2009 Nissan Versa Problems

High Complaint Volume

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2009 Nissan Versa.

20082010
Complaints
614
per 10K Sold
74.1
US Sales
82,906
Crashes
34
Fires
6
Injuries
19
Fatalities
Recalls
7

Worst 2009 Nissan Versa Problems

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

#1177 complaints

Airbags

Avg mileage:84,765 mi
Crash-related:18
Fires:2
#2175 complaints

Suspension Failures

Avg mileage:69,736 mi
Crash-related:2
#327 complaints

Steering Defects

Avg mileage:55,413 mi
Crash-related:1
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2009 Nissan Versa.

Airbags
177
complaints
Crashes
18
Fires
2
Avg Miles
84,765
Suspension Failures
175
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
69,736
Steering Defects
27
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
55,413
Wheel Issues
26
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
63,036
Engine Problems
18
complaints
Crashes
Fires
1
Avg Miles
77,647
Transmission / Drivetrain
17
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
82,586
Engine & Cooling
16
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
35,070
Fuel System
14
complaints
Crashes
Fires
1
Avg Miles
83,171
Gasoline Fuel System
12
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
31,007
Electrical Faults
10
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
38,960
Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
10
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
19,569
Unintended Acceleration
10
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
62,389
Tire Defects
8
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
41,721
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe
7
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
54,200
Body Structure
7
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
1
Avg Miles
88,600
Hydraulic Brakes
6
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
11,994
Structural Problems
6
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
60,250
Brakes
5
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
100,555
Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs
5
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
58,900
Visibility
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Electrical System:Horn
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Structure:Frame And Members:Underbody Shields
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Instrument Cluster
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Fuel System, Other
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Automatic Transmission
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat Belt Issues
2
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat-Related Issues
2
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
Structure:Body:Door
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Suspension:Rear
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2009 Nissan Versa. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2009 Nissan Versa

7 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~1,668,343 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.

18V044000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~52,614 affected

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Versa Hatchback, and 2009-2011 Versa Sedan vehicles ever registered in the states of 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, Nissan is recalling certain 2009-2010 Versa Hatchback, and Versa Sedan vehicles ever registered in the states of 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." Nissan is also recalling certain 2009 Versa Hatchback and Versa Sedan vehicles ever registered in the states of 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 or "Zone C." In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute 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

2009 Nissan Versa — FAQ

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

Is the 2009 Nissan Versa reliable?
Verdict: High Complaint Volume. The 2009 Nissan Versa has 614 NHTSA complaints, 34 crash-related, and 7 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Airbags with 177 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2009 Nissan Versa?
Top reported problems: Airbags (177 complaints, avg 84,765 mi); Suspension Failures (175 complaints, avg 69,736 mi); Steering Defects (27 complaints, avg 55,413 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 2009 Nissan Versa?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 70,170 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2009 Nissan Versa?
NHTSA complaints for the 2009 Nissan Versa include 34 crash-related reports, 6 fire reports, 19 injuries, and 0 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 2009 Nissan Versa have any recalls?
Yes — 7 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 1,668,343 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 2009 Nissan Versa?
This year has a higher-than-normal complaint volume. It's not an automatic no, but focus inspection on the top reported issue (airbags) and verify open recalls have been addressed.

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.

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