Menu

2009 Nissan VersaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 504 owner complaints about the 2009 Nissan Versa, most often about the suspension. It is covered by 7 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-349 the manufacturer reports only 33% of affected cars repaired.

2009 Nissan Versa
32
CarFlaw IndexUse caution2.2× the Versa median · #2 of 18 years by complaints
Safety recalls7Lowest repair rate 33%Owner complaints50444 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage65kSuspension, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 2, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: SsmIntrigue, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2009 Nissan Versa has problems

504 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Suspension1822
Air bags18021
Steering281
Wheels262
Engine and engine cooling230
Power train201
Engine181
Tires180
Structure183
17 other systems837

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

7 recalls

2009 Nissan Versa recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

36%repaired · 2021 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 20V-008 · Jan 9, 2020 · 307,962 vehicles · 111,354 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

52%repaired · 2019 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 18V-044 · Jan 10, 2018 · 52,614 vehicles · 27,186 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

46%repaired · 2019 Q2

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 17V-449 · Jul 17, 2017 · 515,394 vehicles · 238,431 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

51%repaired · 2019 Q2

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 17V-028 · Jan 10, 2017 · 152,554 vehicles · 78,321 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 3 more recalls
33%repaired · 2018 Q1

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 16V-349 · May 24, 2016 · 413,852 vehicles · 138,299 repaired

Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

37%repaired · 2017 Q2

Springs: coil springs

Recall 15V-573 · Sep 14, 2015 · 218,019 vehicles · 79,936 repaired

Risk. If a front coil spring fractures, it may contact the tire, possibly puncturing it, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Nissan.

Mileage at failure

When do suspension problems start?

65kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 170 suspension complaints. 84% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
18under 30k miles142under 100k miles28100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Suspension

21 owners mentioned a cost

$700median

Middle half: $430 – $895

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2009 vs. every other Versa year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Versa median. How we score

'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2009 Nissan Versa safety ratings

2009 Nissan Versa 4-DR w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2009 Nissan Versa frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2009 Nissan Versa, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
  2. Front Coil Spring FracturePE15019 · closed Oct 2, 2015
    Led to recall 15V-573
In owners' words

What Versa owners report

Recent suspension complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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…
Complaint 11718539 · Feb 17, 2026 · 80,000 miles
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…
Complaint 11443123 · Dec 8, 2021
MY SPRING BROKE WHILE PULLING INTO A TIRE SHOP AND WENT FLYING ACROSS A PARKING LOT, LEAVING PART OF THE BROKEN SPRING STUCK IN THE CRADLE.
Complaint 11405878 · Mar 31, 2021 · 189,600 miles

Own a 2009 Versa?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.