Research · Midsize Cars · 2 NHTSA variants

2010 Nissan VersaRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 8 safety recalls and 269 owner complaints for the 2010 Nissan Versa. Most complaints involve air bags (130) and suspension (69). The EPA rates it 27–30 mpg combined.

Combined MPG
27–30mpg
EPA · 5 versions
NHTSA overall
—
Not rated by NCAP
Safety recalls
8campaigns
Latest Aug 2022
Owner complaints
269
Top: air bags
Fuel cost / yr
$2,100est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

8 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain air bag inflator replacement service parts that may have been installed as part of a theft or collision repair. The parts include certain passenger-side air bag inflators designed to fit Infiniti 2002-2003 QX4, 2006-2010 M35 and M45; Nissan 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, and both driver and passenger-side inflators designed to fit 2007-2012 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback vehicles. Please see Nissan's recall report for the specific part numbers. These replacement inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Air bagsReported Aug 9, 2022NHTSA 22E066000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2001-2003 Maxima, 2002-2006 Sentra, 2002-2004 Pathfinder, 2007-2011 Versa Sedan and Versa Hatchback, 2001-2004 Infiniti I30 and I35, 2002-2003 Inifiniti QX4, 2003-2008 Infiniti FX35 and FX45 and 2006-2010 M35 and M45 vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated, frontal passenger air bag inflators containing phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant that were used as interim remedy parts for previous Takata recalls. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Air bagsReported Jan 9, 2020NHTSA 20V008000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2011 Nissan Versa sedan vehicles and 2011-2012 Nissan Versa hatchback vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Nissan is also recalling 2010-2011 Nissan Versa sedan vehicles and 2010-2012 Nissan Versa hatchback vehicles ever registered in the states of ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these passenger air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Air bagsReported Jun 15, 2018NHTSA 18V401000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 8, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

269 complaints filed with NHTSA · Apr 2010 – Oct 2026
  1. Air bags130
  2. Suspension69
  3. Engine17
  4. Electrical system17
  5. Structure15
  6. Steering11
  7. Wheels8
  8. Fuel/propulsion system7
  9. Engine and engine cooling7

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

By model year

Complaints for each Versa model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
2007354
2008381
2009504
2010269
2011269
2012486
2013204
2014343
2015255
2016110
201772
201860
201925
202064
202132
202220
202337
202497
202513
Crashes reported
20
Fires reported
3
Injuries reported
8
Deaths reported
1
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 8, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Air bags

130 reports13 crashes1 fire
“I bought my car while living in Florida from a lady that didn't drive it for a while and after I bought it I drove it i drove to Washington two and a half times. before this though it had an airbag safety issue where the airbags didn't deploy and also my gas gauge does not work correctly as well as the suspension, which the coils are not up to codes and regulation also my odometer does not work well period when I got in my car accident my airbags had not deployed which is the safety risk and I looked up online due to the multiple risk zones that I crossed over I know that it is a good chance that I qualify for recalls that maybe it wasn't listed prior to putting up on here because I was unaware of a recall list.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 7, 2026Air bags, Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion systemCrash reportedODI 11762566

Suspension

69 reports1 crash
“There has been a popping and creaking noise when turning the wheel at low speeds to the left, the passenger side of the car has now dropped and the spring, struts and mounts have to be replaced. The same issue that these make and models were recalled for, yet the vin does not have any recalls.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 15, 2025SuspensionODI 11687491

Engine

17 reports1 crash1 fire
“Check engine light came on. Took car to auto shop and had them use the code reader. The code thrown was for cylinder 1 misfiring. Under further investigation it was found to the valve cover gasket needed replaced. After replacing the valve cover gasket the torque strut mount plugs and engine coils the car seemed to run fine. About 3 hours later the car started having trouble accelerating and the engine started to shake bad. And hour later while at a red light the car stalled out and wouldn't start again. Had to have the car towed. Noticed a good amount of oil leaked in the bottom of the engine.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 4, 2026EngineODI 11768796
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

5 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Midsize Cars
Engines
1.8L 4-cyl · 1.6L 4-cyl
Transmissions
Automatic (variable gear ratios) · Manual 5-spd · Automatic 4-spd · Manual 6-spd
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 8, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Versa
Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.8 L · Front-Wheel Drive
283430$2,100296
Versa
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L · Front-Wheel Drive
263429$2,150306
Versa
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L · Front-Wheel Drive
263328$2,200317
Versa
Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L · Front-Wheel Drive
263128$2,200317
Versa
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L · Front-Wheel Drive
243227$2,300329
  • Versa
    Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 1.8 L
    28 city · 34 hwy · $2,100/yr
    30
    mpg comb.
  • Versa
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L
    26 city · 34 hwy · $2,150/yr
    29
    mpg comb.
  • Versa
    Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L
    26 city · 33 hwy · $2,200/yr
    28
    mpg comb.
  • Versa
    Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L
    26 city · 31 hwy · $2,200/yr
    28
    mpg comb.
  • Versa
    Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L
    24 city · 32 hwy · $2,300/yr
    27
    mpg comb.
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 8, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

2 tested variants
NHTSA has not published 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2010 Nissan Versa as of Nov 8, 2026.
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 8, 2026Vehicle 5813Vehicle 5814
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2010 Versa questions

How many recalls does the 2010 Nissan Versa have?

8 safety recalls as of Nov 8, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2010 Nissan Versa problems?

Owners filed 269 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are air bags (130), suspension (69), engine (17). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2010 Nissan Versa get?

The EPA rates the 2010 Nissan Versa at 27–30 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (5 versions rated).

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 8, 2026