2018 Nissan Versa: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
56%
25 of 45 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
56% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2018 Nissan Versa are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 73% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 13 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 43%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
ENGINE10/15/2018CRASH2 INJURED
WE HAD LEASED THIS VEHICLE FROM HERTZ EARLIER IN THE DAY. THAT EVENING, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HILL AND THE VEHICLE'S STEERING SYSTEM HAD SUDDENLY LOCKED UP. I WAS NOT ABLE TO STEER AND DROVE INTO A TREE AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. MY PASSENGER AND I BOTH SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT BODILY INJURIES AND WERE TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL …
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE10/16/20231 INJURED
TRANSMISSION ISSUES , STALLING, RPM REVVING.
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM08/27/2026
Car jerks and doesn’t go into gear right away. Never know when it will happen. There is a notice from Nissan that it happens because of short in tail light. Happened approx 3 yrs ago and has started again but worse. It is available for inspection No recall but very unsafe. While attempting to cross street it didn’t go…
Three of 25 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (3)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2…
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport…
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018 Nissan Versa Note vehicles. During deployment of the side curtain air bag, a component of the air bag infla…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2018 Nissan Versa
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
3 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
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.
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. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.
