CarComplaints.com Notes: Be aware the 2007-2011 Nissan Versa was recalled in the US in May 2016 & July 2017 for defective Takata airbags that are potentially deadly. Many Versa owners have reported problems getting Nissan dealers to complete the recall repair, due to scheduling problems & parts shortages.
If you are considering purchasing a 2007-2011 Nissan Versa, call your local Nissan dealer with the VIN# & ask if the airbag recall has been done.
NHTSA Versa Front Coil Spring Investigation - This is the current NHTSA investigation on the coil springs failing on the Versas. Click on the 'Investigations' tab. According to the documentation attachments, Nissan has until Jul 11th to respond to them. When I filed my complaint with the NHTSA, they were very responsive, wanted receipts, etc. Can't hurt to file if you still have records, and ultimately may save a life or two if they force Nissan to recall.
We have had the car since 2010 and put 67,000+ miles on it. April 2014 my wife was leaving the parking lot at work and heard a loud grinding noise and then a snap and a boom. She pulled back into her parking spot to find out that our tire was completely blown out and the spring to the right front tire was sheered off. Since this is our only car we had no choice but to bring it in to get it fixed. The cheapest place that would fix it for us cost $700. The worst part is that they had to put stock Nissan springs back in.
So in theory, this car is a time bomb that will put me and my family in danger on the road. I contacted Nissan and they said that they will not cover the part because there isn't an open campaign on it. I have seen several complaints on the internet about this part. I feel like it's a matter of time until someone get's hurt. Had this happened to me during the winter on the freeway, my entire family could have died. It's really unfortunate that Nissan cut corners on such a simple part. Springs should last years, if not decades. Our lasted less that four years...I have no intention to ever buy a Nissan again after this.
Never owned a car, either that I purchased new or used that ended up with a broken coil spring. Snapped right off at the bottom. Looks very brittle, and you can see a small rust spot on the bottom where it contacted the strut assembly lower plate. Found it laying underneath my car in my own garage after pulling out one day. Keep my car garaged when not in use. I find this defect unacceptable for a Japanese or American built automobile. Never going to buy a Nissan again, seems very cheap in a lot of ways. My next unsafe write-up will be regarding the fuel pump blowing the fuse, at 65 mph on a highway that is not safe.
NEVER BUY A VERSA - had to throw away 3k in the last 12 months to fix door lock, AC blower switch, AC blower, motor to fuel system pump, and now the coil spring
Bought this car about two ago with less than 20k miles on it from the original owner. Woke up one morning to find the left front of the car sagging almost on the floor. Looked up in the wheel well of the driver side and saw my coil spring was completely broke!!!!! How does this just happen???? Why is this not a recall???? Can someone tell me how I can reach a Nissan representative who is willing to help me?
We brought the vehicle in for a yearly state inspection. The garage had the car on a lift and when it was placed back down the mechanic heard a 'pop', just as described in previous scenarios. He then found a piece of the spring (exactly like previous photos) and now we are looking to find a spring to replace it. This is definitely a mfr's defect and Nissan should cover the cost of the repair. That will be our next step!
- hughesnh,
Dover, NH, US
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On 2/11/2013Left front coil spring broke. Car was parked in garage and when it was started in order to pull out of the garage, my boyfriend found an 8 inch portion of the coil spring - the bottom part of driver's side spring, which sits in the saddle of strut, on the garage floor. Of course, there are no recalls and yet this is the same problem that they were having when there was a recall in 2000. This is not supposed to happen unless there is a manufacturer defect. It is usually unheard of for these coil springs to just snap off like this.
Started the car on Monday morning, put it in gear and heard a very loud bang! Got out and looked and the left front was sagging. Took it to the local Firestone garage. They said the coil spring was broken. Talked with local Nissan service manager, she said it was uncommon, but I could bring it in and they would fix it, for a price of course. Checked the broken spring and metal looks brittle, with a couple of rusty spots where it broke. I'm sending pictures in to Nissan when I get the other piece back and see what they have to say about it.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
We have had the car since 2010 and put 67,000+ miles on it. April 2014 my wife was leaving the parking lot at work and heard a loud grinding noise and then a snap and a boom. She pulled back into her parking spot to find out that our tire was completely blown out and the spring to the right front tire was sheered off. Since this is our only car we had no choice but to bring it in to get it fixed. The cheapest place that would fix it for us cost $700. The worst part is that they had to put stock Nissan springs back in.
So in theory, this car is a time bomb that will put me and my family in danger on the road. I contacted Nissan and they said that they will not cover the part because there isn't an open campaign on it. I have seen several complaints on the internet about this part. I feel like it's a matter of time until someone get's hurt. Had this happened to me during the winter on the freeway, my entire family could have died. It's really unfortunate that Nissan cut corners on such a simple part. Springs should last years, if not decades. Our lasted less that four years...I have no intention to ever buy a Nissan again after this.
- pinoybboy2004, Mpls, MN, US