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Nissan Versa
The Nissan Versa, whose name is short for versatile space, was the cheapest new car in America until Nissan ended its U.S. production in December 2025 after nearly 20 years, citing low sales of just 51,310 Versas in 2025. Federal data shows the 2015 with the most complaints (168) and the 2024 with 95, and Auto Broker Magic says Versa reliability varies substantially depending on the year and, especially, which transmission the car has.
What the Nissan Versa is and why it's discontinued
Wikipedia (opens in a new tab) says Versa is an automobile nameplate used by Nissan in the Americas, with a 2008 Nissan press release explaining that versa is short for versatile space, meant to imply the interior's spaciousness. USA Today (opens in a new tab) reported that Nissan said in a statement, in line with the company's product strategy, the Versa ended production in December 2025 for the U.S. market, discontinued after nearly 20 years of production, with the decision following low sales of just 51,310 Versas in 2025, the lowest-selling of Nissan's mass-market sedans. Road & Track (opens in a new tab) says the Versa won't see a 2026 model year, and that with it gone, the cheapest 2026 Nissan is the Sentra at $23,845, while the Kia K4's $23,385 base becomes the new cheapest new car in America.
Best and worst Versa model years
Federal data shows the 2015 Versa with 168 complaints, the most of any year, and 1 recall, the 2016 with 80 and none, and the 2017 with 3 recalls and 62 complaints. The 2018 to 2022 run 0 to 2 recalls with complaints from 20 to 64, and the 2024 Versa, its final full model year, has 1 recall and 95 complaints, the second-highest count on record. The 2025 has none and 11 complaints.
Auto Broker Magic (opens in a new tab) says used Versas can be remarkably affordable, but that reliability varies substantially depending on the year and, especially, which transmission the car has, since buyers can encounter manual transmissions, conventional four-speed automatics and CVTs depending on year and trim.
Buying a Versa now
With U.S. production ended, a used Versa is the only option going forward. Check which transmission a given year and trim carries, since Auto Broker Magic says that matters more to reliability than the model year alone, and verify recall completion by VIN before buying.
Questions buyers ask
Why was the Nissan Versa discontinued?
USA Today (opens in a new tab) says Nissan cited its product strategy and low sales, just 51,310 Versas in 2025, the lowest of its mass-market sedans.
What is now the cheapest new car in America?
Road & Track (opens in a new tab) says the Kia K4, at a $23,385 base price, takes over now that the Versa is gone.
Research map
Every major decision path.
The 2025 Nissan Versa is built around 1.6L four-cylinder, rated at 122 horsepower across its subcompact sedan body style.
Explore this topic →02Trims and equipmentThe 2025 U.S. lineup has 3 trims.
Explore this topic →03Towing and capabilityThe 2025 Versa seats 5 and is a Subcompact sedan.
Explore this topic →04Safety and ownershipNHTSA lists 12 owner complaints for the 2025 Versa.
Explore this topic →Current model year
2025 Nissan Versa
Every Versa trim shares the 122-horsepower 1.6-liter engine; a 5-speed manual is standard only on S, with a CVT standard on SV and SR.
Read specifications, trims, answers and sourcesModel-year archive
3 indexed Nissan Versa model years.
| Model year | Trims | Open record |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Nissan Versa | 1 | 2025 record → |
| 2022 Nissan Versa | 2022 record → | |
| 2018 Nissan Versa | 2018 record → |
Background and safety record
What public sources say about the Nissan Versa.
Nissan Versa is an automobile nameplate used by the Japanese manufacturer Nissan in the Americas for the following models: According to a Nissan press release in 2008, "versa" is short for "versatile space" meant to imply the spaciousness of the interior and configurable cargo arrangements.
Source: Nissan Versa (Wikipedia); safety and recall figures from NHTSA.
NHTSA rated the 2025 Nissan Versa overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 4 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.
