Most common 2009 Nissan Versa problems
Share of the 504 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Nissan Versa complaints by model year
Best Versa years: 2019, 2017, 2018. Years to avoid: 2024, 2012, 2009, 2008. Compare all years →
2009 Nissan Versa recalls (7)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators with alternate desiccated inflators, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2020.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the…
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 9, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
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 due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to moderate absolute humidity, temperatures, and temperature…
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the subject inflator with a new one manufactured by a different supplier, free of charge. The recall began on March 9, 2018.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2012 Nissan Versa hatchbacks originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began on June 8, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
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, originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas,…
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2017. All owners should receive a second notice by May 15, 2017.
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.
Show 1 more recall
Equipment › Electrical › Navigational system(global positioning system)
Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected GPS units can overheat.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners and the repairs will be performed by garmin technicians by replacing the battery and inserting a spacer on top of the battery free of charge. The safety recall began on September 16, 2010.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2009 Nissan Versa:
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…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2009 Nissan Versa owners say
Suspension all 182 →
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while driving out of a parking lot at 10 MPH, the front end of the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound, and the contact noticed a strong rubber odor. The contact inspected underneath the vehicle and became aware that a part had fractured underneath the vehicle. The contact was able to reverse into the parking space. Several independent mechanics were contacted and advised that the failure might be related to the front coil springs corrosion and associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V573000 (Suspension); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact stated that even though the vehicle was not registered in the States listed in the recall, the vehicle had been driven in one of the States listed while the contact was in school. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
There is a safety recall campaign for the front coil springs breaking for all Nissan Versas registered in "salt states" The car is registered in a "salt state" and the the front coil has snapped. For a reason that neither corporate Nissan nor the local Nissan service center can explain, this car is excluded from repair.
Air bags all 180 →
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while driving 3 MPH, the front driver's side air bag unexpectedly deployed. The contact was left with a bruised face and a nosebleed from the air bag deployment. The contact used tissues to stop the nosebleed, but no medical attention was sought. The contact stated that after the failure, while starting the vehicle, the horn would activate unless the brake pedal was depressed. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V349000 (Air Bags). The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The contact owns a 2009 Nissan Versa. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's and passenger's side air bag warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the driver's side air bag. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22E066000 (Air Bags), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 299,000.
Engine & cooling all 41 →
While driving down a 30mph chicago street my car engine just shut off. I had enough momentum to turn into a parking lot and actually reach a space but that space was tow zone so I had to sit there with my car for 3 hours while I waited for a tow truck because it was actually rush hour. After taking it to aaa car body shop, they discovered that the engine was just dead. And after they took it apart they could only speculate but with some confidence from seeing something similar in the past that some sort of chain inside the engine snapped and struck the engine and caused the cylinders to come to a halt. The mechanic said that he saw something similar in a mid 2000's Saturn. In which case it ended up being a recall for that line of car. He said if you keep the receipt and someday it ends up being a recall, I could possibly get a refund. …
A brand new car bought early January 2009. It has 60885 miles when incident occurred. The muffler fall down and broke at flange connection point. Went to Nissan dealer to check out and exam the problem. They indicate that a corrosion from inside the muffler pipe has occurred and caused this cracks, so it fall down. It was clear a poor manufacturing, or default in manufacturing this part was the reason to cause this incident. Dealer offered to replace it with a new part with cost up to $ 600, where it supposed to be free of charge. I would to claim Nissan us corp. Responsibility for this incident. They did not made early recall to replace this part where they knew the problem. It was clear that they wait to happen at any time to make more profits. This it looks like as a fraud. …
2009 Nissan Versa engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl | CVT | FWD | 28 / 34 / 30 |
| 1.6L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 26 / 34 / 29 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 26 / 31 / 28 |
| 1.6L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 26 / 33 / 28 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 24 / 32 / 27 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Nissan Versa a good car?
Based on 504 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Versa rates avoid: 2.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Versa at the same age. It is one of the Versa years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Nissan Versa?
The suspension — 182 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year, most often about front › springs › coil springs. Next are the air bags (180) and engine & cooling (41).
How many recalls does the 2009 Nissan Versa have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2009 Nissan Versa, the most recent from January 9, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Nissan Versa?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2019, 2017 and 2018. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2012, 2009 and 2008. See the full Nissan Versa years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Nissan Versa problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 64,000 miles; 36% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.