2012 Nissan VERSA - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2012 Nissan Versa has an overall front crash rating of 3 out of 5 and a frontal crash driver side rating of 3, while the passenger side rating is 2. Unfortunately, the overall side crash rating is not available. However, the car has a rollover rating of 4 out of 5. One positive aspect of this vehicle is that it comes standard with electronic stability control, which can help prevent skidding or loss of control. On the downside, it does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems.

In terms of complaints and recalls, the Nissan Versa has received a relatively high number of complaints, totaling 474. Additionally, there have been 11 recalls issued for this model, indicating some potential safety issues that have been identified. Overall, while the Nissan Versa has some safety features such as stability control, the higher number of complaints and recalls may raise some concerns about its overall safety performance.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

474

Recall Count

11

Investigation Count

7

Safety Rating

Not Rated

Search Vehicle Details

Advanced Search

The advanced search lets you search by safety ratings and features. This will return a list of vehicles that match your search criteria.

Safety Features

2012 Nissan Versa 5 HB FWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2012 Nissan Versa 5 HB FWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2012 Nissan Versa 5 HB FWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2012 Nissan Versa 5 HB FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2007 Score 2012 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 3 4
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 4 3 4
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 2 4

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2007 Score 2012 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 Not Rated 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2007 Score 2012 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Complaints for the 2012 Nissan VERSA

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"the contact owned a 2012 nissan versa. the contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, another vehicle crashed into the contact vehicle; however, the air bags failed to deploy. no warning lights were illuminated. the contact was injured but did not receive medical attention. a police report was filed. the vehicle was taken to the contact's residence. the vehicle was deemed totaled by the insurance company. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 165,000."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2023-03-05
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 nissan versa. the contact received notification of the nhtsa campaign number 17v449000 (air bags) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. the local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2022-06-05
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 nissan versa. the contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph, the contact became aware that the air bag warning light was blinking off and on. the contact took the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the air bag spiral cable on the driver’s side to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. approximately one week after the repair, the air bag warning light was again illuminated. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer to be diagnosed. the mechanic stated that the air bag module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was informed of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 140,000."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2022-01-12
Complaint:
"on february 2, 2021 around 0820 on south marine corp drive rt.1 (across east agana mobil gas station) the driver's side airbag in my vehicle had unexpectly deployed while driving (vehicle in motion) to work; while in the middle of rush hour traffic. i'm had the vehicle towed to nissan guam for them to investigate and the results were given to me by service manager gibert a spiral cable in the steering column grounded, overtime causing a short circuit in the airbag module which enacted the unexpected deployment and has nothing to do with the recall. and because the airbag has deployed we there is no recall items to replace. the vehicle remains in nissan guam's possession at the moment."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2021-02-02
Complaint:
"there is a recall regarding my airbags #b2tp-3vl and nissan refuses to provide me with a loaner vehicle. my recall notice says that they have to provide me with a loaner vehicle. italked to the dealer and to the nissan corporate office and nobody will help. i cannot afford to take time off of work nor spend my day off at the car dealership as i watch my grandchildren over the weekends"
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2020-02-11
Complaint:
"drivers airbag module bad in the vehicle and the airbag light is flashing. the drivers side airbag will not deploy in the event of an accident. i know there was a recall for many of them for this model year but this is not one of them and this vehicle is effected. this needs to one corrected"
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2021-02-10
Complaint:
"i we t to have the safety recall fixed but the dealership said that someone had altered the harness for the airbag, it was the first id heard of it. they said id have to buy a brand new harness for the vehicle for over a thousand dollars , so i didn't get the recall fixed. went to the place i bought the car and they said they weren't liable for it either. just want to get those airbags out of my car."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2019-08-07
Complaint:
"i received a recall card in the mail instructed me to take my car to nissan because of the airbag malfunction in the airbag which could cause death and the light continue to stay on i took my car there they never fixed it they said they did but it was never fixed i still have the same problem and as of today i'm still having the same problem i took my car they are in 2017 or 2018 when i got the card when i was instructed to take the car to the nissan dealership i did call that dealership back which was quite cooley in duncan ville texas the ones that was supposed to fix it i'll call the service center and they kept giving me the runaround i did report that it wasn't fixed nobody did anything as of today they still haven't done anything i'm still driving with my car with the recalls still on my car and i am very much concerned about it i just want my car fixed asap please this problem is still on going before i got the recall and after i got the recall and after they were supposed to have fixed it which they did not today's date is december 9, 2019"
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2019-09-12
Complaint:
""takata recall" nissan dealership will not replace the drivers side airbag, it has replaced 2 airbags only. bags replaced are side airbag on drivers side, and front airbag for passenger. spoke to manager of 2 dealership but say those not replaced were not specified, therefore will not replace. also could not tell me if they were a different brand. said i would have to pay them to check the brand. why. would nissan use different brands on same car?"
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2021-06-03
Complaint:
"tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2012 nissan versa. the contact was not experiencing a failure until the vehicle was repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 17v449000 (air bags). bedford nissan (18115 rockside rd, bedford, oh 44146, (440) 336-8611) performed the repair and stated that the remedy failed to provide a permanent repair; therefore, the vehicle needed to be diagnosed to determine if a sensor was faulty. a loaner vehicle was provided when the air bag recall repair was performed. the contact later received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 18v401000 (air bags) and was waiting to determine the manufacturer guidelines to repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was contacted. the failure mileage was not available."
Components Involved: AIR BAGS
Date of incident: 2018-01-03

