NISSAN VERSA · model year

2011 NISSAN VERSA

325 NHTSA complaints, 32 crash reports, and 7 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

2 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011NISSANVERSA carries 325 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 32 crashes, 8 fires, 38 injuries, and 1 fatality. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 2/5 rating, with 3/5 front crash, 2/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 VERSA is air bags with 150 filings, followed by suspension (43) and unknown or other (21). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 7 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 54 investigation files overlapping the 2011 VERSA, and 5 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

325
Complaints
32
Crashes
8
Fires
38
Injuries
1
Deaths
2011 NISSAN VERSA — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2011 NISSAN VERSA. Overall composite: 2.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 2.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 3.0 ★
  • Side Crash 2.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 2.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

325 filings

Crashes Reported

32 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 2/5 — Below-average NCAP rating · Front: 3/5 · Side: 2/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS150
SUSPENSION43
UNKNOWN OR OTHER21
STEERING20
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM15
ENGINE11
POWER TRAIN8
SEAT BELTS7
STRUCTURE:BODY6
SEATS5
TIRES4
EXTERIOR LIGHTING4
SERVICE BRAKES4
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3
WHEELS3

Recalls (7)

16V34900024/05/2016

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45, 2003-2004 Infiniti I35, 2006-2010 Infiniti M35 and M45, and 2007-2011 Nissan Versa vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississ

17V44900017/07/2017

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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

18V40100015/06/2018

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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

15V57300014/09/2015

SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS

Nissan (Nissan North America, Inc.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2012 Nissan Versa vehicles manufactured May 8, 2006, to November 12, 2012, that were sold or ever registered in the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland,

18V04400010/01/2018

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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 Marian

22E06600009/08/2022

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain air bag inflator replacement service parts that may have been installed as part of a theft or collision repair. The parts include certain passenger-side air bag inflators designed to fit Infiniti 2002-2003 QX4, 2006-2010 M35 and M45; Nissan 2

20V00800009/01/2020

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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

Recent Complaints

20250908AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH in a parking lot, the front driver's side air bag unexpectedly deployed without an impact to the vehicle. In addition, the air bag exploded. The contact was unsure if any warning light was illuminated. The contact sustained minor injuries to the right eye and the neck, and an allergic reaction on the face from the powder released from the air bag. The police and the paramedics were called. Afterwards, the contact went to an Urgent Care clinic. The contact's husband drove the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that back in 2018, she received a recall notice regarding the "Driver Frontal Air Bag Inflator ." The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, and the recall repairs were completed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000.

Mileage: 172,000

20250828AIR BAGS

I was working for Uber Eats in New Smyrna Beach, FL. The car was front parked and I reversed the car to pull out from the parking lot. I drove at 5 MPH on the parking lot ready to drive to the main road. The main road was two stop signs away. I was halfway to the first stop sign the airbag deployed all of a sudden. There was no car in front of me or behind me. But the airbag impact blew my right arm from the wrist. My right arm was numb and upper right shoulder was bruised.

20250731LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that the rear passenger's side door failed to unlock and unlatch as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the door lock actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was diagnosed at the owner's expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

Mileage: 58,000

20250308SUSPENSION

BOTH front coil springs suddenly without warning broke while driving collapsing the front end of the vehicle creating difficulty in steering and handling. Although this year/model are the subject of a front coil spring recall this vin does not qualify.

20240806AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Versa. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V349000 (Air Bags) and 17V449000 (Air Bags) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.

20240801AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Versa. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 18V401000 (Air Bags) and 17V449000 (Air Bags); however, the dealer refused to complete the recall repairs. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that before entering the vehicle, she became aware that the driver's side air bag had deployed without impact. The contact stated that the vehicle was not involved in a crash. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer; however, the dealer refused to complete the recall repair because the driver's side air bag had deployed. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Mileage: 155,000

20230925CrashAIR BAGS

On September 11th, my wife was involved in a car accident while driving her 2011 Nissan Versa. The collision resulted in the vehicle rolling over and ending up upside down. Shockingly, none of the airbags deployed during this serious incident. A family member recommended that I report this to Nissan, which I promptly did. However, their response, received last Friday, was rather concerning. According to Nissan, the airbags were not designed to deploy in the event of a rollover crash, and they suggested there was no further action to be taken on their end. Today, I consulted with an attorney's office regarding this matter, and they advised me to report the incident to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as a crucial step. Consequently, I am submitting these details to NHTSA to ensure that this incident is properly documented and investigated. Safety is paramount, and I believe it is essential to bring attention to this situation so that appropriate actions can be

