7.7
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- $280
- Average Mileage:
- 60,900 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 19 complaints
Most common solutions:
- replace exhaust assembly (8 reports)
- not sure (5 reports)
- replaced flanges (3 reports)
- solder a new joint (3 reports)
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Nissan dealer.
Once again, sudden, major LOUD noise half way to work. Grrrrr Once again, everything rusted out after being all new less than 8,435 miles later. 3rd muffler/ exhaust in a car with 55,000 miles on it!
- Jan K., Cedar Rapids, US
Hangers rusted and broke off. Muffler needed to be replaced
- Jay C., surrey, BC, Canada
Car got crazy loud. Ended up having to replace the whole exhaust pipe, gasket, muffler assembly.
- Jan K., Cedar Rapids, US
So here's the deal. Driving yesterday morning, all is well. Driving in the evening, sounds like a biker gang has loaned me all their loud pipes and installed them in my car. Roaring, rumbling, you name it. Took it to my usual mechanic since the car is long out of warranty. Exhaust flange is cleanly snapped at the junction with the muffler. Recommendation is to replace both, now waiting to find a flange since this is a weekend (of course) Cost estimate is $400-500.
- Julie M., Louisville, KY, US
Same as other complaints - clean break on the weld just before the muffler. Local repair shop was able to weld it back together for $120 Cdn. (I've lost all faith in the local dealership to provide repairs / service for a fair $ value, so I didn't even contact them.)
But now ~ 5 months later, starting to get an exhaust smell when inside the car just after starting it... appears I will be back in the shop soon.
- Jeff K., Lacombe, AB, Canada
Really, the flange rusts out and Nissan has a repair kit that you can get to replace it, but it is not under warranty or a recall?
- D A., Binghamton, NY, US
Just as I have read from others, the flange at muffler rusted and apart and the muffler and the shop re-welded it back together after telling me that they have done it a lot to other Nissans. Then it came apart a year later an i put it back together with a metal epoxy. it is getting ready to come apart again and I'll probably have to install a new system. Nothing but trouble from this car.
- gibsonmd, Westminster, MD, US
Flanges broke off at the welds on the muffler side.. 2011 one month out of warranty. Dealer would not fix it.. I took the muffler off and had it welded. Feb.1,2014 the flange broke off on the "mid pipe side of the muffler.. estimated cost $600.
- ptboat, Scranton, PA, US
The muffler flange rotted out. Looked under the car, the entire exhaust system is rotting out. Ordered a new muffler on eBay. $400.00 to fix, parts and labor.
- uncledutch, Staten Island, NY, US
I was almost killed by this defect on the Nissan Versa!!!!!! I suffered from CHRONIC CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING!!! I drove my car with the exhaust cracked at the flange for a long time. My health deteriorated and I went from being a very strong recreational athlete to a very sick person for no apparent reason in 2 months or so. Shame on you Nissan!!! I will be sure everybody hear my story!!
- Sandra E., Paradise, Newfoundland, canada
This problem first occurred in 2011 when my car was only 4 years old and I found a local shop that welded the rusted out flange for $75 after Nissan tried to charge me $850 for a muffler replacement. That would not be covered by the extended warranty I paid for (which ended up being completely worthless, nothing was covered) The shop weld lasted about 6 months before my little hatchback started sounding like a tractor again. From that year I have had to replace the flanges probably every 3-6 months. Luckily my dad is pretty handy with cars or I would have replaced the entire exhaust system by now. This problem is a huge inconvenience and is extremely disappointing to know that Nissan agreed to put such low quality parts on their vehicles.
- Holly W., Marengo, OH, US
Versas have weak exhaust that do not withstand harsh conditions such as winters. You will need to do a few repairs for sure.
- Jean-Michel D., Trois-rivières, Quebec, canada
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!
Get in my car the other day and I hear this weird sound like something is rolling around in the back of my car or something. I didnt pay it any mind because there's like 20 pairs of shoes in my trunk. HOWEVER, I get in the next morning and it sounds like a fricken rice burner with a jackhammer attached to it. I crawl underneath the car to check it out and whaddaya know. The damn muffler is hanging there. Clean break right from the flange. The things not even rusted. The bottom of my car looks prime. HOW THE HELL IS THIS OK?
