9.2

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
$3,570
Average Mileage:
74,800 miles
Total Complaints:
76 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. new transmission (42 reports)
  2. replaced transmission with remanufactured transmission (17 reports)
  3. not sure (14 reports)
  4. junked the car (3 reports)
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This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Nissan dealer.

problem #76

Aug 152022

Versa SD 1.6L

  • CVT transmission
  • 175,283 miles

The transmission would start jerking and go into limp mode. It also started leaking transmission fluid.

- Tina C., Leesville, US

problem #75

Jun 282018

Versa SV 1.8L

  • CVT transmission
  • 58,537 miles

This transmission is so bad, I had it completely rebuilt at 94K kilometres, only to have it fail again 15 months and 40,000 kilometres later. This is outrageous that Nissan doesn't accept responsibility for this poorly designed unit. You buy a Versa with a CVT and you need to set aside $3500 minimum for repairs somewhere around 100,000 kilometres...

- Lawrence C., Brampton, ON, Canada

problem #74

Nov 252019

Versa S 1.6L

  • CVT transmission
  • 75,000 miles

2012 Nissan Versa showing P8046 OBD code... Transmission pressure Sensor/Circuit B. I took it to the dealer for diagnosis. All they did was pull the codes and told me the entire transmission needs replacing. The Technical Service Bulletin from Nissan says to replace the transmission control body valve. The dealer insists the whole transmission needs replacement. A transmission should not go out after only 75,000 miles. The car is maybe worth $5,000 and they want $4,000 to repair it!

Nissan should extend the transmission warranty on all models with this POS CVT transmission! What a joke!

- Rob S., Salt Lake City, UT, US

problem #73

Feb 212020

Versa SV 1.6L

  • CVT transmission
  • 80,000 miles

It happened while in Florida on vacation. The car wasn't worth the cost of repair, but the rest of car was fine so opted to fix it.

- Michael & M., Kennesaw, US

problem #72

Jul 012019

Versa

  • CVT transmission
  • 70,000 miles

That TRANSMISSION IS TRASH - a piece of junk. The fact that so many have had the same problem and Nissan didn't address it? A shame on Nissan. I will never buy again.

- jroberts91, Media, US

problem #71

Jan 012020

Versa Sadan 1.6L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

click to see larger images

transmission failure transmission failure

My trans mission went out in the middle of an intersection! It would not move! What an embarrassing situation, i had my mother in the car with me. She is 82 years old and was the only one who could help me push the car out of the intersection. Next came the tow truck. Then the mechanic, then the price. I contacted a nisssan dealer because i was told by a friend that a lot of complaints were because of faulty transmissions with their cars. They were very friendly till they asked me if i wanted to schedule an appointment to bring it in and i replied- wellit would need to be towed in because the transmission went out! They said they would contact there service team and get back to me. They never did. Then i had to rent a car to countinue going to work. I am really, really upset about the whole ordeal. This is a very perplexing, gut punch! To top it off, i had to borrow the money to get it working again

- Mario M., Bell Gardens, US

problem #70

Aug 232018

Versa SV

  • CVT transmission
  • 80,000 miles

Very expensive and time-consuming replacement. I now hate Nissan.

- Joshua G., Lakewood, CA, US

problem #69

Aug 312019

Versa SV 1.6L

  • CVT transmission
  • 93,000 miles

So I got this car new when I was 16 and honestly I have enjoyed the car but I have started to have major problems with it. At about 66,000 miles(while still under warranty) my car started having some problems when trying to accelerate it would sputter and take some time to start getting up to speed. So I took it into the Nissan dealership, they said they would yes drive it and put it on the computer. They had it for two days and said they could not find anything wrong with it. I was furious when I got the car back because when I looked at the mileage they had barely put maybe 2 miles on it.(in their location it would take more than two miles to get back if they left the dealership at all) In my opinion it was like they did not take me seriously enough to actually drive it. Well some people look and think oh you are young you don't know what's going on. First of all I drove the car everyday for 6 years I think I would know if it was driving different. But I let it go it has been having this problem for over a year and my engine light comes on and now they can apparently diagnose the problem without even having to drive it, their words not mine. They told me it was my transmission and it would cost $5700 dollars to fix. I think it is bullshit that they know exactly what is wrong with these cars and pretend they don't until it's too late and they are perfectly fine with continuing to sell them to people. Most people can't afford for their cars to just up and breakdown or a car payment if theirs is paid off. But I can promise you this I will NOT be getting another Nissan....

