2008 Nissan Versa Problems

Above Average Complaints

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2008 Nissan Versa.

20072009
Complaints
461
per 10K Sold
54.1
US Sales
85,182
Crashes
36
Fires
16
Injuries
29
Fatalities
5
Recalls
7

Worst 2008 Nissan Versa Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#1167 complaints

Airbags

Avg mileage:68,274 mi
Crash-related:11
#265 complaints

Suspension Failures

Avg mileage:76,789 mi
Crash-related:1
Fires:1
#322 complaints

Steering Defects

Avg mileage:50,369 mi
Crash-related:2
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2008 Nissan Versa.

Airbags
167
complaints
Crashes
11
Fires
Avg Miles
68,274
Suspension Failures
65
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Avg Miles
76,789
Steering Defects
22
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
50,369
Electrical Faults
20
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
4
Avg Miles
64,016
Gasoline Fuel System
15
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
32,516
Transmission / Drivetrain
14
complaints
Crashes
Fires
1
Avg Miles
84,074
Wheel Issues
14
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
48,556
Engine & Cooling
11
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
31,236
Brakes
11
complaints
Crashes
4
Fires
1
Avg Miles
86,983
Fuel System
10
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Avg Miles
76,727
Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
8
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
41,000
Engine Problems
7
complaints
Crashes
Fires
3
Avg Miles
84,850
Electronic Stability Control
5
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
101,810
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine
5
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
5,256
Hydraulic Brakes
5
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Avg Miles
33,263
Body Structure
5
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
56,100
Tire Defects
5
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
25,422
Fuel Pump
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Fuel System, Other
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Unintended Acceleration
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Electrical System:Ignition
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Automatic Transmission
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Visibility
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Air Bags:Side/Window
2
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat Belt Issues
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat-Related Issues
2
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2008 Nissan Versa. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2008 Nissan Versa

7 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~1,615,962 vehicles.

20V008000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~307,962 affected

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated, frontal passenger air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

18V452000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~233 affected

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2007-2008 Nissan Versa sedan and Versa hatchback vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The passenger air bag inflators may explode due to propellant degradation due to exposure to humidity and temperature cycling.

17V449000Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
~515,394 affected

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and 2007-2012 Versa Hatchback vehicles. The affected vehicles have a driver frontal air bag inflator that may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to moderate absolute humidity, temperatures, and temperature cycling.

17V028000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~152,554 affected

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.

16V349000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~413,852 affected

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45, 2003-2004 Infiniti I35, 2006-2010 Infiniti M35 and M45, and 2007-2011 Nissan Versa vehicles, 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, unless included in "Zone A" above, Nissan is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45, 2003-2004 Infiniti I35, 2006-2008 Infiniti M35 and M45, and 2007-2008 Nissan Versa vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, 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." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Nissan is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Infiniti I35 vehicles originally sold, or 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, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. These inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

15V573000Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs
~218,019 affected

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.

10V401000Equipment:electrical:navigational System(global Positioning System)
~7,948 affected

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.

Other Nissan Versa Years

2008 Nissan Versa — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2008 Nissan Versa reliable?
Verdict: Above Average Complaints. The 2008 Nissan Versa has 461 NHTSA complaints, 36 crash-related, and 7 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Airbags with 167 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2008 Nissan Versa?
Top reported problems: Airbags (167 complaints, avg 68,274 mi); Suspension Failures (65 complaints, avg 76,789 mi); Steering Defects (22 complaints, avg 50,369 mi). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2008 Nissan Versa?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 64,846 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2008 Nissan Versa?
NHTSA complaints for the 2008 Nissan Versa include 36 crash-related reports, 16 fire reports, 29 injuries, and 5 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2008 Nissan Versa have any recalls?
Yes — 7 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 1,615,962 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2008 Nissan Versa?
Slightly worse than average. Most owners are fine; problem clusters are concentrated around specific components. Check the issues table below and match against the specific car's mileage.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Nissan Versa reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

Check Your Specific 2008 Nissan Versa

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