2016 Nissan Versa power train problems
20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2016 Nissan Versa — 25% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“0 The vehicle has a CVT transmission failure causing severe shuddering, jerking, and progressive loss of acceleration. Initially the vehicle would not exceed 20 mph, then worsened to 15 mph, then 10 mph, and now will not exceed 5 mph. The issue consistently occurs after the vehicle has been driven…”
filed Mar 11, 2026
“While merging onto [XXX] toward [XXX] , my 2016 Nissan Versa suffered a total loss of power while crossing active railroad tracks. The car stuttered and jerked before completely stalling and stopped responding. I was stranded in a high-traffic zone around [XXX] PM. I was worried that the vehicles…”
filed Mar 10, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Power Train problems in other Versa years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Versa | 34 | 37% |
| 2023 Versa | 15 | 41% |
| 2022 Versa | 7 | 35% |
| 2021 Versa | 9 | 29% |
| 2020 Versa | 16 | 25% |
| 2019 Versa | 11 | 46% |
| 2018 Versa | 9 | 17% |
| 2017 Versa | 9 | 15% |
| 2015 Versa | 47 | 28% |
| 2014 Versa | 81 | 40% |
| 2013 Versa | 73 | 36% |
| 2012 Versa | 163 | 34% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2016 Nissan Versa
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.