- Kristen L., Memphis, TX, US

problem #68

Dec 102018

Versa 1.8L

  • CVT transmission
  • 105,846 miles

When the CVT transmission failed in my Nissan Versa I chalked it up to the car being a piece of crap. Although it is a piece of crap, the transmission failure was the result of a known problem by Nissan. So much so, they doubled the warranty on the 2010 Versa for this very problem. However, they have not done the same with the 2012 even though they have never done anything with this transmission to correct the inherent flaw(s). I would assume that eventually a class action lawsuit will be filed.

- Mark S., Peabody, US

problem #67

Nov 012018

Versa

  • CVT transmission
  • 110,000 miles

Complain #2 on same car, same problem. I have another complaint listed about the Nissan 2012 transmission that occurred spring 2017. That problem ended up in Nissan replacing the transmission with approximately 61k miles. So, I'm on the 2nd transmission and now have approximately 115k miles. Notice that the mileage is almost double? Yeah, me too. And the same thing is starting to happen again. The tachometer is starting to jump and the car jerks. It drives the same way it did before the 1st transmission failed. I could add several more complaints but this is my biggest. Do I even bother taking it to the dealership? Do I even bother with it since there is ALWAYS a problem that needs to be fixed? No and no. I'm currently trying to find an affordable AND DEPENDABLE used vehicle.

- Andrea L., Cullowhee, US

problem #66

Apr 152017

Versa

  • CVT transmission
  • 61,000 miles

I purchased my 2012 Versa new and had regular, scheduled maintenance done at the local Nissan dealership. The car had a few problems in the beginning but they were addressed and corrected to the best of my knowledge. Then, at about 45-50k miles the car started acting funny and I could tell that something wasn't right. On my next appointment I mentioned it to the mechanics at the dealership. They found nothing wrong with my car. Over the next several trips in, I mentioned it again and again. Nothing wrong was ever found.

Closer to the 58-60k miles mark the tachometer went crazy, jerking the car. One second it when be at 1, then jump to 4, then almost to 0, then it rev up to 5. There was no real pattern but I did notice it more on the highway/interstate. I took the car in once again and the mechanic couldn't replicate the problem. Then, the day before spring break 2017, my car just stopped on the highway. Luckily I was in the right lane and was able to pull over.

My boyfriend was with me and somehow got the car going and we pulled it in the Nissan dealership, which was on the same highway a few miles down. The next morning the mechanics took a look and I was told I would need a new transmission, a little over 61k miles. My warranty had just expired at 60k miles.

Nissan ended up replacing the transmission at their cost since I had noted several times before that something wasn't right. I'm still not happy with the car as I will tell about in my next complaint...the new transmission.

- Andrea L., Cullowhee, US

problem #65

Jul 072018

Versa SL 1.6L

  • CVT transmission
  • 79,000 miles

Bought a 2012 Nissan Versa, brand new just so I wouldn't have to deal with used cars and what do I get? Problems that even used cars don't give. Transmission started going at 80k miles. So much for buying a reliable car. Especially them being aware of this issue and not wanting to do anything about it. It amazes me how they get away with selling lemons to people. Shame on Nissan USA!!!

- Ar J., worcester, MA, US

problem #64

Jun 252018

Versa

  • CVT transmission
  • 75,000 miles

I was on a trip from Colorado to Phoenix. On the way back to Colorado, the car broke down 4 miles out of Flagstaff, AZ. It was AAA towed to Heath Mechanic Shop. They said it would be a minimum expense of $3,800 to repair. I had the transmission checked to make sure it was full of transmission fluid the day before I left town, by a very reliable local mechanic. Had to leave the vehicle there and catch an Amtrak back to Colorado to go back to work.

Then I started checking around to find that this engine is a big problem and needs to be recalled, replaced and warrantied!

Any advise on how to get Nissan to do the right thing or filing a lawsuit against them to get them to do the right thing would be appreciated.

Thanks!

