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:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
74,000 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 #26

Feb 032022

Versa

  • miles

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

My car had a problem from day one I bought.The tires always showing not working and car has absolutely no power if you going on hill.From last year car having really serious problems with transmission and shuffling.I took car to Nissan Car dealership and the are reprogrammed transmission.Unfortunately after a few weeks the same problem and even worst.Car making absolutely horrible noises and speed not going more then 15-20

- Reston , VA, USA

problem #25

Dec 222021

Versa

  • miles
CVT transmission doesn-??t shift in high gear.

- Waterbury, CT, USA

problem #24

Jul 222021

Versa

  • miles
Car is experiencing transmission problems including: Shifting problems, hesitation on acceleration, delayed shifting, lack of power, shuddering, revving and/or surging RPMs, etc.

- Salem, WV, USA

problem #23

Apr 012021

Versa

  • 78,167 miles

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

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 #22

Nov 202020

Versa

  • 780,000 miles
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 #21

Jan 012021

Versa

  • 95,000 miles
In May 2020, purchased 2013 Versa used for daughter. On 1/1/2021, the gas pedal would not accelerate and at same time the RPM needle jerked up & down. Took car to mechanic and he said it seems to be related to transmission. This is terrifying because the car is jerking & not accelerating while she was driving(in motion). I did observe that another complaint was made 10/25/2018 by car VIN# similar to our car-that complaint was VIN 3N1cn7ap8dl....please help.

- Willingboro, NJ, USA

problem #20

Feb 092019

Versa

  • 80,000 miles

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

I was driving at a normal speed on the street and all of a sudden the car starts to slow down and comes to a sudden stop I tried to press the gas and does not run. I have been stuck in the middle of the road not being able to drive. I almost got rear ended due to the sudden stop with no warning or lights on.

- Lompoc, CA, USA

problem #19

Sep 302016

Versa

  • 37,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Versa. While driving approximately 35 mph, the brakes lost power and did not stop the vehicle. The contact was unable to control the vehicle and crashed into a parked vehicle. Various warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was damaged and was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact called michael jordan Nissan (919-489-3800, 3930 durham-chapel hill blvd, durham, nc 27707) and was referred to the Consumer Affairs division of the manufacturer. An inspector was sent to investigate the failure and the contact was informed that there was no brake failure. Prior to the failure, the contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 15V507000 (vehicle speed control, service brakes, hydraulic). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.

- Durham, NC, USA

problem #18

Jul 142017

Versa

  • miles
Takata recall, have been experiencing delays in barking procedures, like the pedal is stuck and my foot or heel has gotten stuck even when I have distance myself enough car distance from a car in front of me. Have put me in a situation that I had ton use the emergency brake, feel pressure all the time, when I out the car in revers, there is a noise in the shifting of gear to reverse, this has caused close calls to me being in a severe accident, this has happened on more than one occasion, I was involved in an accident in February 2018, fortunately I was not the cause of the accident,

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #17

Jan 262018

Versa

  • 104,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Versa. While driving 45 mph, the rpms increased to 5,000. The accelerator pedal was applied, but failed to respond without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and informed the contact to take the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer (alan webb Nissan, located at 3608 ne auto mall dr, vancouver, wa 98662) where it was diagnosed that the ctv transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, but they were unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and opened case number: 29733173 but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 104,000.

- Battle Ground, WA, USA

problem #16

Jan 192018

Versa

  • 165,000 miles

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

The last couple of months, I've noticed my car has been making a high whining noice-when I accelerate, the car also revs up to 4000rpms, driving on the highway at 65mph. Yesterday, 01/19/2018- my car no longer moved forward- as if stuck in neutral.I've also noticed that my back turn signal on the driver's side is out, thus affecting the front driver's turn signal. The front turn signal "clicks" qucikly. Everytime I turn on the left turn signal, my car whines and doesn't accelerate properly.

- Redlands, CA, USA

problem #15

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 #14

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 #13

Mar 242017

Versa

  • 100,200 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Versa. While attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle failed to move forward without warning. The vehicle was towed home and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made ware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,200. The VIN was unknown.

- Suitland, MD, USA

problem #12

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 #11

Sep 182016

Versa

  • 47,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Versa. While driving various speeds, the cruise control activated independently. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence and parked overnight. Upon attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to start. An independent mechanic and dealer diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the fuel pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 47,000. The consumer also stated the air bag light illuminated and the vehicle continued to smell of gas, after the fuel pump was replaced. Also, the RPM fluctuated between 1500 to 3500 and the tire pressure light illuminated. Updated 10/13/16.

- Piscataway, NJ, USA

problem #10

Nov 142015

Versa

  • miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Versa. While driving 2 mph, the vehicle accelerated rapidly and caused the contact to crash into a building. The contact sustained minor injuries to the neck causing stiffness. Medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #9

Jun 132015

Versa

  • 83,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Versa. While idling, the vehicle felt as if it would stall and the check engine warning light illuminated. As a result, the vehicle went into safe mode and would not accelerate over 40 mph. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the vehicle needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred four times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000. The VIN was not available.

- Lancaster, CA, USA

problem #8

Feb 262015

Versa

  • 35,287 miles
This is an event similar to ODI resume (PE 14-018) opened on 06/24/2014 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Similar to complainant, voq 10597004, my foot was trapped by the trim panel. Panel is located next to the accelerator pedal and the lower corner is positioned such that it is near the right outer edge of the driver's shoe. Also similar to complainant 10573057, when attempting to remove my foot from the accelerator pedal to apply the brake, my shoe was caught by the trim panel which delayed braking ability several times. It is important to note that this vehicle was purchased from a rental facility, enterprise car sales in elmwood park, NJ. The photographs in ODI resume PE 14-018 illustrate the same safety issue I am having with my vehicle.... updated 03/19/15 updated 6/18/2015

- Englewood, NJ, USA

problem #7

Nov 032014

Versa

  • 20,000 miles
Last night suddenly on the highway I-95 it lost a power. To be more exact, it seemed like transmission stuck on the high (4th) gear. On parking or neutral gear positions when I press gas pedal, engine reacts and increases rpms, makes noise, etc but when on the drive position, it barely moves, like if you try to start from 4th or 5th gear. This morning I brought it to the autonation pembroke pines Nissan dealership (pembroke pines, fl). After inspection they gave me the such a surprising conclusion: Problem with tail light caused mis-functioning of transmission. And the taillight was functioning well, not damaged. But they told, his electric resistance was wrong. After replacing the tail light transmission started working. It's really very hard to believe, that misfunctioning (wrong electrical resistance) of the tail light can affect the primary functionality of the vehicle, which could really cause an accident and injuries or even loos of life. It was very fortune for me that I discovered this issue when I was taking an exit ramp I found similar histories described here forums.nicoclub.com/2013-Nissan-Sentra-transmission-issues-power-loss-T584502.html and here https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20131125173224aab6P8P.

- Sunny Isles Beach, FL, USA

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