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Free public service · Official NHTSA & EPA data

2021 Nissan Versa

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
3
on record
MPG
35
combined

Open recalls on record

3 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.

Vehicle Summary

2021 Nissan Versa

3 recalls
31 complaints
35 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 3 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 5 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 31 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
3
Owner complaints
31
Complaints citing a crash
5

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

3 Recalls on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

3 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 21V471000high

    Lighting issue

    EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:BULBS

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Titan, Titan XD, and Versa vehicles. The front right and/or left turn signal bulb can crack and fail to illuminate.

    Consequence

    Inoperable front turn signals cannot alert on-coming drivers and/or pedestrians that the vehicle will be turning, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will inspect and replace the bulbs as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 20, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PM986 and PC811.

    Full campaign record
  • 22V693000high

    Steering issue

    STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Versa and Kicks vehicles. An intermittent electrical connection in the electric power steering (EPS) torque sensor can disable the power steering assist.

    Consequence

    Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will inspect the steering column torque sensor lot code, and replace the column, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 9, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PMA10 / PMA25.

    Full campaign record
  • 23V496000high

    Steering issue

    STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

    Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Versa and Kicks vehicles. An intermittent electrical connection in the electric power steering (EPS) torque sensor can disable the power steering assist.

    Consequence

    Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will inspect the steering column torque sensor lot code and replace the steering column assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA26. This recall involves vehicles that were previously inspected, but did not receive a steering column replacement, under recall number 22V-693. These vehicles will need to be reinspected for this recall.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2021 Nissan Versa.

  • Frontal crash

    Driver
    4 / 5
    Passenger
    4 / 5
  • Side crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
    Side pole
    5 / 5
  • Rollover

    Rollover risk
    11.8%
    Dynamic tip
    No Tip

Driver-assistance technologies

Electronic stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
Standard
Lane departure warning
Standard

What the ratings mean

NHTSA gives the 2021 Nissan Versa 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 9 comparable 2021 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.

NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.

NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 11.8% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.

NHTSA crash tests

2021 Nissan Versa Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2021 Nissan Versa Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2021 Nissan Versa Side pole crash test
Side pole Video

Fuel economy & emissions

EPA figures for the 2021 Nissan Versa, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.

32

City

40

Hwy

35

Comb

Annual fuel cost
$1,750
Tailpipe CO₂
254 g/mi

How this compares

At 35 MPG combined, the 2021 Nissan Versa ranks 5th of 15 compact cars EPA rated for 2021 — 2 MPG better than the 33 MPG median for that group.

That places it a little above the middle of its class. Fuel cost is close enough to its rivals that other running costs will probably matter more.

EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $1,750, $100 less than the $1,850 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $8,750, a $500 difference against a class-median vehicle.

Tailpipe CO₂ is 254 grams per mile — about 3.8 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.

Consumer complaints

31 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

31
Total
5
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE13
  • AIR BAGS5
  • VISIBILITY3
  • OTHER3
  • ELECTRICAL2

Notable Issues

31 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 3 reports involve injuries. 5 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)13
airbag concerns (warning light, deployment issues)5
visibility issues (wipers, defrost, mirrors)3

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2021 Nissan Versa, newest first.

  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation PE24007

    Reduced Power After Engine Stall

  2. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation PE24007

    Reduced Power After Engine Stall

  3. Recall

    Recall 23V496000

    Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.

  4. Recall

    Recall 22V693000

    Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.

  5. Recall

    Recall 21V471000

    Inoperable front turn signals cannot alert on-coming drivers and/or pedestrians that the vehicle will be turning, increasing the risk of a crash.

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Sedan
Drive type
FWD
Engine
2.5L 4-cyl
Fuel type
Regular Gasoline
Transmission
Automatic
Seats
5

Fuel economy

32

City

40

Hwy

35

Comb

Annual cost
$1,750
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Adjacent model years

All Nissan Versa years

Common problems

Nissan Versa problems

642 owner complaints analyzed

Systems recalled

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation PE24007

    Reduced Power After Engine Stall

  2. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation PE24007

    Reduced Power After Engine Stall

  3. Recall

    Recall 23V496000

    Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.

  4. Recall

    Recall 22V693000

    Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.

  5. Recall

    Recall 21V471000

    Inoperable front turn signals cannot alert on-coming drivers and/or pedestrians that the vehicle will be turning, increasing the risk of a crash.