2018 Nissan Versa: What to check before buying

Airbags fail to deploy in hard crashes, including deer strikes, run-offs into ditches, and side and T-bone impacts at highway speeds. There are 7 crash-related reports, and the injuries listed include concussions and neck, back, and spine injuries. A second pattern is an airbag warning light that blinks or stays on. Dealers blame a failed passenger seat sensor that turns off the passenger airbag, crinkled wiring, or the airbag module, which was quoted at a little over 1300 dollars. In some reports the light comes back after a repair.

The engine shuts off while driving or stalls at stops, and the driver has to restart the car. Some cars are hard to start. Shops point to a mass air flow sensor that keeps getting replaced, or to a faulty computer, coils, and crankshaft sensor. Dealers often say only that no recall applies. Other reports describe a stiff brake pedal with every warning light on, brake lights that cut out, and a key stuck in an ignition that had to be replaced. Several filings only note that lower trims lack a backup camera.

The transmission judders, slips, and revs high, then the car stalls or stops in traffic with no warning light. Dealers often replace the whole transmission, sometimes only weeks after the owner bought the car. Milder symptoms include shudder pulling away from stops, harsh downshifts, a bump when coming to a stop, and a whine under acceleration. One rental shifted into reverse on its own at low speed and hit a wall. Manual-transmission cars draw complaints of jerky clutch engagement. Dealers sometimes find no codes and only reset the computer.

Shutting off completely while driving is the main complaint, sometimes as the car merges onto a highway, and it happens more than once. In one report the car would not restart afterward, and a repair shop found no communication with the engine. A crash report from a rental car describes the steering locking up on a downhill road, and the car hit a tree at speed. Both people in the car were taken to the hospital by ambulance. Few complaints are filed here, but they describe a serious loss-of-control risk.

The car is hard to slow down. Drivers describe a shaking brake pedal and brakes that feel too weak to stop the car, and one report blames worn brake pads. The car also loses power while sitting at stop lights. Other filings mention transmission trouble with stalling and engine revving. Drivers say it feels like losing control of the car. Only a handful of complaints fall under this heading, but one is crash-related and one lists an injury.

Power steering cuts out while the car sits at a light. At the same moment the brake, battery, and oil warning lights come on, and the driver has to steer off the road and have the car towed. The dealer found no problem on a test drive. In another report the steering wheel locked while the car was parked and the ignition switch would not turn. Both complaints also mention ignition trouble, which matches the key and ignition problems reported under the electrical system.