CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2012-2017 Nissan Versa has an expensive CVT transmission failure defect that shows up plainly in our complaint data.

In late 2019, the CVT defect was subject to a class action settlement. However the settlement only covers transmission repairs up to 7 years after purchase or 84,000 miles (whichever occurs first).

Because many owners commonly drive 20,000 miles/year or more, Versa owners experiencing CVT transmission problems may find they are not covered by this settlement due to the mileage limitation.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
81,506 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 Nissan Versa engine problems

engine problem

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2013 Nissan Versa Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #25

Apr 152023

Versa

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Bottom line, Transmission needed. Had shifter put in stuck in park, paid for, right engine mount, paid, G censor said showed up. Trans is shot....this is what a Transmission person said.... couldn't get a person from Hesser Nissan only leave message, a week long nothing.

- Dickson City,, PA, USA

problem #24

Oct 102021

Versa

  • miles
my car is 7 years old but has only 57,000 miles on it. i had an older car so used that most of the time and saved this car. i have had endless problems with this car with its electrical system, the headlights go out all of the time and now the undercarriage is costing me alot of repair costs. dont know if i am being ripped off because i am a female senior citizen or the car is really fallingj apart at 57,000 miles. i paid well over $600 for repairs on exhaust system. now they tell me i owe almost $2,000 for repairs on something called abushing and a control arm and if i dont fix it the car will fall apart into two pieces. i have no way to get under the car for this kind of thing. i can so easily be ripped off. i need help. does the govt ever give any help to people. i need help b adly becuase i am so vulnerable tocrooked dealerships wanting to make money in this bad economy. pllease help me.https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGllMLMMCnCVlTQDxQldZvZzwhN?projector=1&messagePartId=0.1

- Flemington, NJ, USA

problem #23

Dec 052020

Versa

  • miles
my air conditioning is not working. i believe wires in my care are covered with soy which is an attractant to mice and rats and causes them to climb into my car and eat the wires, causing the car to malfunction. we need to outlaw and ban the use of soy feedstuffs on car wires, this is just ridiculous for allowing this to happen, to make cars a magnet for mice and rats.

- Flemington, NJ, USA

problem #22

Jun 012021

Versa 4-cyl

  • 130,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Versa. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle hesitated before the loss of motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the #3 cylinder misfired. The coils and spark plugs were replaced however, the failure recurred. Additionally, it was determined that the PCM was faulty and needed to be replaced or reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer and the local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

- Irvine, CA, USA

problem #21

Apr 012021

Versa

  • 78,167 miles
The transmission on this vehicle jerks at times making the vehicle lunge forward. It also does not engage from a stop or slow speed placing me in danger of being hit by the vehicles hesitation. When going up a hill the transmission does not engage or slips prior to engaging so I have no power to go up the hill. The transmission slips at a stop sign so when I pull out I never know if I will be stuck in the way of traffic. This transmission is dangerous. When turning the transmission does not engage for a short time jerking the vehicle.

- Lake Stevens, WA, USA

problem #20

Sep 012020

Versa

  • 132,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while stopped, the engine was slow to respond causing the vehicle to stall. The vehicle was taken to cerritos Nissan (18707 studebaker rd, cerritos, ca 90703, (562) 219-2788) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 132,000.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #19

Nov 202020

Versa

  • 780,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

There is a lot of hesitation when I press the gas pedal, often shaking and shuddering. It's very slow to accelerate, and getting to highway speeds usually takes quite a while. Anything over 65mph causes the car to push into about 3500 RPM. While idling at a red light, it shakes and shudders.

- Tallahassee, FL, USA

problem #18

Feb 272021

Versa

  • 81,000 miles
I was driving my car at the stop the engine turn off without any alarm this the second time this thing happen to my car

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #17

Oct 052020

Versa

  • 65,000 miles
There is hesitation when I accelerate, it takes a little bit to get up to speed (which isn't great when you're on the free way). When I push on the break and then take my foot off the break it feels like my car is still breaking. When I'm stopped at a red light my car shakes.

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #16

Nov 232019

Versa

  • 100 miles
Every time I want to speed my car slow down, and has a weird sounds in the moter.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #15

Nov 112018

Versa

  • 97,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car was parked in a parking spot. It was able to move in reverse; however, when in 'drive' no power/gas was going to the vehicle. We had it towed to a service center and was told vehicle needed a new transmission.

- Aurora, IL, USA

problem #14

Oct 012018

Versa

  • 101,000 miles
2013 Nissan Versa struggles to turn on. Car also idles rough and has stalled at stop lights. Took it to buena park Nissan and they said there was nothing wrong with it. Recently the engine light came on, it was P0705 transmission range sensor.

