AI Damage2008 Nissan Versa: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Nissan Versa filed 381 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 381
- involving a crash
- 24
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 45% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 18% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- Air bags: 171 complaints (45% of all), 14 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 70 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 25 complaints (7% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 23 complaints (6% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 22 complaints (6% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.8 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- CVTnamed in 8 complaints
- manual, 6-speednamed in 2 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 381 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 171 | 14 | 0 |
| Suspension | 70 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 25 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 17 | 7 | 0 |
| Wheels | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 5 | 2 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I was driving just about to get onto the highway but as I was turning onto the on ramp I suddenly couldn't turn the wheel and crashed into the guard rail and my power steering light was on. My car underwent extensive damage on the outside and the alignment is now very bad.
Takata recall (nissan versa hatchback) airbag light will not turn off in car. This relates to vehicle safety for any passenger in front seat of car in case of an accident. Have had to replace sensors and catalytic converter once and have been told recently I need the major catalytic converter replaced again.
The driver's air bag failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained back and neck injuries. Medical attention was required. A local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. The vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 17v449000 (air bags).
Both occupants were wearing seatbelts! The passenger side shoulder safety strap webbing had fully extended out before getting hung in d-ring. Tbs 10010097. Due to the srs system failing on the passenger side occupant safety system had aided to my dad hitting the windshield and the passenger seat breaking resulting to…
This car has some flaws on it that should be looked at including the brake pedal, which does not respond very well to driver input, the lazy transmission, which hesitates too much and dealers refuse to fix, the ignition/starter, the flimsy body that looks like it was made out of the same material as toys and its axles…
She had her seat belt on but the back of her seat broke and she was thrown into the back seat and she was killed instantly. The other driver just had a sprained ankle and a few minor cuts & bruises. The officer who came to my door told me this should not have been a fatality accident!
The contact was driving 5 mph and attempting to park when the brakes failed and the contact crashed into a stop sign. The contact sustained severe stomach pains but was not taken to the hospital. The contact called the manufacturer and filed a complaint. The vehicle was not inspected for the failure or repaired.
Front seats backs not holding in place. Pushing the chair trying to get something out of pocket, the back slips back. The other day hit in back of car and the seat collapsed into the back seat.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,034 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Versa has 175 complaints (19 years in the data). This year has 381, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
- Versa 2007354 sources
- Versa 2009504 sources
- Versa 2010269 sources
- Versa 2011269 sources
- Versa 2012486 sources
- Versa 2013204 sources
- Versa 2014207 sources
- Versa 2015168 sources
- Versa 2016166 sources
- Versa 2017136 sources
- Versa 2018127 sources
- Versa 201994 sources
- Versa 2020189 sources
- Versa 2021124 sources
- Versa 202279 sources
- Versa 202387 sources
- Versa 2024113 sources
- Versa 202516 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Nissan Versa?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, suspension, electrical system. Total complaints: 381. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (5%), knocking, grinding or other noise (5%), fuel system, fuel smell (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Nissan Versa?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2008 Nissan Versa from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2008 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.