Nissan Versa Note vs Toyota Yaris
Head-to-head reliability comparison from 1,490real NHTSA consumer complaints. Year-by-year breakdown, shared problems, crash & fire rates.
Which is more reliable, Nissan Versa Note or Toyota Yaris?
Verdict from 1,490 NHTSA complaints
Toyota Yaris wins this comparison overall. Toyota Yaris comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 1119% lower complaint rate. The Nissan Versa Note edges ahead on crash-involvement rate and fire-involvement rate.
Head-to-Head Metrics
Lower is better on every metric. Bar length = relative magnitude. ✓ = winner.
Toyota Yaris wins by 1119%
Nissan Versa Note wins by 136%
Nissan Versa Note wins by 110%
Toyota Yaris wins by 347%
NHTSA Crash Test Ratings
Official NCAP star ratings — government crash test data. Most recent rated model year.
Nissan Versa Note
2019 model yearToyota Yaris
2020 model yearSource: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Lower star = higher injury risk in that crash type.
Complaint Volume — Year by Year
Sales-volume data not available for both models — showing raw complaint counts. Higher-volume models will appear higher even when reliability is comparable.
Most Reported Problems
Top component complaints for each model. Identical bar lengths = both have the same recurring issue.
Year-by-Year Head-to-Head
Lower is better. Click either model column to see that year's full breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nissan Versa Note vs Toyota Yaris — the most common buyer questions, answered from NHTSA data.
Which is more reliable, the Nissan Versa Note or the Toyota Yaris?
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Toyota Yaris wins this comparison overall. Toyota Yaris comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 1119% lower complaint rate. The Nissan Versa Note edges ahead on crash-involvement rate and fire-involvement rate. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via VinItel.
Should I buy a Nissan Versa Note or a Toyota Yaris?
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On reliability data alone, the Toyota Yaris is the safer bet — but the actual condition of the specific car matters far more than the model average. Check the VIN of any vehicle you're considering for accident history, title issues, and odometer rollbacks.
What problems do the Nissan Versa Note and Toyota Yaris share?
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Top complaints for the Nissan Versa Note: Transmission / Drivetrain, Engine Problems, Airbags. Top complaints for the Toyota Yaris: Airbags, Unintended Acceleration, Electrical Faults. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Which has fewer NHTSA complaints, the Nissan Versa Note or the Toyota Yaris?
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Across all model years, the Nissan Versa Note has 395 NHTSA complaints and the Toyota Yaris has 1,095. Normalized for sales volume (complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold), the Toyota Yaris has the lower complaint rate. Raw counts can mislead — a 2× more popular model will naturally collect 2× more complaints. Detailed normalized comparison: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/compare/nissan/versa-note/vs/toyota/yaris
Which is safer in a crash, the Nissan Versa Note or the Toyota Yaris?
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Crash-involvement rate from NHTSA complaints: Nissan Versa Note 9.4% vs Toyota Yaris 22.2% — the Nissan Versa Note has the lower crash rate. NHTSA NCAP star ratings (frontal, side, rollover) for both models are also shown on the comparison page. Note: the per-VIN history matters more than the model average — a salvage-title car of any model carries higher crash exposure than the median.
Does the Nissan Versa Note or the Toyota Yaris have more fires?
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Fire-involvement rate based on NHTSA complaints: Nissan Versa Note 1.00% vs Toyota Yaris 2.10%. The Nissan Versa Note has the lower reported fire rate. Fire complaints are a relatively rare but important safety signal — they often correlate with electrical-system or fuel-system defects. Check specific recall campaigns at vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/nissan/versa-note and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/toyota/yaris
What years of the Nissan Versa Note are worse than the Toyota Yaris?
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The comparison page renders a year-by-year head-to-head table — for each model year (where both models have data), it shows complaint count or per-10K rate side by side and marks which model fares better that year. Buyers cross-shopping a specific model year should always check the year-level VinItel pages: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/nissan/versa-note/{year} and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/toyota/yaris/{year}.
Where does this Nissan Versa Note vs Toyota Yaris comparison data come from?
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All complaint, crash, fire, and fatality data comes from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) consumer-complaint database — the same source insurance regulators and the federal government use. NCAP star ratings come from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. Sales-volume normalization (per 10K sold) uses US annual vehicle sales. Data refreshes every 6 hours. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
Related Reliability Comparisons
Other head-to-head matchups buyers cross-shopping the Versa Note or Yaris also look at:
Comparison data refreshed 2026-05-04 from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.·Source: NHTSA ODI
A model average can't see the car you're buying.
Even the Toyota Yaris has cars with hidden accidents, salvage titles, and odometer rollbacks. Check the VIN before you buy — full report $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Deep-dive into either model: