2021 Nissan Versa Recalls, Issues & Maintenance

The 2021 Nissan Versa carries 3 open NHTSA recalls — most recently covering bulbs and electric power assist system. Owners report 8 recurring issue clusters, led by “CVT transmission loss of drive and acceleration failure.” Nissan owner's manuals split service into Schedule 1 (severe) and Schedule 2 (normal). Most US drivers fall under Schedule 1. The biggest preventable failure on Nissan vehicles is CVT transmission damage from extended fluid intervals — owners of Altima, Rogue, Sentra, Pathfinder, and Murano with CVT should not skip it.

3 Open Recalls

Source: NHTSA

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:BULBS

Campaign #21V471000 · Jun 23, 2021

Issue: 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.

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

Fix: 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.

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

Campaign #22V693000 · Sep 15, 2022

Issue: 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.

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

Fix: 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.

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

Campaign #23V496000 · Jul 18, 2023

Issue: 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.

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

Fix: 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.

Recall data refreshed Sep 13, 2026.

Known issues for this vehicle

What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 2021 Nissan Versa.

Reported to NHTSA

CVT transmission loss of drive and acceleration failure

POWER TRAIN

8 NHTSA complaints · 2023-09 → 2026-06

Cvt Transmission failed While driving transmission popped and no forward drive leaving us in traffic unable to move in forward. Had to get out and push the car to the side of the road. No warning lights no warning signs. Just immediate loss of forward drive. Engine revs up but…
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11719379
On May 9, 2026 I was driving to work when my car experienced acceleration failure. It had 80,600 miles on it. When the acceleration failed, I was in the process of making a left turn and came very close to being hit by oncoming traffic
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11740221
Need to put in complaint the CVT transmissions has been doing a lot of whining and jerky. Spoke to the dealership they stated had no idea what it was. Started to investigate and found out there were recalls in the 2012 to 2015 CVT transmissions on Nissans and there is pending…
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11689040

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Engine acceleration cutoff and gear hesitation under 35 mph

UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE

3 NHTSA complaints · 2024-03 → 2024-08

Driving down the road, the car enters a phase where you can not accelerate at all. It seems like the fuel injectors are cut off by 90% and you can only accelerate to about 35 mph. It stalls often and feels as if it's struggling to switch gears. It only has 68k miles on it with…
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11611743
Driving down the road, the car enters a phase where you can not accelerate at all. It seems like the fuel injectors are cut off by 90% and you can only accelerate to about 35 mph. Although this has happened the whole life of the car 26,000 miles, today I was fed up with it and…
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11577226

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Air bag non-deployment in frontal collisions

AIR BAGS, STRUCTURE:BODY

2 NHTSA complaints · 2022-05 → 2022-11

Driving vehicle about 60-65 mph when collision with another vehicle occurred resulting in moderate front end damage to almost all of front bumper with no airbag deployment and put driver in danger due to speed and mechanism of collision which seems to be a malfunction in safety…
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11466320
Driver lost control of vehicle and slid along fence to hit a tree stump. Driver airbags went off in time and driver was unscathed. Passenger remembers seeing tree hit car (vision was not obscured by deployed airbag). Passenger was seriously injured and needed airlift to…
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11492174

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Automatic emergency braking activation and brake lockup

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

1 NHTSA complaint · 2023-09 → 2023-09

20 miles down the road the Car brakes locked up the car skid a bit jerking driver and passenger forward. The driver stopped the car. A warning sign was on the dashboard showing a yellow square in front of a car and above two cars colliding. Monday I called the Nissan…
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11545075

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Rear windshield tint distortion during night driving

VISIBILITY/WIPER

2 NHTSA complaints · 2021-12 → 2021-12

New car purchased 10/19/2021. Did not test drive at night. When I drove it the next night there is severe rear windshield refraction/distortion at night. Multiple head light reflections for every car behind. Unable to safely determine where cars are behind my vehicle
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11443081
Rear window tinting - dealer installed. Causes severe distortion/refraction on rear windshield during night driving making it impossible to determine where the cars are behind me
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11443085

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Fuel gauge inaccurate reading after fill-up

