2017 Nissan Versa Note — Known Issues & Recalls

Your transmission has failed twice in six months, creating a safety hazard. The first failure occurred while turning on a busy road in Cleveland, and the second happened at low speed when the engine suddenly revved up. Even though a replacement transmission was installed with only 30,000-40,000 miles on it, the problem recurred, suggesting an underlying issue beyond the transmission itself. The repair will likely involve diagnosing the root cause—which could be in the engine control system, torque converter, or transmission fluid cooling—rather than just replacing the transmission again.

Your car's transmission stopped engaging with any gear, even though it shifted into drive mechanically. The car would not move forward or respond to gear changes, though it had been working normally earlier that morning. This suggests a transmission fluid issue, transmission control problem, or internal transmission failure that will require professional diagnosis and likely transmission service or repair.

While driving at 65 MPH, your transmission unexpectedly downshifted and slowed your vehicle to 5 MPH with no warning light. After a transmission flush didn't fix the problem, a specialist diagnosed complete transmission failure requiring replacement. Ten months later, your vehicle made a loud clunking noise on startup, and inspection revealed metal shards inside the transmission—requiring another replacement. The fix involves replacing your CVT (continuously variable) transmission.

Your car jerked while driving, and the check engine light came on. A mechanic scanned the vehicle and found trouble code P285A, which indicates your transmission needs to be replaced. This is a significant repair that will require professional transmission service.

Your car hesitates and vibrates when you press the accelerator pedal, and the check engine light is on. A mechanic suspected a transmission issue. The dealer found no recalls and offered to run a diagnostic, but the problem hasn't been fixed yet. The issue likely requires transmission diagnostics and possibly internal transmission repair or replacement.

Your hood latch failed to keep the hood closed while driving at 30 mph, causing it to fly open and resulting in $3,100 in damage to your vehicle. The primary latch was engaged but the secondary latch didn't hold, allowing the hood to open during driving, which could have caused serious injury or accidents. Repairing this will likely involve replacing or adjusting both the primary and secondary hood latch mechanisms.

Your driver's door became stuck in the locked position and couldn't be opened from either inside or outside, even with the key or by manually manipulating the lock. You were unable to exit the vehicle. The door assembly may need to be inspected or replaced to restore normal operation.

Your driver side airbag system stopped working without any accident or crash causing it. The airbag system failed unexpectedly and is no longer functional. This is a safety concern that requires immediate professional diagnosis and repair by a qualified technician.

Your car was involved in a rear-end collision that was severe enough to total the vehicle, but none of the airbags deployed during the crash. The driver sustained semi-serious injuries including a broken elbow, broken ribs, and cuts and abrasions. The owner believes that if the airbags had deployed as intended, the injuries would have been less severe.

Your car is making a vacuum noise that a repair shop says requires transmission replacement. Additionally, your starter failed and wouldn't start, leaving you stranded until AAA helped—Nissan claimed this was already fixed before you bought the car, but there's no record of it. The repair shop and Nissan haven't provided assistance, and you're facing significant repair costs for both the starter (already replaced for ~$600) and the transmission. Fixing these issues will likely require professional transmission service and starter replacement by a qualified technician.

Your car stalled at a red light and wouldn't move forward or in reverse even after restarting the engine. The engine turned on normally, but the car remained stuck until you were able to push it to a side street out of traffic. This suggests an electrical or transmission issue that prevented power from reaching the wheels despite the engine running.

During a rainy drive, water suddenly gushed out of your glove compartment and flooded the entire interior, including the back seat, with no warning signs beforehand. The dealership identified a clogged cowl (the area where water drains near the windshield) as the cause, though this wasn't mentioned during the car's multipoint inspection when purchased. The water damage was severe enough that your insurance company declared the vehicle a total loss after only 4,000 miles of driving.

Your car has a small drain hole under the windshield wipers on the passenger side that clogs easily and causes water to leak into the cabin during heavy rain. This has happened multiple times, including while driving. The drain design appears insufficient to handle heavy rainfall without flooding the interior.

Your car's ignition switch failed to engage when you tried to start the engine, leaving you unable to start the vehicle. This happened at around 80,000 miles. The issue may require replacing the ignition switch assembly to restore normal starting function.

Your passenger door lock won't work properly with the key fob, and you hear a buzzing noise when you try to use it. The door lock actuator appears to be malfunctioning, and you're unable to open the door manually either. The fix will likely involve replacing the faulty door lock actuator and possibly testing the key fob wiring.

Your power steering system frequently stops working while you're driving, making the steering wheel much harder to turn. This is a serious safety issue that needs immediate attention from a mechanic. The fix will likely involve diagnosing and repairing or replacing components in the power steering system, such as the pump, hoses, or control module.

Your car unexpectedly shut off while you were driving at 45 mph. After the engine stopped, the check engine light came on along with warnings from other sensors. This type of sudden stall while driving is a serious issue that needs immediate diagnosis to determine whether it's an electrical problem, a fuel system issue, or a sensor malfunction.

Your engine failed completely at just 25,000 miles, despite keeping up with all scheduled maintenance. This is an unexpected and serious breakdown that requires a full engine inspection or replacement.

Your car starts only occasionally and unpredictably—sometimes it will turn over but won't actually start. Even after having both camshaft sensors replaced, your check engine light remains on and your vehicle won't pass emissions testing. Your dealership has indicated the engine control module (ECM) and engine wiring harness need to be replaced to resolve the issue.

Your check engine light came on while driving. A mechanic found fault code P0705, which indicates a problem with either your Engine Control Module or Transmission Control Module—the computers that control your engine and transmission. The vehicle wasn't repaired at that time. Getting this repaired will likely involve having the mechanic diagnose which module is faulty and either repair or replace it.