2011 Nissan Versa: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
269 NHTSA owner complaints · 7 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2012 and 2014 Nissan Versa, which have 486 and 337 complaints and scores of 26 and 45, and the 2024 car, an AVOID at 44 on a record still forming; the 2011 car is a CAUTION at 269 complaints. Buy a 2015 to 2021 car: the 2016 has 80 complaints, no recalls and a score of 92. Read the full note on the model page. 2011 specifically: 269 complaints on record, score 51/100 — read the year table on the model page to see where it sits among its siblings.
Read the guide
Used Nissan Versa and Murano: the years to avoid, including 2011 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 269 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 17.93
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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. M…
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 f…
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.
Recalls: 7 campaigns (6 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 20V008000 | 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. |
| 22E066000 | 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. |
| 18V044000 | 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 Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. |
| 15V573000 | 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, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey,… |
| 18V401000 | 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, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma,… |
| 17V449000 | 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. |
| 16V349000 | 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, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa,… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a city car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 30 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,050
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Air Bags152 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Suspension46 complaints · typical job: Struts, springs and control-arm bushings, one axle (4.0 h labour + parts)$780–$1,580
- Steering21 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Unknown Or Other21 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System17 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine11 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
Other Nissan Versa years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Nissan Versa?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (152 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2011 Nissan Versa a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 51/100, computed from 269 NHTSA complaints and 7 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2011 Nissan Versa's most common problem?
152 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2011 Nissan Versa sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2011 Nissan Versa cost to run per year?
About $4,880 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $24,402 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2011 Nissan Versa have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 Nissan Versa, 6 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 09/01/2020. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other economys of about the same age.
What will a 2011 Nissan Versa really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 269 complaints, 7 recalls on record
- 269 NHTSA complaints on record (17.9/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (11.0/yr)
- 7 recall campaigns, 6 touching safety-critical systems