- Anaheim, CA, USA

problem #13

Sep 162018

Versa

  • 51,000 miles
Yesterday I had dropped off my car at universal city Nissan for the cvt recall repair. When I left and proceeded to get on the 101 freeway my car lost power and went from 60 mph to about 10 mph in front of a big rig on the freeway. I was barely able to get off of the freeway at 5mph and went back to the dealer to find out what happened. They proceeded to tell me that I would have to pay $4000 dollars as the transmission needed to be replaced. I left the dealership as they said I could drive another 50 miles. I did not have the money and wanted to double check with my mechanic. I left and the car completely stopped on a very busy intersection on the corner of la brea and fountain blvd. I had to keep turning it off and restarting it to get it into the parking lot of an urgent care until I can figure out what to do. The dealership in no way wanted to help and said my warranty was up in February even though it only has 50,000 miles on it.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #12

Jun 092018

Versa

  • 77,000 miles
Car shakes when accelerating above 40mph. Engine sounds rough. Has stalled a couple of times when parking. I brought the car in to have 2 recalls fixed. A center console moulding trim and a cvt software upgrade. I explained the problem with the engine when I brought it in and was told that they would check it out. I was told by the 1st dealership that there were no apparent problems while driving the car. The problem got worse immediately. I called the dealership back and was told that the car was not inspected and that there would be a $200 inspection fee. I immediately called Nissan Consumer Affairs. The car is only 5 years old and of course the warranty just ended in February 2018. I took the car to a 2nd dealership and was told the transmission was failing and given an estimated price of a rebuild and a new transmission. Consumer Affairs told me that the car needs further inspection to determine what is wrong with the transmission. They will not tell me if they plan on covering the cost of this inspection. I though the car was already inspected a couple of times. I'm getting inconsistent conflicting information about what I'm told was done to the car and what needs to be done. Meanwhile the car is getting worse and I still have 3 years left on the auto loan. I've read on several websites that other Nissan Versa owners are have the same problems. I was told by my car friend that they are notorious for transmission problems at an early age and by the 2nd Nissan dealership that the transmission should not have gone out so soon.to say I'm beyond frustrated is an understatement.

- Sunnyvale, CA, USA

problem #11

Jul 102017

Versa

  • 86,000 miles
When I was driving on the freeway- the vehicle suddenly stopped running. There was no warning. The car came to a sudden stop. When I restarted the car it is very sluggish to run. When it is idling it appears to want to stop running. When you begin to move forward- it has a hard time going. I have taken this vehicle to planet Nissan for the past two years- for this continual problem- they continually want to deny anything is wrong with the car.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #10

Jul 082017

Versa

  • 77,777 miles
I was driving on the on ramp to the freeway in las vegas, nv I was trying to accelerate my speed so that I could get on the freeway and my car was having trouble picking up speed, when my car finally just died. I then tried to switch to park so that I could restart my car and move over more towards the shoulder. It took me three try's, when it finally started up again. My car had a full tank of gas, I had just had the oil changed earlier in the day and checked out and was told nothing was in dire need to be fixed, nothing was broken, and my car was up to par on maintenance. I called Nissan's service place on Saturday as well after this had happened and got the run around of what to do.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #9

Apr 242017

Versa

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Versa. While driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the throttle body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred three times. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

- Fairview, TN, USA

problem #8

Jan 212017

Versa 4-cyl

  • 57,000 miles
I was drviing my car on greenbelt rd, md, and noticed S stange low noise or sputtering..of some ssort. I decided to stop the car...however car did nto stop...I put in park, turned engine off...did not stop...I uesed emergency brake...did not stop...I felt it accerelated on its own..and had loss of brake effectiveness. I sounded the horn loudly to warn people. But the car kept going and going. I am a single mom, and my child was with me...for safety of life and property... I intentionally drove into a ditch. I felt like it was an unintentional acceleration and loss of brake effectiveness issue. I have called Nissan Consumer Affairs to report it, and my car is now at the dealership. I am not an expert. I need for a safety investigation into my vehicle by an independent Agency other than Nissan. I am still shaken....updated 02/13/17...updated 02/22/17 updated 08/10/2017

- College Park, MD, USA

problem #7

Aug 092016

Versa

  • miles
The ac stopped blowing cold due to the radiator fan not working.

- Rockledge, FL, USA

problem #6

Jan 192016

Versa

  • 82,000 miles
I purchased a used car from Mr. Bill motor co in arlington, tx on pioneer parkway. The vehicle started to overheat. I called to inform Mr. Bill motors and I was told they would send it out to be looked at and let me know when it was ready for pick up. It was taken to dg's performance on pioneer parkway for repairs. About a week later the car resumed overheating, I contacted Mr. Bill motors again and they said they would send the vehicle out for repair. They sent it to longhorn transmissions. As my daughter was headed to school after the repairs were completed on I-20 in arlington, tx the car starts to overheat and stops on her, she could not drive the car. She calls longhorn and they send a tow to get her. She was told they did not place the cap on the transmission when they added fluid to it so they would take care of it. Two days later the car is heating again. I contact Mr. Bill motors again in person so they could see and with a video of what the car had been doing, they tell me they will work on it the next day. I could not drive the car from the lot, the engine light was on and I rolled into the street. Two sales men had to push the car unto the property from the street. Two days go by and I am told that it is a transmission issue that will cost me $1500 and take a week to repair from scott and he states that matt another manager is present with him. I called to discuss status update, missing items from the car to find out they were charging me $235 for the tow that longhorn transmission billed them. I explained that I had no knowledge of this charge, nor do I feel responsible for the charge. They did not put the cap on they should be responsible for the charge and that you do not charge anyone without discussing the amount with the person. I asked for the total cost of the repair and I stated I wanted to speak to the repair place. I was given a number for jeff.

- Grand Prairie, TX, USA

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