- M P., Canon City, US

problem #63

May 252018

Versa SV

  • CVT transmission
  • 95,000 miles

TRANSMISSION HAS TO BE REPLACED, STARTED AFTER HAVING REPROGRAMMED DUE TO A RECALL, DROVE FINE TILL NEXT DAY. LOST POWER BACKING UP TRAFFIC. JERKING ON HILLS. ENGINE LIGHT ON P0846 AND NOW CAN'T EVEN REGISTER DUE TO ENGINE LIGHT.

- Matt L., Seymour, CT, US

problem #62

Apr 012018

Versa Sedan 4dr 1.6L Litre

  • CVT transmission
  • 55,923 miles

I HAVE A 2012 NISSAN VERSA CVT TRANSMISSION WITH 90,000 KILOS OR 55,000 MILES . ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO IT STARTED TO GET JERKY AND NOW IT WONT SHIFT PROPERLY UNLESS YOU NURSE IT INTO THE NEXT GEAR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON ABOUT EVERY 30 MILES OR SO. I HAVE OWNED MANY NISSANS AND UNLESS THEY STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT, THIS MAY BE THE LAST. I AM 73YEARS OLD AND CANT AFFORD TO ABSORB THEIR MISTAKES. IF THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT , HOW DO I BE PART OF IT/ PLEASE ADVISE.

- Allan A., Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada

problem #61

May 252018

Versa S 1.6L Inline 4

  • CVT transmission
  • 63,000 miles

To state off first, this is actually my girlfriend's car.

The car is under the power train warranty of up to 60k miles but the transmission completely broke down at 63k miles.

All the shops she's talked to say that Nissan transmission are unreliable and it ends up being that the car is basically totaled (in cost) even though she took proper care of all its maintenance requirements. Extremely displeased that she did everything in her path to keep the car up-to-date and now she's sh*t out of a car because the manufacturer/Shift.com failed to detail that these cars have these issues and won't touch it or even bother replacing what wasn't her fault.

Not only is she never going to buy a Nissan car again, neither am I. Cars like these are easily supposed to run you at least to the 80k mile mark without major problems (besides some parts degradation) and now Nissan isn't even owning up to its own problems. Extremely dissatisfied. I'm making my friends and family completely aware of this BS situation we've been put into.

- rcarp2010, Foster City, US

problem #60

Aug 132016

Versa

  • Automatic transmission
  • 65,000 miles

Can't believe a car with under 70,000 miles would need a new transmission.

- Tristan J., Old Hickory, US

problem #59

Mar 302018

Versa SL

  • CVT transmission
  • 121,000 miles

Chalk up another 2012 Nissan Versa on the scrap heap due to complete transmission failure. The car was just paid off one month ago. Bought new from the dealership and mostly all highway miles. Car had a loud 'bang' noise on the highway and lost momentum. Had it towed to mechanic who thought it was timing chain tensioner since the engine ran but had loud metal sounding rattle. After moving it into reverse the noise went away so that eliminated that item as the source. After further research he thinks it's coming from the transmission and after reading other reviews here, it's safe to say that is the problem and not worth further effort to try to fix.

- Rich D., North Attleboro, MA, US

problem #58

Aug 222017

Versa

  • CVT transmission
  • 89,000 miles

We bought the car for my daughter (a single mom of 2). The problem started in August 2017. The transmission would not accelerate from time to time as time went on it got worse and worse. She took it to the dealer back in August. They told her that it needed a new transmission and that it could go out completely at any time. They told her that she should talk to the dealership about purchasing a new car (scare tactic). She can't buy a new car as she still owes over $6,000.00.

I contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs to see if there was anything they could do. Of course they won't do anything. They said they don't have not enough complaints. The car has been in the shop for over 3 weeks now we choose not to take it to the dealer because they charge a lot more money. They have put 3 transmissions and it is still not working. At this point we are totally disgusted with the whole ordeal. Nissan should stand behind their product and do something about this. This is costing my daughter over $3,000.00 that she really don't have.

- Debora L., Acworth, US

problem #57

Mar 192018

Versa

  • CVT transmission
  • 104,300 miles

So many Nissans have transmission trouble around 110000 miles, I am sure they are aware of it. My sons has 104300 miles and has been slipping off and on for a little while, then about 8 months ago it quit slipping and has been doing fine, until today, I came to a stop to turn left, and when I accelerated, it sounded like a cinder block turned over in the transmission. It would not move in drive or low, only reverse. Also, the engine will not rev in drive, only reverse.

- Terry W., Roanoke, US

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