Recent recalls (1 campaign across the latest model years)
- February 2024, Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Titan, Frontier, Infiniti QX60, Pathfinder, 2023-2024 Sentra, Versa, Kicks, Infiniti QX50, and 2023 Rogue vehicles. Due to a manufacturing issue, the driver's air bag inflator may absorb moisture, and cause the air bag… Consequence: An air bag that deploys improperly may not protect the driver as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Owners filed 12 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Nissan Versa, most often about power train (4), engine (3), forward collision avoidance (2).
Year by year
The Nissan Versa across 11 model years.
| Model year | Combined MPG/MPGe | EPA annual fuel cost | EPA records | NHTSA recalls | NHTSA complaints | NHTSA overall rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Nissan Versa | 30–35 | $1,850–$2,150 | 2 | 11 | 5 stars | |
| 2024 Nissan Versa | 30–35 | $1,800–$2,100 | 2 | 1 | 95 | 5 stars |
| 2023 Nissan Versa | 30–35 | $1,800–$2,100 | 2 | 1 | 37 | 5 stars |
| 2022 Nissan Versa | 30–35 | $1,800–$2,100 | 2 | 20 | 5 stars | |
| 2021 Nissan Versa | 30–35 | $1,800–$2,100 | 2 | 3 | 31 | 5 stars |
| 2020 Nissan Versa | 30–35 | $1,800–$2,100 | 2 | 2 | 64 | 5 stars |
| 2019 Nissan Versa | 30–34 | $1,850–$2,100 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 4 stars |
| 2018 Nissan Versa | 29–34 | $1,850–$2,150 | 3 | 2 | 55 | 4 stars |
| 2017 Nissan Versa | 29–34 | $1,850–$2,150 | 3 | 3 | 62 | |
| 2016 Nissan Versa | 29–34 | $1,850–$2,150 | 3 | 80 | 4 stars | |
| 2015 Nissan Versa | 29–34 | $1,850–$2,150 | 3 | 1 | 168 | 4 stars |
Year-to-year changes
What changed in the Nissan Versa, one model year at a time.
| Step | EPA records | Combined MPG/MPGe, midpoint | No longer listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 to 2020 | 32.0 to 32.5 | ||
| 2018 to 2019 | 3 to 2 | 31.5 to 32.0 | Transmissions: Automatic 4-spd |
Buying used
What the Nissan Versa recalls and complaints are about.
| Model year | Campaigns | Systems recalled | Warnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | air bags (frontal) | None |
| 2023 | 1 | air bags (frontal) | None |
| 2021 | 3 | exterior lighting (turn signal); steering (electric power assist system) | None |
| 2020 | 2 | fuel system, gasoline (storage); exterior lighting (turn signal) | None |
| 2019 | 1 | back over prevention (sensing system) | None |
| 2018 | 2 | electrical system (ignition); back over prevention (sensing system) | None |
| 2017 | 3 | air bags (side/window); air bags (frontal); electrical system (ignition) | None |
| 2015 | 1 | vehicle speed control (accelerator pedal) | None |
| System | Complaints | Share of all complaints | Worst model year |
|---|---|---|---|
| power train | 182 | 28% | 2015 (47) |
| engine | 165 | 25% | 2024 (53) |
| unknown or other | 118 | 18% | 2015 (26) |
| electrical system | 105 | 16% | 2015 (17) |
| air bags | 84 | 13% | 2015 (25) |
| vehicle speed control | 62 | 10% | 2015 (21) |
Trim by trim
Every 2025 Nissan Versa trim side by side.
| Trim | Drive | Engine | Horsepower | Torque (lb-ft) | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Combined mpg | Base price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | FWD | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 122 | 114 | 2,652 | – | 35 | $18,530 |
| SV | FWD | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 122 | 114 | 2,671 | – | 35 | $21,830 |
| SR | FWD | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 122 | 114 | 2,717 | – | 35 | $22,530 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for the 2025 model year; base price is KBB's national base price where its list carries the trim by the same name. A dash means KBB lists no figure.
