 22V693000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Versa and Kicks vehicles. An intermittent electrical connection in the electric power steering (EPS) torque sensor can disable the power steering assist.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the steering column torque sensor lot code, and replace the column, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 9, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PMA10 / PMA25.
Recall exterior lighting, turn signal, bulbs 2021-06-23 · NHTSA campaign 21V471000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Titan, Titan XD, and Versa vehicles. The front right and/or left turn signal bulb can crack and fail to illuminate.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the bulbs as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 20, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PM986 and PC811.

Complaints by component (31 total)

Powertrain
9
Electrical system
7
Air bags
5
Engine
5
Steering
4
Exterior lighting
3
Visibility and wipers
3
Fuel and propulsion system
2
Service brakes
2
Speed control
2
Forward collision avoidance
1
Seat belts
1
Structure
1
Suspension
1
Wheels
1
Show 7 more Show less
Crash-flagged

5

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

3

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

420215202262023620243202572026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Automatic CVT failure confirmed by Future Nissan of Roseville CA. No warning prior to failure. Replaced by Kirkwood Autoworx Mechanical since Nissan Corporate denied a good-will replacement. Reason: 15k miles over…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system · filed 2026-06-02
  • "Hi, My name is [XXX] and I live in [XXX] . In October 2023 I purchased a used Nissan Versa 2021 from a dealership. It only had 30k miles on it when I bought it. On May 9, 2026 I was driving to work when my car…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-05-26
  • "I got into the car and started it up. Put in reverse car shuts off. Re started and put in reverse. Was able to drive out of apartment parking lot then no power to speed and car was a little jerky and on dashboard it…"
    Powertrain, Exterior lighting, Speed control · filed 2026-03-17
  • "Cvt Transmission failed While driving transmission popped and no forward drive leaving us in traffic unable to move in forward. Had to get out and push the car to the side of the road. No warning lights no warning…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-02-20
  • "Transmission failure 2 Times. First time experienced jerking and some smoke coming out and second time same jerking and smoke along with electrical system failure. Nissan paid 40% the first time to help and I paid 60%…"
    Electrical system, Air bags, Engine · filed 2026-02-16

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Nissan Versa 4 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 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 Manual 5-speed Front-wheel drive 27 35 30 MPG $2150
Versa 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 32 40 35 MPG $1850

Specs and fitment

Third generation (N18 sedan), 2020–present
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 full synthetic (ILSAC GF-5) , 4.5 qt capacity
Tire size 195/65R15, 205/55R16, 205/50R17 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 20V-112 covers certain 2020 Nissan Versa vehicles. Due to a manufacturing issue, fuel tank wall thickness may be insufficient and can leave a small hole in the tank seam area. If a hole is present, a fuel leak may occur when the tank is filled over half full, increasing fire risk. Remedy: dealers replace the fuel tank free of charge.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Nissan Versa Next year 2022 Nissan Versa See every Nissan Versa model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Nissan Versa reliable?

Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Nissan Versa over 6 years — 5 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 Electric power steering and Bulbs.

What are common problems with a 2021 Nissan Versa?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (9 of 31), then Electrical system (7) and Air bags (5). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Nissan Versa more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Versa has 64 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2022 has 20 complaints, 4 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Nissan Versa been recalled?

The 2021 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 2021 Nissan Versa?

Owners have filed 31 complaints about the 2021 Nissan Versa with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Nissan Versa get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Nissan Versa is 32.5 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.