The Lane Check

Cars › Nissan › Versa › 2011

2011 Nissan Versa problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
17%
19 of 110 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2011 Nissan Versa. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 17% of relevant complaints.

Better than 91% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 159 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 7%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
Share this car

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2011 Nissan Versa have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 19 of 110 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Nissan Versa concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (17%). For comparison, the 2010 scores 23% and the 2012 scores 67%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
19
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
269
this model year
Fires reported
6
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
7
19 crashes · 23 injuries

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS152 · 57%
SUSPENSION46 · 17%
STEERING21 · 8%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER21 · 8%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM17 · 6%
ENGINE11 · 4%

The years either side

2010
23%
32 of 268
2011
17%
19 of 269
2012
67%
213 of 486
2013
53%
95 of 204
2014
61%
184 of 343
2015
49%
106 of 254
2016
54%
45 of 109
2017
43%
23 of 72
2018
56%
25 of 58
2019
61%
14 of 25
2020
53%
31 of 64
2021
60%
15 of 31
2022
too few complaints
2023
76%
28 of 37

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2011 Nissan Versa

What one owner reported

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE,FUEL/P07/28/2020
AFTER RECEIVING MANY CALLS AND LETTERS FOR AIR BAGS RECALLS, I SET AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE AGENT JOSH FOR THURSDAY JULY 16, 2020 AT PERFORMANCE NISSAN AT 1345 SOUTH FEDERAL HIGHWAY, POMPANO FL 33062, AT 7:30 AM. WHEN TALKING WITH JOSH, HE TOLD ME THAT THERE ARE TWO RECALLS IN MY NISSAN. I ASKED HIM TO DO BOTH RECALLS A…

One of 19 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Nissan Versa?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns on the 2011 Nissan Versa, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

7 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module22E066000 · Aug 2022
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain air bag inflator replacement service parts that may have been installed as part of a theft or collision repair. The parts include certain…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module20V008000 · Jan 2020
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…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V401000 · Jun 2018
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2011 Nissan Versa sedan vehicles and 2011-2012 Nissan Versa hatchback vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware,…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V044000 · Jan 2018
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,…
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module17V449000 · Jul 2017
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…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module16V349000 · May 2016
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,…
suspension: front: springs: coil springs15V573000 · Sep 2015
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…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2011 Nissan Versa? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.

Questions people ask about the 2011 Nissan Versa

Does the 2011 Nissan Versa have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 19 of 110 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Nissan Versa concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (17%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Nissan Versa?

No. NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns on the 2011 Nissan Versa, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Nissan Versa years are better?

The 2011 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Nissan Versa years we track (17%). The other years run higher.

Should I buy a 2011 Nissan Versa?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2011 Nissan Versa shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

Check a VIN

Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.