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:FUEL GAUGE

2 NHTSA complaints · 2022-03 → 2023-10

After filling my tank, and driving less than 5 miles, it's at 1/4 full or below. Last fill up @145.3 miles: days later @ 145.3 miles 1/4
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11461272
First the furl gage reads the wrong amount I filled up and the gauge never changed. The radio which is a known problem cuts in and out or just stops working
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11552115

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Water intrusion at spark plug coils causing engine misfire

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 NHTSA complaint · 2024-02 → 2024-02

Water collects on spark plug coils and the car does not exceed 50 mpg, check engine light comes on. This has happened twice so far, the first time was 1/04/2024. I actually didn't drive the car for two weeks after the first repair, it just sat in the driveway in the rain and…
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11570706

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Driver seat belt self-releasing while driving

SEAT BELTS

1 NHTSA complaint · 2025-05 → 2025-05

On three separate occasions while driving, my driver seatbelt has come unbuckled on it's own. Most recently today. It also sometimes sticks and is difficult to unbuckle
Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11661166

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Note: NHTSA also opened 1 defect investigation(s) on this vehicle that closed without action.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 13, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 13, 2026.

We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.

Essential maintenance

Critical for safety and preventing major damage

Engine Oil & Filter

Every 5,000 mi

Replace synthetic-blend or full-synthetic oil every 5,000 miles under Schedule 1. Schedule 2: 7,500 miles. VR30DDTT (3.0L twin-turbo): full synthetic only.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$120–$160

Shop

~$85–$115

DIY

~$25–$55

Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.

Tire Rotation

Every 5,000 mi

Rotate tires every 5,000 miles. Front-wheel-drive Nissans (Altima, Sentra, Versa) wear front tires fast — don't skip rotations.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.

CVT Fluid (NS-3)

Every 60,000 mi

Nissan officially calls CVT fluid 'lifetime,' but independent technicians and Nissan TSBs recommend replacement every 60,000 miles to prevent CVT failure. Use Nissan NS-3 fluid only — substitutes destroy the belt-and-pulley system.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$360–$500

Shop

~$255–$355

DIY

~$80–$180

CVT fluid is manufacturer-specific and pricey — do NOT substitute conventional ATF.

Brake Inspection

Every 7,500 mi

Inspect brake pads, rotors, and parking brake every 7,500 miles. Rogue and Pathfinder front pads typically last 35,000-50,000 miles.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.

Brake Fluid

Every 30,000 mi

Replace DOT 3 brake fluid every 30,000 miles or 2 years. Dark or amber fluid indicates moisture contamination.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$180–$200

Shop

~$125–$140

DIY

~$10–$25

DOT 3 or 4 — match the cap. Vacuum bleeders make this a one-person DIY.

Important maintenance

Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently

Engine Air Filter

Every 30,000 mi

Replace engine air filter every 30,000 miles, sooner if driving on dusty unpaved roads.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.

Spark Plugs

Every 105,000 mi

Iridium-tipped spark plugs are rated 105,000 miles on QR25, MR20, and VQ35 engines. VR30DDTT: 60,000 miles due to higher cylinder pressures.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$390

Shop

~$200–$275

DIY

~$25–$100

Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.

Long-Life Coolant

Every 75,000 mi

Nissan Long-Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue/green): first change at 105,000 miles, then every 75,000. Do not mix with other coolant chemistries.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$330

Shop

~$200–$235

DIY

~$25–$60

Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.

Transfer Case / Rear Diff (AWD models)

Every 60,000 mi

Rogue AWD, Murano AWD, Pathfinder 4WD: replace transfer case fluid and rear differential fluid every 60,000 miles.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$105–$140

Shop

~$75–$100

DIY

~$15–$40

AWD/4WD vehicles only. Easy drain-and-fill on most platforms.

Recommended maintenance

Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort

Cabin Air Filter

Every 15,000 mi

Replace cabin air filter every 15,000 miles. Located behind the glove box on Altima, Rogue, and Sentra.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.

Fatal crash history & reported problems

Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)

46 crashes 2010–2024

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number

Owner-reported problem signals

Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.

5

complaints mentioning a crash

0

complaints mentioning a fire

Reviewed known issues for this vehicle·Open recalls for this vehicle

Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.

How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.

This maintenance schedule for the 2021 Nissan Versa reflects Nissan's published service intervals and the Maintenance Reminder system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.