Anytime I was up north I cleaned my under carriage to ensure BS like this would not happen. Now I live in Nashville. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE SALT! OR PLOWS! Are ya kidding me?
Thankfully, I have a great shop down here in Nashville. The guys at Ultimate Tire on McGavock are awesome. They never BS you and if your car is fine they just send you on your way. Im bringing it in on Friday. Hopefully they can just weld it back together until I can buy a stainless steel exhaust system.
Where my mind is truly blown is the fact that Nissan is not acknowledging this P.O.S. exhaust system on these cars at all. EXCUSE ME, But I purchased a vehicle not a matchbox car. These cars aren't really cheap per say and I expect that if this many people are having the exact same problem with the exact same part Nissan should most likely get their $h*t together.
I'm thinking about starting a petition. Maybe if enough of us sign it we can sue them and make them pay us back for all of the repair costs. I am truly livid and this is just plain STUPID. Will update after Friday when I find out how much this is going to cost.
On a final word... F You Nissan. You should be ashamed of yourselves!
- Darla P., Nashville, TN, US
2008 Nissan Versa Hatchback..........just 2 weeks ago I had the right/left lower ball joints replaced (thankful it was covered under extended warranty). Now...........muffler broke off at the flange. I won't be buying another one.
2nd week brand new owned - engine mount replaced
1 1/2 later - replaced some thing that told the engine how much gas to give
- Lisa S., East Syracuse, NY, US
There seems to be a problem with the Versa exhaust system, this problem is know by the local garages and mechanics, why hasn't Nissan issued a recall or some form of a voucher for replacement parts. Not a hard fix, except when the bolts and nuts are rusted together, like mine.
- vcooper, MIDLAND, VA, US
Same problem as most other people are having; low mileage, 4 years old, weld at angled flange just in front of muffler broke. Shame on you Nissan! This is definitely YOUR fault for inferior materials and poor manufacturing of a bad weld at this flange. Sure there is some light surface rust over the parts, but that has nothing to do with this perfectly clean break of the flange from the pipe right at the entire seam of the weld. A true rust-through issue usually starts small and slowly gets bigger over a long time - this crap broke clean off in less than a few hours! (no noise to very loud noise in no time flat) Probably bad design as well for placing the flange at that particular stress point, but the fact is it is simply a bad manufactured weld. Anyone who has ever had the first basic welding class knows what a good weld looks like because they show you how a good weld melts the parts joined together. My guess from looking at this is that the pipe they chose to use was just so thin (cheap!), they could not get the robotic welder to get it much hotter without melting a hole in the pipe. That does not excuse a bad weld! Just Google for Versa muffler premature failure or something like that and look at all the complaints in the different forums. PS - checked e-bay and found several new replacement mufflers for < than $100. Might be worth getting one of those instead of trying to patch up an already old muffler since it is fairly easy to install yourself. Just remember: let vehicle cool for several hours before starting work and pre-soak the nuts / bolts at that flange with WD-40 style spray 2-3 times for about 30 minutes before trying to turn them. Good luck everyone! Nissan you need to pay for this garbage!
- Jeff A., Cookeville, TN, US
this appears to be a common problem with the Versa; wonder why no recall- i see the same complaint on board after board. My muffler started making a rattling, rumbling noise so bad that i thought my car was finished. Taking it to a dealer tomorrow.
- Rock D., Anna Maria, FL, US
Exhaust flange rusted out which produced a loud rattle under the vehicle. Dealer replaced the muffler assembly under warranty. I drive in a city that uses salt on the roads which must have accelerated the rust, but it's surprising that this happened after only 20,000 miles. Muffler was on backorder which forced me to drive around with an extremely loud rattle. How embarrassing.
- Brent V., Cleveland Heights, OH, US
Stupid Versa started sounding like a lawnmower AGAIN on the way home two nights ago! Really? I cannot believe I am going to have to do this AGAIN after 6 months????
- Jan K., Cedar Rapids, US