2016 Nissan Versa
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Vehicles › Nissan › Versa › 2016
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 2016 Nissan Versa. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
The turn signal lights suddenly came on and were stuck on. When I started the car it began smoking in the dashboard then caught fully on fire.
In July 2024 my airbag light came for no apparent reason. I took it to Nissan Service-they got it off with no guarantee it would stay off and said the airbag would have to be replaced if it came on again. In came on again in June 2026. I got my oil changed at a local shop and they got the light off verifying it was the L side airbag causing it to flash. That lasted about 2 months and it is flashing again. I got it off turning the key on and off 3 times. I am not 100% sure the airbag would work if needed. Nissan wants thousands of dollars to fix it. I wonder why this hasn't been a recall.Many Nissan owners have had the same issue.
0 The vehicle has a CVT transmission failure causing severe shuddering, jerking, and progressive loss of acceleration. Initially the vehicle would not exceed 20 mph, then worsened to 15 mph, then 10 mph, and now will not exceed 5 mph. The issue consistently occurs after the vehicle has been driven for more than approximately 2 minutes. There are no warning lights or alerts prior to the failure. The vehicle has completely lost power while driving and has stopped in the middle of the road with no ability to accelerate or restart the vehicle, creating an extremely dangerous situation and risk of collision. This appears to be a known and common defect with the CVT transmission on this vehicle model and year. The condition has progressively worsened and makes the vehicle unsafe to operate.
While merging onto [XXX] toward [XXX] , my 2016 Nissan Versa suffered a total loss of power while crossing active railroad tracks. The car stuttered and jerked before completely stalling and stopped responding. I was stranded in a high-traffic zone around [XXX] PM. I was worried that the vehicles coming behind me would not see my small car right away, as I was positioned past the railroad tracks and partway down the middle of the downhill slope. Because of the crest of the hill behind me, I lost sight of approaching traffic in my rearview mirror, which meant drivers coming over the top of the hill wouldn't see my stalled car until they were already descending toward me. I was fortunately able to get it restarted and drove it immediately to a Nissan dealership. A diagnostic scan confirmed Code P0746. The service technician told me the CVT assembly is internally destroyed ('toasted') and requires a full replacement. This catastrophic failure happened at only 50,484 miles, which is dangerously premature for a major transmission component. (note- i have a tech video that they sent me of there diagnostic just cant apply to the notes) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The vehicle has a CVT transmission failure causing severe shuddering, jerking, and progressive loss of acceleration. Initially the vehicle would not exceed 20 mph, then worsened to 15 mph, then 10 mph, and now will not exceed 5 mph. The issue consistently occurs after the vehicle has been driven for more than approximately 2 minutes. There are no warning lights or alerts prior to the failure. The vehicle has completely lost power while driving and has stopped in the middle of the road with no ability to accelerate or restart the vehicle, creating an extremely dangerous situation and risk of collision. This appears to be a known and common defect with the CVT transmission on this vehicle model and year. The condition has progressively worsened and makes the vehicle unsafe to operate.
There is a shutter leaving 1st gear
The airbag warning light has come on and is flashing.Brought it in twice for it was in diagnosis mode the first time. History mode second time and two days later it is on again and flashing that is three times in one month! Nissan needs to have this problem fixed!
My Check Airbag light came on without any incident and has stayed on since January, 2025. I took it to a Nissan dealer and they told me they would charge me $4,000.00 to see if it could be fixed. Charged me $209.96 just to look at the car. Their report said AIRBAG SIDE MODULE LH FAULTY. I am very uneasy now driving around not knowing if my airbag will deploy if ever needed. It is now July, 2025 and I cannot afford putting out this kind of money for the airbag light. I am a [XXX] over [XXX]. Can anyone help? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
A critical safety concern arising from the evaporator core defect in the Nissan Versa relates to the vehicle’s inability to properly control interior humidity and prevent window fogging during rainy conditions. When the evaporator core fails, the air conditioning system cannot effectively dehumidify the air inside the cabin. As a result, drivers are forced to keep the windows rolled up in rain or inclement weather to avoid water intrusion, which causes moisture to accumulate inside the vehicle. This excess moisture leads to rapid fogging and clouding of the windows, severely impairing driver visibility. Reduced visibility directly increases the risk of accidents, creating a hazardous driving environment. Unlike a simple comfort issue, this malfunction compromises a fundamental safety feature—clear vision—making it not only a nuisance but a critical safety hazard. Therefore, this defect justifies urgent recall action to prevent accidents and protect drivers, passengers, and other road users from potentially life-threatening situations caused by impaired visibility. What’s even more troubling is that I’ve found I am not alone in this. Numerous Nissan Versa owners have posted online about experiencing the same A/C failure and evaporator core issues. This is not an isolated case. This is a pattern — and that makes it a manufacturing problem. A vehicle that cannot regulate its internal temperature in hot weather presents a real and immediate health risk. It should qualify as a safety defect under federal standards. Nissan must be held accountable, and the individuals responsible for the design, production, or approval of this flawed system must take responsibility. Consumer Complaints: There have been reports from Nissan Versa owners experiencing fogging windows due to AC issues. For instance, a 2017 Nissan Versa owner reported that all windows were unclear and covered with a film and spots, creating a visibility hazard while driving . (More examples)…could not fit
I own a 2016 Nissan Versa, and the air conditioning system has completely failed, making the car almost unbearable to drive in the Florida heat. I have already spent over $1,000 trying to fix the issue — including replacing multiple A/C components — and the air still doesn’t work. A mechanic told me the evaporator core needs to be replaced, but that repair alone is too expensive for me right now. Driving this car in extreme heat has made me physically miserable and mentally drained. I sweat constantly, feel dizzy, and can’t think straight while on the road. I’ve even started losing things and forgetting where I put things because I’m so overheated and foggy. I have to dress half-naked just to survive the drive, and it’s humiliating. I’ve noticed that many other Nissan Versa owners report the same A/C failure, especially in similar model years, which tells me this is not just my car — it’s a pattern. I believe this is a manufacturer defect that Nissan is ignoring, and I respectfully ask that the NHTSA investigate this issue. The heat exposure is more than an inconvenience — it’s a daily health and safety risk
I own a 2016 Nissan Versa, and the air conditioning system has completely failed due to what I’ve been told is an evaporator core issue. After researching, I’ve found that this is a very common problem among Versa owners across multiple model years. The failure causes extreme heat in the cabin, especially in summer months, and creates a serious distraction and discomfort while driving. It becomes physically exhausting and mentally draining, even leading to dizziness or loss of focus — which I believe is a potential safety hazard. Nissan has not issued a recall or acknowledged the issue, despite the large number of owners reporting the same problem. I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate this as a potential pattern of manufacturer defect. The heat exposure is more than an inconvenience — it’s a daily health and safety risk. PLEASE look into this!!!!!
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a complete stop at a traffic light, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive back to the residence, where the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the CVT transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the repair could not be covered because the vehicle was not previously serviced at the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle lost motive power, and started jerking while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the RPM needled was fluctuating erratically. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Versa. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, the contact approached oncoming traffic and depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle continued to surge forward without warning. The contact deactivated the cruise control; however, the failure persisted. The contact was able to pull off to the shoulder of the highway and placed the vehicle in park(P) while the RPM's continued to surge. Upon restart of the vehicle, the RPMs became extremely elevated, and the contact immediately shut off the vehicle. The contact opened the hood and reset the throttle sensor; the contact then restarted the vehicle and drove the vehicle home without further issues. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 176,000.
"Leaking injectors causing cylinder wall wash, resulting in low compression." Per Nissan of Chattanooga East. Stated they have seen this before and can be a "common" malfunction. Puts others and self at risk of catastrophic engine malfunction and fuel injector malfunction. Car fire, an engine explosion, or simply breaking down in the middle of the interstate, "Repair" occurred and sent home, 2 times. Subsequent followup revealed critical malfunction and requirement to replace engine and necessary components.
Transmission failure
A while ago my airbag light began flashing, we reset it a few times and it would come back after a week or two sometimes longer, either a flashing or solid light, it felt almost random. No codes came up when we had it ran, and then we took it to the dealership for inspection. It is the back of my driver seat, the airbag for the driver side back seat. I don’t know what the qualified number of complaints is, but please at least look into this. The most complaints this car has is something to do with the airbags. I’ve also had a similar ac/belt problem that was mentioned by the guy from Texas. He said the ac compressor caused a belt failure, mine was the other way around, my belt was squeaking for a while, had it replaced- month later my ac compressor gave out due to the belt operating at full capacity for the first time in a long time. It is available for further inspection. An airbag is plainly a safety risk, not to mention the part is “on extreme back order”, which leads me to believe that this a bigger problem then what is being reported here. The problem was confirmed by the dealership It has only been inspected by the Nissan dealership As also stated above, there were warning lights about its failure. It’s late, I apologize but I’m not proof reading this. Please look into it, please, it’s a very expensive repair that I won’t be able to afford for a long time, and I’m concerned about my back passengers..
My engine light has always been on in my car contacted the dealership and they never cared to take care of the situation. My car has a problem with picking up speed and turning corners. Took it to a mechanic and said it’s my transmission and that it was never good especially the cvt transmission in my 2016 Nisan versa that it was recalled and no one contacted me. I would like it fixed I’m a single parent and I need my car
Since buying car used last summer ive have numerous scares for the car stalling jerking and shutting off while driving or slowing down and taking off. I drove over train tracks on my way home and the car jerked stalled and died luckily i made it over the tracks and there was no train. Had a mechanic look at it and said the Cvt transmission more than likely blame for this problem. After researching more this particular make model and year had numerous of the same complaints and saftey is my main concern here. Thanks
Fuel gauge is always stuck to full. I have to rely on the gas pump to know that I have full tank of gas. Luckily I only drive it for short distances. It will not be safe to drive interstate.
Hood flew up while driving and smashes into my windshield
Air bag red signal on and off. It is very loose. AC compressor needs repair that cause Belt broken, pulley isn’t working and AC condenser needed to be repair. Power Train catalyst issues. Exhaust leaking at manifold, catalyst too exhaust as exhaust connections. Oxygen sensors too slow to respond. Replace sensors with exhaust repairs.
Air bag red signal on and off it is very loose. AC Compressor is locked that cause belt broken and pulley is not working that AC Condenser had to be fixed Power Train Catalyst issues Exhaust leaking at manifold and catalyst too exhaust as Exhaust connections. Oxygen sensors too slow to respond. Need to repair sensors with exhaust.
Just got the car from someone, and the air bag light comes up and stays on all the time the engine starts, trying all the ways to reset the light and not working, I found online that many same car owners has the same problem and there is no recall from the manufacturer, Nissan cars has a lot of air bags problems., my car has no collision and has only 62000 miles. Going to a dealer to ask about the price to fix and was told about more than a thousand dollars and not guaranteered'
The transmission completely went on my vehicle at 87,015 miles. I regularly drive on a major highway and had this happened while on the highway it could have been catastrophic as speeds generally exceed 70MPH on this road. The problem has been confirmed by my dealer. Nissan will not back the repair as I am 3,015 miles out of warranty. There were no warning lights prior to the failure.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.