AI Damage2018 Nissan Versa: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Nissan Versa filed 57 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and air bags. The maker issued 69 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 57
- involving a crash
- 13
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 69
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 30% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 26% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 25% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 18% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 7% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 4% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 4% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 17 complaints (30% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 27.
- Air bags: 15 complaints (26% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
- Engine: 14 complaints (25% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 10 complaints (18% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 12.
- Service brakes: 6 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
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
- CVT
- manual, 5-speednamed in 2 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 57 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 17 | 0 | 27 |
| Air bags | 15 | 9 | 4 |
| Engine | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 10 | 0 | 12 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Structure | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 14 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The airbags failed to deploy upon impact. The contact sustained sourness to her neck, back, and both shoulders but did not seek medical attention. The police were not called to the scene and a report was not filed. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic for repair.
At the speed the crash happened, the force with which I was hit and the damage to the car I was unpleasantly surprised that the airbags did not deploy, they could have prevented injury. My car was in forward motion on a highway, I was hit by a turning car.
Shaking brake pedal, difficulty slowing the car down while driving
The air bags did not deploy. The contact was in and out of consciousness after the crash and was transported to a local hospital. The contact sustained injuries to the neck, back, spine, and was paralyzed for the first two days after the crash. The contact sustained multiple other injuries as well.
Car jerks and doesn’t go into gear right away. Never know when it will happen. There is a notice from Nissan that it happens because of short in tail light. Happened approx 3 yrs ago and has started again but worse. It is available for inspection No recall but very unsafe.
There was no impact marks, no hole in the window. I’m not sure how this has happened and thankfully we were at home and not driving.
The contact stated that while driving approximately 4 MPH, the vehicle was shaking violently. There were no warning lights illuminated. When the heater was activated, there was a loud clanking sound coming from the vehicle.
They told me that my transmission had failed and needed to be replaced.i had no warning light or any other problem and I could have been hurt really bad if the car behind me hadn't stop and help me get out of the rush hour traffic.
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 816 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Versa has 49 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 57, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
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…
- RADIO INTERMITTENTLY REBOOTS DURING AUDIO PLAYBACK VIA BLUETOOTH CONNECTED IPHONE This bulletin has been…
RADIO INTERMITTENTLY REBOOTS DURING AUDIO PLAYBACK VIA BLUETOOTH CONNECTED IPHONE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CVT Warranty Extension REVISION 1 Please discard earlier versions of this bulletin
The announcement from May 23, 2023 has been revised to include the following: ⢠The voucher program has been updated and the program rules and dealer instructions have been added to the FAQ section of this dealer…
NHTSA lists 69 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Nissan Versa?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, air bags, engine. Total complaints: 57. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (19%), stalls while driving (14%), jerking, harsh shifts (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Nissan Versa?
NHTSA lists 69 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 2018 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 2018 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.