Ford Fiesta vs Nissan Versa: which is more reliable?
The Ford Fiesta and the Nissan Versa are level on the federal record — 78/100 against 78/100 across the years we score. Which one to buy is decided by the model year, not the badge.
The record, side by side
Ford Fiesta
- 9 model years scored
- 3,158 owner complaints on record
- about 23 complaints per year on the road
- 23 recall campaigns, 7 safety-critical
- best year 2018 (95/100) · worst 2013 (47/100)
Nissan Versa
- 13 model years scored
- 1,719 owner complaints on record
- about 14 complaints per year on the road
- 34 recall campaigns, 23 safety-critical
- best year 2019 (95/100) · worst 2012 (26/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Fiesta against Versa
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Ford Fiesta
- Power Train — 1,497 complaints
- Engine — 504 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 395 complaints
Nissan Versa
- Power Train — 471 complaints
- Air Bags — 441 complaints
- Engine — 279 complaints
Both nameplates have Power Train as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Ford Fiesta — avoid: 2013.
Nissan Versa — avoid: 2012, 2014, 2024.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Ford Fiesta prices at about $9,900 and a Nissan Versa at about $16,700 — the Ford Fiesta is roughly $6,800 less, and they return 31.0 against 35.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Ford Fiesta or the Nissan Versa more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Ford Fiesta scores 78/100 against the Nissan Versa's 78/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Ford Fiesta and Nissan Versa years should I avoid?
Ford Fiesta: 2013. Nissan Versa: 2012, 2014, 2024. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Ford Fiesta and the Nissan Versa?
The largest complaint group on the Ford Fiesta is Power Train (1,497 complaints); on the Nissan Versa it is Power Train (471).
Is the Ford Fiesta or the Nissan Versa cheaper to own?
A recent used Ford Fiesta prices at about $9,900 and a Nissan Versa at about $16,700, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.