AI Damage2017 Nissan Versa: common problems
Owners of the 2017 Nissan Versa filed 62 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. The maker issued 74 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 62
- involving a crash
- 9
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 74
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 24% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 10% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 6% of all complaints
- Air bags: 15 complaints (24% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (18% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 23.
- Powertrain: 9 complaints (15% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 19.
- Service brakes: 9 complaints (15% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
- Engine: 8 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- CVTnamed in 1 complaints
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 62 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 | 15 | 6 | 4 |
| Electrical system | 11 | 0 | 23 |
| Powertrain | 9 | 0 | 19 |
| Service brakes | 9 | 3 | 3 |
| Engine | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Suspension | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Steering | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Transmission went out on highway, car went from 70 to zero while on cruise control on 85 n in SC. Car startled again in traffic causing an accident
The vehicle was turned sideways and the air bags did not deploy. The contact's chest hit the steering wheel and she suffered three cracked ribs, a broken sternum, bruising to the lungs, seat belt burn to the neck and gashes to the left hand. Medical attention was received as the contact was transported by ambulance.
The contact stated that while her son was driving at 40-46 mph, the vehicle jerked, shook and swerved. As a result, the driver crashed into a cone. There were no warning lights illuminated. The manual side view mirrors were stuck and failed to move. The roof of vehicle had an extreme amount of dirt.
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 nissan versa. While the contact was driving 35 mph, an oncoming vehicle cut across in front of her vehicle. The brake pedal was depressed, but failed to operate and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle crashed into a sign post, ran off of the roadway, and ended up in a ditch.
The car would screech when slowing down and make almost a grinding sound when making a hard brake. I took it to the dealer who I purchased the car from (abc nissan) and they twice refused to fix it.
The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy and the seat belts failed to function as intended. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a bruised chest and fractured ribs, which required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The dealer was not contacted.
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 refuse to replace the door window tint and said it was self inflicted.
My car would not start. I was out with my daughter and if it was not for me having AAA we would have been stranded. Nissan stated that this issue was fixed on my car prior to me purchasing it. There is no record of this issue being fixed on Carfax and I paid almost $600 to replace it.
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 784 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 37% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Versa has 49 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 62, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other…
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
- DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed…
- VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR INFOTAINMENT ISSUES This bulletin is no longer active
To access infotainment software updates via the Infotainment Software Update Utility: Select SPECIALTY TOOLS, and then select Infotainment Software Updates on the left side of ASIST. Please discard previous versions of…
- SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR INFOTAINMENT ISSUES This bulletin is no longer active
To access infotainment software updates via the Infotainment Software Update Utility: Select SPECIALTY TOOLS, and then select Infotainment Software Updates on the left side of ASIST. HINT: Initially, the Infotainment…
- DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR INFOTAINMENT ISSUES This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NHTSA lists 74 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Nissan Versa?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 62. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (15%), seat belts (13%), stalls while driving (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2017 Nissan Versa?
NHTSA lists 74 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 2017 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 2017 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 2026-11-04.