2020 Nissan Versa: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
64 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 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. 2020 specifically: a year the record favours — 64 complaints, score 83/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Nissan Versa and Murano: the years to avoid, including 2020 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 64 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 10.67
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Driving home heard loud metallic sounding”pop” sound at entering driveway in reverse. Found broken spring piece in driveway.
My 2020 Nissan versa kept hesitating when being put in reverse the engine light kept coming on every few months I kept being told it was other issues until the transmission went out. I got it checked on multiple occasions because of the way it was hesitating and seemed like it was heating up.
I am constantly getting a malfunction for P0101 despite changing my air flow system. It creates acceleration problems everytime.
Recalls: 2 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V471000 | Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Bulbs | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Titan, Titan XD, and Versa vehicles. |
| 20V112000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020 Versa vehicles. |
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 35 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $1,750
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.
- Power Train16 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Forward Collision Avoidance16 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Unknown Or Other14 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine14 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System12 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Service Brakes6 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
Other Nissan Versa years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Nissan Versa?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (16 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2020 Nissan Versa a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 83/100, computed from 64 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2020 Nissan Versa's most common problem?
16 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2020 Nissan Versa sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 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 2020 Nissan Versa cost to run per year?
About $3,462 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $17,312 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 2020 Nissan Versa have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2020 Nissan Versa, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 23/06/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other economys of about the same age.
What will a 2020 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.
Moderate evidence — 64 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 64 NHTSA complaints on record (10.7/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (11.0/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems