2016 Nissan Versa
The 2016 Nissan Versa is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact hatchback with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Versa, is EPA-rated at 34 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 110 complaints, most often about the power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.
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Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Versa | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl | 31 | 39 | 34 | $1,950 |
| Versa | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl | 27 | 36 | 30 | $2,250 |
| Versa | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl | 26 | 35 | 29 | $2,300 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36568, 36569, 36570.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Versa | 5–6 / 10 | Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | SmartWay |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Displacement | 1.6 L |
| Engine configuration | In-Line |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | 4x2 |
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim. Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 163.4 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 66.9 in |
| Height | 60.6 in |
| Wheelbase | 102.4 in |
| Track, front | 58.3 in |
| Track, rear | 58.3 in |
| Curb weight | 2,456 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 60/40 |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here one configuration: Note 4-door Hatchback. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2016 Nissan Versa is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (0)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseNo NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2016 Nissan Versa. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.
These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
NHTSA defect investigations
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module — Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture open
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf. Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a subst
Opened Sep 17, 2021 · action EA21002 · the investigation’s page →
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 Nissan Versa, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2016 Nissan Versa
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this Versa →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database16 involved a crash · 2 a fire · 20 injuries · 1 deaths reported
Filed per year: 2016: 10 · 2017: 18 · 2018: 10 · 2019: 14 · 2020: 18 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 10 · 2026: 6
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
The contact owned a 2016 Nissan Versa Note. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH in a parking lot, the vehicle failed to stop as needed while the brake pedal was depressed. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure caused the vehicle to crash into a nearby wall, which was not damaged.
The car was parked over night and it was raining that night. The next day I went to move the car, started & warning lights went on. The windshield wiper water trough got clogged due to tree leafs falling in & the water overflow & entered the car by the air vent in to the car floor The 360-deg.
The break peddle will sink on its own. It has done this at a complete stop with the car off, on the highway, on city streets, in corners. It goes off seemingly at random. It has done this in summer and winter. It has done this since shortly after I got the car, but i'm going to enter today's date. I bought the car in 2018 in july
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Versa Note. The contact stated that the exhaust became loose and was melting the brake line, which affected the braking system. The vehicle was driven 5 MPH to an independent mechanic, who discovered the failure. The exhaust was repaired.
Engine keeps losing oil level when no leaks found which causes transmission and engine to act making weird noises when gas pedal hit when driving car. Transmission is making weird noises like it is slipping when driving when gas pedal is pressed down.
Sway bar link broken, causing dangerous risk of steering failure. Rear hub bearing disintegrated, causing worn tires and high risk of wheel randomly separating from axel while driving! Wow! Car not old enough for such problems!
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Nissan itself: 16 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 3 killed, 20 injured, as claimed, not verified. Every Versa model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
When owners reported it
miles, typically
Half the 65 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 10,000 and 57,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.
Median mileage by component
| Component | Reports | Median miles | Vs same age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 14 | 83,000 | 1.6× |
| Service Brakes | 12 | 11,500 | 0.29× |
| Air Bags | 12 | 35,523 | 0.84× |
Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2016-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Here, owners reported earlier than same-age vehicles: service brakes (0.29×); later: power train (1.6×). Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.
Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 DR FWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | 14% |
| 5 HB FWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 15% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communicationsMost often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Power Train, Engine, Fuel/Propulsion System.
- NTB09-131C Service bulletin2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
- NTB09-131C Service bulletin2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
- NTB19-071D Service bulletin2024-09-19 · Air Bags
- DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed, (continued on the next page)
- NTB13-107G Service bulletin2024-05-21 · Electrical System
- VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- NTB13-027D Service bulletin2024-05-21 · Electrical System
- CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- NTB10-066C Service bulletin2024-05-21 · Electrical System
- CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- NTB17-019H Service bulletin2024-04-30 · Visibility/Wiper
- WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- NTB13-028I Service bulletin2024-04-30 · Visibility/Wiper
- REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0746 P0746 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 18 bulletins · 1 owner report |
| P0965 P0965 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 18 bulletins |
| P0456 P0456 on Nissan → | A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system. | Engine · Gas cap → | 13 bulletins |
| P17F0 P17F0 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 12 bulletins |
| P0846 P0846 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Power Train | 8 bulletins |
| P0442 P0442 on Nissan → | A small leak in the evaporative emissions system. | Equipment · Gas cap → | 6 bulletins |
| P0455 P0455 on Nissan → | A large leak in the evaporative emissions system — often a fuel cap left off. | Equipment · Gas cap → | 6 bulletins |
| P0603 P0603 on Nissan → | The engine control module has lost its keep-alive memory. | Electrical System · Battery → | 6 bulletins |
| C1130 C1130 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Engine | 2 bulletins |
| P219A P219A on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Engine | 2 bulletins |
| P219B P219B on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Engine | 2 bulletins |
| U1000 U1000 on Nissan → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Steering | 2 bulletins |
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Nissan Versa failed the emissions check on 4.5% of first inspections — close to the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.9% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%).
failed emissions
1,635 initial inspections of 1,597 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2016 Versa | Every 2016 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 4.5% | 4.2% | 1,633 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 2.9% | 2.2% | 1,635 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.43% | 0.27% | 1,635 |
| Miles driven a year | 9,909 | 10,028 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 101,724 | 103,109 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2016 vehicle” is every 2016 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Versa by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2016 Versa
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2016 Nissan Versa have any recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2016 Nissan Versa. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them, and a clean sheet on a recent model year often just means the vehicle is new.
How safe is the 2016 Nissan Versa?
NHTSA gave the 2016 Nissan Versa 4 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 4-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (100/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Nissan Versa?
Across the 3 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 Nissan Versa, the best EPA combined figure is 34 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2016 Nissan Versa?
Transport Canada measured it at 163.4 in long, 66.9 in wide (body, without mirrors), 60.6 in tall, on a 102.4 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 2,456 lb. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2016 Nissan Versa?
Owners have filed 110 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Nissan Versa, most often about power train, air bags, unspecified. Of those, 16 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 20 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2016 Nissan Versa?
The EPA smog rating for the 2016 Nissan Versa runs 5 to 6 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 5, LEV-II ULEV — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Nissan Versa?
The manufacturer has filed 276 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 Nissan Versa, most often covering electrical system, equipment, power train. The most recent is dated 2026-04-13. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2016 Nissan Versa do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Nissan Versa failed the emissions check on 4.5% of first inspections — close to the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.9% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 3 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 3 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | none | NHTSA recall campaigns | No campaign has been filed. Because the register is complete, an empty row here means there is nothing to find — not that we are missing it. |
| Owner complaints | 110 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 2 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 276 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | 1 | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 8 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Measured dimensions | 7 fields | Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications | Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.