Specifications by year
Power, weight and towing for every Nissan Versa model year.
| Model year | Trims | Engines | Horsepower | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Fuel tank (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 122 | 2,652–2,717 | – | 10.8 |
| 2024 | 3 | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 122 | 2,599–2,729 | – | 10.8 |
| 2023 | 3 | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 122 | 2,599–2,729 | – | 10.8 |
| 2022 | 3 | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 122 | 2,599–2,729 | – | 10.8 |
| 2021 | 3 | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 122 | 2,599–2,729 | – | 10.8 |
| 2020 | 3 | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 122 | 2,599–2,729 | – | 10.8 |
| 2019 | 3 | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 109 | 2,395–2,494 | – | 10.8 |
| 2018 | 6 | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 109 | 2,404–2,505 | – | 10.8 |
| 2017 | 4 | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 109 | 2,390–2,513 | – | 10.8 |
| 2016 | 4 | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 109 | 2,363–2,498 | – | 10.8 |
| 2015 | 5 | 1.6-liter 4-cylinder | 109 | 2,414–2,523 | – | 13.2 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for each model year. A range covers every trim KBB lists that year; a dash means KBB lists no figure.
Owning it
Oil, fluid and wheel-nut figures for the Nissan Versa.
| Model year | Engine oil | Brake fluid | Wheel-nut torque | A/C refrigerant | Key-fob battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | – | – | 83 lb-ft | – | – |
| 2022 | – | DOT 3 | 83 lb-ft | – | – |
Source: the manufacturer's owner's manual for each model year. A dash means that year's manual gave no single value for it, for instance one that lists two oil grades or two key types.
Model-year recall record
Nissan Versa: which model years carry more or fewer federal safety recalls.
| Model year | Federal recalls on file | Complaints on file | Recalls most commonly affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | not available | ||
| 2025 | 11 | ||
| 2024 | 1 | 95 | airbags |
| 2023 | 1 | 37 | airbags |
| 2022 | 20 | ||
| 2021 | 3 | 31 | steering, exterior lighting |
| 2020 | 2 | 64 | exterior lighting, fuel system |
| 2019 | 1 | 24 | backup camera |
| 2018 | 2 | 55 | electrical system, backup camera |
| 2017 | 3 | 62 | airbags, electrical system |
| 2016 | 80 | ||
| 2015 | 1 | 168 | Vehicle Speed Control |
Method: recall counts and their affected components come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: Recalls API, queried by exact make, model and model year. Complaint counts come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: Complaints API, same query pattern. Data pulled 2026-09-04.
Check open recalls by VIN for one particular vehicle.
Q01Is there a best year to buy a Nissan Versa?
Federal recall records don't single out a best Nissan Versa model year: recall counts across the 8 published model years checked here stay within a normal range of this nameplate's own average (about 1.8 recalls per year), with no year standing out as notably higher or lower. Recall count is one input, not a purchase verdict. It says nothing about a specific vehicle's price, mileage, accident history or maintenance record.
Q02What are common recall-related problems on the Nissan Versa by model year?
2024: airbags. 2023: airbags. 2021: steering, exterior lighting. 2020: exterior lighting, fuel system. 2019: backup camera. 2018: electrical system, backup camera.
Diagnosing one of these symptoms? The recalled systems above map to this site’s own ownership desks: general, evidence-first guidance that applies regardless of whether the specific vehicle in front of you was ever part of a recall campaign: Buying, records and recalls, Climate and electrical, Engine and cooling, Brakes, tires and steering.
Trim ladder
1 Nissan Versa trim, each with its own page.
Nearest Nissan models
Other Nissan models.
Frequent questions
Answers with their conditions intact.
Q01How many trims does the 2025 Versa come in?
The 2025 Nissan Versa (subcompact sedan) comes in 3 trims: S, SV, SR.
Q02What are the 2025 Versa trims?
The 2025 Nissan Versa trims are S, SV, SR, listed from the entry S up to the top SR.
Q03What engine or powertrain does the 2025 Versa use?
The 2025 Nissan Versa is built around 1.6L four-cylinder, rated at 122 horsepower across its subcompact sedan body style.
Q04How much horsepower does the 2025 Versa have?
The 2025 Nissan Versa is rated at 122 horsepower (1.6L four-cylinder).
Q05Is AWD or 4WD available on the 2025 Versa?
The 2025 Nissan Versa is offered with FWD.