Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Nissan Versa owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I found a piece of a broken coil spring in my driveway (where multiple cars are parked) in NJ. A quick visual inspection of all the vehicles typically parked near that area did not show any sitting uneven or any obvious evidence of any with problems. A few weeks later, after driving approx 1000 miles on my nissan, I noticed that the front suspension seemed shorter and quicker to bottom-out. This was obvious when rolling over speed humps. Another, more in-depth inspection of the front springs revealed an unseated spring on the left front. The spring appears to have slipped off or through the bottom cup and is not centered on the strut. After looking the vehicle up on NHTSA site this appears to be related to Manufacturer Recall NumberPM565. The NJ vehicle is currently in NC. I plan to take it to a Nissan dealer to have the recall work performed.
On 6/10/16 I was driving on the highway via my 2008 Nissan Versa when a loud noise occurred, unable to drive, both front tires blew out. Car was shaking a bit uncontrollable. I contacted aaa, technician said both front tires blew out due to failure of spring coils and I could have been killed or killed someone due to this issue on the highway. Dealer replaced front spring coils due to recall, but said I needed to buy two new tires and to put into Nissan a reimbursement claim for the tires. I filed the claim with Nissan on 6/17/16, to date no response and it is 7/5/16 - no phone calls, no response from Nissan. My two tires were damaged and destroyed by Nissan's failure/defective equipment. I had to pay approx $300 for two new tires. I have contacted my credit card company to dispute the transaction as I acted in good faith - Nissan does not act in good faith not as of 7/5/16. …
I was driving on a small paved two lane highway at approximately 45 MPH.I heard a loud noise and shortly after the tire blew out.this happened right before a small side road so I was able to turn onto that road so I wasn't on the highway.due to the flat tire and broken spring the car sat too low for the factory provided jack to fit under the car.I called my brother for assistance and he showed up with my nephew.they were able to lift up on the car just enough so that I could place the jack in the correct position.we put the factory donut spare tire on and I drove to warehouse tire...unfortunately they were just closing down for the day.I had four new tires installed the following Tuesday and then took the car to my mechanic.I picked the car up on July 3rd.my mechanic informed that the drivers side coil spring was broken also.the drivers side spring had broken near the top;the passenger …
My car began to shimmy when stopping and I brought it to a mechanic who said the coil spring on the driver's side was broken and that they would be best replaced in pairs as the other side would not be long before it also broke causing a possible tragic accident. He advised me not to go far with the car before repairing them as a fatal accident could occur. At the bare minimum, the coil spring would go through my new tire and cause even more extensive damage to the car. My son owns a Versa as does my former husband and they both have had to replace their coil springs. I feel there must be some type of defect in this product. It seems far too coincidental. There have been 93 other reports as well. Nissan should issuue a recall immediately.
When going 75 miles an hour the right side front coil spring broke with a very loud noise pulled over to investigate found nothing looking at the tire. This happened just entering arizona so since we couldn't see anything we continued on to pheonix to our destination. We then contacted http://www.honest1glendaleaz.com/ and had them investigate the problem because when going over any bump after that we could hear something loose. Once they looked at it they quickly found the right front coil spring broke and the strut bent. They said the coil broke at the bottom lucky for us nothing flew out to blow the tire when it happened. The car has very low miles and should not have had this happen!
Exhaust system has been diagnosed with 2 separate failures requiring a weld job in order to repair. I have completed one at the cost of $200 and the second weld estimate is priced at $200. Both instances came on suddenly and without other warning. Exhaust smell occurs when car first starts and disapates after driving several miles. Each occurred at separate times. Both front ball joints have been noted by my mechanic as being looser and indicates needing replacement in the near future in order to avoid potentially fatal collision or significant additional damage to transmission, steering, etc., systems.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Nissan Versa. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the front coil spring was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called county line Nissan north (522 winsted rd, torrington, ct 06790, [phone]) and was informed the contact that the vehicle would not be repaired without charge. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 158,000.
The lower front control arm on the driver's side which holds the front wheel on the frame broke in the middle of the part letting the front wheel loose from the car. A small portion of metal that did not break held the tire on. The vehicle was stopped before an accident happened. The person driving was on a main road in a major U.S., city. The front tire had rubbed against the front plastic bumper and actually pealed some of it off. The lower control arm has been replaced on this vehicle and is in my possession. The replacement was done by a mechanic. The mechanic claims it is a Nissan part.
All the airbags not working as indicated lights flashing! Recall states passenger airbag could explode causing metal fragments resulting in injury even death. Was informed by Nissan san francisco dealer that there is no fix for the airbag problem yet and they're not responsible for my anything to do with airbags not engaged except for the recall and that there is no fix for currently for the safety recall. In addition, when buying new tire sand getting a wheel alignment, I've been informed that all 4 of my struts are bent and suspension is off as a result.
The front passenger side coil spring fractured while the car was in motion. I had been driving about 0.1 miles after a left turn and was traveling at a low rate of speed when the coil fractured and a section of the coil punctured and tore the inner wall of the tire causing a sudden tire failure. The sound of the fracture was very loud metal on metal sound, drawing people out from nearby buildings. The car was towed to the local dealership where new front coil springs were installed, the front passenger tire replaced and a front end alignment was performed.
Related recalls
Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil springs
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 of Columbia, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota,…
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front coil springs, free of charge. The recall began on February 2, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA investigations
Front Coil Spring Fracture
In a letter dated September 10,2015, Nissan North America,Inc. (Nissan) notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a safety defect that may result in coil spring fracture in approximately 218,019 model year (MY) 2007 through 2012 Nissan Versa vehiclesproduced from May 8, 2006 through November12, 2012 and originally sold or ever registered in the following 22 states and the District of…
Suspension complaints in other Versa years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2008 Nissan Versa?
NHTSA has 70 complaints about the suspension of the 2008 Nissan Versa, 18% of the model year's 381 complaints. The component named most often is front › springs › coil springs (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Nissan Versa suspension problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-573 (coil springs, Sep 14, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2008 Nissan Versa suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.