2021 Nissan Versa: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
31 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 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. 2021 specifically: a year the record favours — 31 complaints, score 86/100. 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 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 31 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 6.2
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Automatic CVT failure confirmed by Future Nissan of Roseville CA. No warning prior to failure. Replaced by Kirkwood Autoworx Mechanical since Nissan Corporate denied a good-will replacement. Reason: 15k miles over warranty - 75081odometer reading at replacement on 5/27/26. CVT failed while on a busy street [XXX] ). I had only reverse and had to back my way out of traffic. Extremely dangerous situation. New Issue:…
Hi, My name is [XXX] and I live in [XXX] . In October 2023 I purchased a used Nissan Versa 2021 from a dealership. It only had 30k miles on it when I bought it. On May 9, 2026 I was driving to work when my car experienced acceleration failure. It had 80,600 miles on it. When the acceleration failed, I was in the process of making a left turn and came very close to being hit by oncoming traffic. After Nissan claimed …
I got into the car and started it up. Put in reverse car shuts off. Re started and put in reverse. Was able to drive out of apartment parking lot then no power to speed and car was a little jerky and on dashboard it said warning malfunction see owners manual with a few pictures on dashboard
Recalls: 3 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 22V693000 | Steering:Electric Power Assist System | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Versa and Kicks vehicles. |
| 23V496000 | Steering:Electric Power Assist System | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Versa and Kicks vehicles. |
| 21V471000 | Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Bulbs | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Titan, Titan XD, and 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 Train9 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System7 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Air Bags5 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Engine5 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other5 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Steering4 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
Other Nissan Versa years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Nissan Versa?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (9 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Nissan Versa a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 86/100, computed from 31 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Nissan Versa's most common problem?
9 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 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 2021 Nissan Versa cost to run per year?
About $3,237 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $16,188 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 2021 Nissan Versa have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Nissan Versa, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 15/09/2022. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other economys of about the same age.
What will a 2021 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.
Thin evidence — 31 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 31 NHTSA complaints on record (6.2/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (11.0/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality