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#BS-2012-NISVER-2A59

2012 Nissan Versa

Based on reports from 672 owners and 11 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
672
Crashes
65
Fires
11
Recalls
11
TSBs
155
πŸ›‘

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 672 complaints, 65 crashes, 11 fires, and 11 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.4x the class average. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

Top reported problems

1

transmission failure

76 complaints β€’ Severity 9.2/10

$X,XXX
2

engine stalls dies while driving

9 complaints β€’ Severity 8.4/10

$X,XXX
3

difficulty steering

6 complaints β€’ Severity 9.3/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the AirbagsHIGH

165 owners reported airbags issues β€” failures commonly reported around 59K miles.

!Inspect the DrivetrainMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

106
0–30K
113
30–60K
141
60–90K
52
90–120K
14
120–150K
6
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (141 reports) β€’ Median: 59K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Airbags (165 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Airbags165 (25%)
Drivetrain160 (24%)
Engine53 (8%)
Other51 (8%)
Speed Control32 (5%)
Brakes31 (5%)
Electrical30 (4%)
Suspension26 (4%)

2012 Nissan Versa: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 25% of all reports filed for the 2012 Nissan Versa, with 165 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 59,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 59K-mile mark.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 24% of all reports filed for the 2012 Nissan Versa, with 160 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2012 Nissan Versa, with 53 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Speed Control Issues

Speed Control complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2012 Nissan Versa, with 32 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

4
11
29
12
25
13
61
14
86
15
75
16
156
17
93
18
41
19
31
20
27
21
12
22
12
23
9
24
8
25
3
26

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2012 Nissan Versa. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind β€” know what this car costs to own

Repair costs β€’ Negotiation scripts β€’ Mechanic checklist β€’ Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (11 recalls)

12V032000Mar 2012

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:SHIFT PATTERN INDICATOR

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 VERSA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 9, 2011, THROUGH JANUARY 13, 2012 FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 114,Β”THEFT PROTECTION.Β” DUE TO INTERFERENCE BETWEEN THE SHIFTER ROD AND THE SHIFT KNOB, THE VEHICLES MAY BE SHIFTED OUT OF THE PARK POSITION WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL.

12V055000Mar 2012

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 ALTIMA AND VERSA VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS THAT CONTAIN AN INCORRECT PROPELLANT MIXTURE FOR THE INITIATOR COMPONENT USED, RESULTING IN INSUFFICIENT OUTPUT OF COMPRESSED GAS.

15V507000Sep 2015

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Nissan Versa sedan vehicles manufactured June 9, 2011, to March 11, 2015, and 2014-2015 Nissan Versa Note vehicles manufactured April 23, 2013, to March 11, 2015. The affected vehicles have a center console trim panel that may catch the driver's shoe and delay the transition from the accelerator pedal to the brake pedal.

15V573000Feb 2016

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, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Road salt may corrode the front coil springs, possibly resulting in the coil springs fracturing.

17V028000Jun 2017

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2012 Nissan Versa hatchbacks originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A". Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" above, Nissan is recalling certain 2009-2010 Infiniti M35 and M45 and 2009 Nissan Versa sedans and hatchbacks originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B". Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Nissan is recalling certain 2005-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45, 2006-2010 Infiniti M35 and M45, and 2007-2008 Nissan Versa vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

+ 6 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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This is the worst model year for the Nissan Versa according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2012 Nissan Versa vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

672

Class avg

282

2.4x the class average β€” significantly more complaints than typical compact cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume β€” popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 672 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 11 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

2012 Nissan Versa: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2012 Nissan Versa?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2012 Nissan Versa is related to the airbags, with 165 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2012 Nissan Versa reliable?
The 2012 Nissan Versa has 672 complaints, 65 crash reports, and 11 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 2.4x the class average β€” higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 2012 Nissan Versa problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2012 Nissan Versa have any recalls?
Yes, the 2012 Nissan Versa has 11 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Nissan Versa problems start?
Based on 432 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 59,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records β€” then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence β€” what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you β€” no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 672 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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