20230725SUSPENSION

On 7-25-23, my wife and I were riding in our 2011 Nissan Versa locally and noticed a banging noise coming from the front end of the car, especially when hitting bumps or uneven payment. When we parked the car at home, I noticed a small piece of metal shaped like a coil spring on the road where we usually park. I phoned our mechanic at Ryan Automotive Goodyear in Moon Twp and asked him if he had time today to see where the banging noise was coming from. We arrived at Ryan Automotive around 3pm. Our mechanic [XXX] said that the front coil spring has broken and the top engine mount needs to be replaced as well. There was a recall on the front coil springs back in 2015 that I had done at West Hills Nissan in Moon Twp, which was sold to #1 Cochran Nissan. Cochran Nissan has no record of my car being serviced at West Hills Nissan along with the recall work. I am wondering if West Hills Nissan ever replaced the coil springs or did they use the recalled coil springs for the replacement. I am

20221109AIR BAGS

upon startup, light illuminates for DRIVER/PASSENGER AIR BAGS OFF. This light intermittently shuts off during driving which tells me something is wrong or not stable with the air bag system even though this VIN has no unrepaired recalls.

20220927AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

Mileage: 139,000

20220621SEAT BELTS

The passenger seat belt keeps locking up anytime me and my wife put the seat belt on. For the seat belt to loosen we have to unclip the seat belt but anytime we even stretch the seat belt and then put it back in the clip it tightens up again. This is when we are stationary and not moving but it also happens even when we are just driving and I’m not even pressing the brake pedal when it happens.

20220531SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Versa. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH and going over a pothole, the vehicle began to drift to the left. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact continued to experience the failure. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the coil springs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 164,000.

Mileage: 164,000

20220526SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Versa. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound while turning the steering wheel. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the failure with the coil springs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V573000 (Suspension) for which the VIN was included. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

Mileage: 200,000

20220509AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN

The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while at a stop sign, the side curtain air bags deployed inadvertently without warning. The contact was not injured. The contact did not take the vehicle to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 172,000.

Mileage: 172,000

20220422AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that the coils needed to be replaced. The air bags and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the coils needed to be replaced. The contact repaired the vehicle himself. The driver's side air bag was repaired however, the passenger's side air bag was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 52,200.

Mileage: 52,200

20220213ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Driver door handle will not open from inside car at times. The exterior handle locking mechanism gets stuck not allowing the door to open from the inside. When this happens, I need to roll down the window to reach outside and jiggle the exterior door handle in order to be able to open the door from inside the car. This poses a serious safety hazard of the driver not being able to exit the vehicle in an emergency. This is a common issue with the Nissan Versa car on many car forums online. I believe there was a recall issued for newer model cars, but not the 2011 year.

20211006STEERING

I do not live in the salt snow States my coils snapped my wheel almost flew off and the dealer is very difficult

20211006SUSPENSION

I do not live in the salt snow States my coils snapped my wheel almost flew off and the dealer is very difficult

20211006AIR BAGS

I do not live in the salt snow States my coils snapped my wheel almost flew off and the dealer is very difficult

20210620AIR BAGS

THE HORN ,ALARM SYSTEM WAS EFFECTED THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME BACK ON AS WELL THE HORN IS NOT WORKING OR BLOWIING THE KEYS IS NOT LOCKING THE DOOR AND NOW ROCKAWAY NISSAN WANTS ME TO REPLACE THE AIR BAG AND THE THE HORN RELAY FOR A TOTAL OF 130075 PLUS LABOR ITS NOT RIGHT I NEED SOME HELP WITH THIS IF YOU COULD SEND A RECALL FORM AGAIN TO REPLACE THE REPLACE WE ARE IN A PANDAMIC AND AM NOT WORKING PLEASE SEE WHAT YOU COULD DO TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM

Compare 2011NISSANVERSA to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 5 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 NISSAN VERSA have?
The 2011 NISSAN VERSA has 325 NHTSA complaints, 32 crashes, 8 fires, 38 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2011 NISSAN VERSA?
The 2011 NISSAN VERSA received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 2/5, front crash rating of 3/5, side crash rating of 2/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2011 NISSAN VERSA?
Yes, the 2011 NISSAN VERSA has 7 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 NISSAN VERSA?
The most-complained component for the 2011 NISSAN VERSA is AIR BAGS with 150 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2011 NISSAN VERSA safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2011 NISSAN VERSA has an NHTSA safety rating of 2/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.