Recalls for the 2012 Nissan VERSA

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west virginia. nissan is also recalling 2010-2011 nissan versa sedan vehicles and 2010-2012 nissan versa hatchback vehicles ever registered in the states of ever registered in the states of alaska, colorado, connecticut, idaho, iowa, maine, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, oregon, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, washington, wisconsin, and wyoming. in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling."
Consequence:
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

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 service at 1-800-867-7669.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2018-06-15
Recall:
"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 u.s. virgin islands, or "zone a". additionally, if not included in "zone a" above, nissan is recalling certain 2009-2010 infiniti m35 and m45 and 2009 nissan versa sedans and hatchbacks originally sold, or ever registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west virginia, or "zone b". additionally, if not included in "zone a" or "zone b" above, nissan is recalling certain 2005-2008 infiniti fx35 and fx45, 2006-2010 infiniti m35 and m45, and 2007-2008 nissan versa vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in alaska, colorado, connecticut, idaho, iowa, maine,..."
Consequence:
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

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 become available. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2017-01-10
Recall:
"nissan north america, inc. (nissan) is recalling certain 2009-2012 versa hatchback, and 2009-2011 versa sedan vehicles ever registered in the states of alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the northern mariana islands (saipan), and the u.s. virgin islands or "zone a." additionally, nissan is recalling certain 2009-2010 versa hatchback, and versa sedan vehicles ever registered in the states of arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new mexico, north carolina, ohio, oklahoma, pennsylvania, tennessee, virginia, and west virginia or "zone b." nissan is also recalling certain 2009 versa hatchback and versa sedan vehicles ever registered in the states of alaska, colorado, connecticut, idaho, iowa, maine, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, oregon, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, washington, wisconsin, and wyoming or "zone c." in the event..."
Consequence:
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 9, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2018-01-10

NISSAN Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

NISSAN ranks 5 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

Related Vehicles

Why not check out other NISSAN vehicles?

2009 XTERRA
NISSAN
  • Overall Safety Rating: Not Rated
  • Complaints Count: 18
  • Recall Count: 5
View Car
2023 ALTIMA
NISSAN
  • Overall Safety Rating: 5
  • Complaints Count: 5
  • Recall Count: 0
View Car
2012 NV2500
NISSAN
  • Overall Safety Rating: Not Rated
  • Complaints Count: 8
  • Recall Count: 4
View Car
2020 KICKS
NISSAN
  • Overall Safety Rating: 4
  • Complaints Count: 42
  • Recall Count: 0
View Car