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Nissan Versa NoteModel year report

2015 Nissan Versa Note Problems

Compared with other Nissan Versa Note years

Typical for this model

50/100 1.0× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2016

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
86filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
44,000miles, 54 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
4 / 5stars overall
EPA fuel economy
—not in EPA data

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2015 Nissan Versa Note (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report CVT transmission trouble — slipping, lurching, delayed acceleration, or complete loss of drive — usually past 60,000 miles. A second, smaller cluster concerns airbag warning lights and passenger-seat occupant detection, and a third covers sudden engine shutoffs, stalling, or loss of electrical power while driving. Many complaints also describe the center console trim snagging the driver's foot near the accelerator.

  1. Transmission and drivetrain

    CVT transmission slipping, lurching, or losing drive

    • 29 complaints (34%)
    • median 66,506 mi at 5.0 yrs old (14 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2016–2025

    Complaints describe delayed or no response when pressing the accelerator, jerking and lurching from a stop, revving without moving, and in some cases sudden loss of power at speed. Several owners say the CVT was replaced, sometimes more than once, and that replacements failed again. Some report the dealer could not duplicate the symptom or quoted a full transmission replacement, and a few mention no warranty coverage. Mostly reported between roughly 60,000 and 100,000 miles, though a few owners cite lower mileage around 40,000.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Test drive from a stop and at highway speed, watching for hesitation, shuddering, or revs climbing without acceleration. Ask for transmission service records and whether any transmission work or replacement has been done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When driving on I-65 south in columbia, tn, the vehicle lost power and would not go above 60 MPH with the RPM revving to 5. This happened suddenly and without warning and almost caused an accident. Thankfully the vehicle behind me was able to move over to the other lane.”

    NHTSA complaint #11233809, filed 2019-07, 71,680 miles

    “I pulled into my driveway from a turn, probably going 5 MPH, at a slight up grade, and my CVT transmission failed -- it stopped. The engine was on, running normal, but when I pressed the gas, floored it, even, there was zero response. No revving, nothing. I switch gears to low, then park, then reverse, then drive. Still nothing. Then after about a minute had passed since the initial failure, it started to rev a bit at low rpms, then finally kick in and drive me up my driveway. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11004068, filed 2017-07, 43,000 miles
  2. Air bags

    Airbag warning light on / passenger seat not detected

    • 12 complaints (14%)
    • median 17,895 mi at 3.0 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2015–2021

    Owners report the airbag or SRS light staying on or blinking, and the passenger airbag indicator not showing as active even with an adult seated. Some complaints describe the dealer finding nothing wrong, or diagnosing the occupant classification system or seat assembly; a few report non-deployment in a collision. Reported across a wide mileage range, from very low mileage up to about 93,000 miles.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: With the ignition on, confirm the airbag light goes out after the self-check and that the passenger airbag indicator reads correctly with an adult in the seat. Ask whether DTC B00A0 has ever been stored or an occupant detection sensor reset performed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My car is signaling a low voltage code for my air bags. I have got a new battery, change the fuses all are good, and also had the air bag clock spring checked. All seem to check out fine. I tried multiple times to reset the airbags lights but it just keeps coming back on after 10 minutes or so.”

    NHTSA complaint #11091645, filed 2018-05, 78,500 miles

    “I hit a large dog while running 55...my 'safe' airbags never came out. The front end, bumper, bumper cover, grille, lights and water pump all had to be replaced.”

    NHTSA complaint #11189934, filed 2019-03, 80,000 miles
  3. Engine

    Engine stalls or shuts off while driving

    • 12 complaints (14%)
    • median 43,000 mi at 4.3 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2017–2022

    Complaints describe the engine cutting out at idle in drive, during acceleration, or while pulling into a parking lot, sometimes repeatedly in one trip. Several owners report the vehicle would restart normally afterward; some mention dealers replacing the battery or throttle-related sensors, or being unable to reproduce the stall. Mostly reported in the 30,000 to 60,000 mile range, with some at lower mileage.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the vehicle has ever stalled or failed to restart, and whether any stored codes (such as throttle or key-authentication codes) were diagnosed. Check for service records on the battery and starting system.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “About 3 months ago I was driving at about 35 miles per hour car in front stopped suddenly I applied brakes they grabbed then let go they failed and then today 5/23/2019 my family and I were leaving the parking lot of the local mall and the car stalled 2 times in the parking lot this car has 32000 miles on it”

    NHTSA complaint #11209545, filed 2019-05, 32,000 miles

    “The engine completely shut off on my 2015 Nissan Versa Note 3 times now. In all 3 situations, my car was in idle in drive mode and the engine shut down. I restarted the car the first time it happened and I attempted to drive and it shut down again. The last time it happened jan. 6 at 10:30 a.m. In houston when I was idling at a red light and the engine completely shut down. I was able to restart it and drive 348 miles without any further issues.”

    NHTSA complaint #11165894, filed 2019-01, 26,000 miles
  4. Electrical system

    Loss of electrical power / power steering assist

    • 10 complaints (12%)
    • median 46,500 mi at 4.7 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2017–2024

    Owners describe all electronics shutting down while driving, including power steering, with the steering becoming very hard to turn and the power steering light coming on. Some mention the vehicle would not restart until battery cables were moved, and others report the assist returning after a restart. Reported from around 39,000 miles up past 100,000 miles, sometimes on hot days.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check battery and ground cable condition and ask about any electrical or CAN-bus diagnostics. Note whether the power steering light has ever come on, and test steering assist at low speed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Twice now since 06/17/2017, my power steering on my 2015 Nissan Versa Note has gone out. The steering wheel became very hard to maneuver and the ps light came on. The first time was only for about an hour. It went out again yesterday, 08/13/2017 as I was pulling into wal-mart. Again, the ps light came on and was very hard to turn the wheel. This time it lasted well into this morning and only kicked back in as I pulled into the Nissan dealership in asheville, nc. I drove all the way from whittier, nc without power steering. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11015167, filed 2017-08, 46,500 miles

    “When driving the electric power steering began to malfunction in short periods of driving, making it very hard to drive safely. Until a few weeks later the whole unit stopped working and the power steering light came on. This made it hard to steer in high and low speeds. This put my car and others at risk in lane changing and during turns because of the seizing steering. Imagine if a person jumps out in front of the car and the brakes weren’t a viable option, I would not be able to swerve out of the way. Or run off the road. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11597151, filed 2024-06
  5. Vehicle speed control

    Accelerator pedal snagged by console trim

    • 5 complaints (6%)
    • median 67,000 mi at 3.7 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2016–2021

    Complaints describe the driver's foot catching on the center console trim or an HVAC actuator hanging down, delaying the move from accelerator to brake, and separately of the pedal sticking to the floor. One owner says the dealer declined a repair, noting the vehicle was not in the recall population. Reported at low mileage in several cases and up to about 78,000 miles.

    Recall 15V507000

    What to check: Sit in the driver's seat and move the foot from accelerator to brake, checking for trim or a relay/actuator that catches the shoe. Ask whether recall 15V507000 was performed on this vehicle.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Foot stuck on gas pedal. I have a 2015 Nissan Versa Note sr and since I've bought the car my foot has been getting caught on an HVAC relay actuator sticking down from the top. It's especially dangerous if I lift my foot off the gas to go to the brake but cant. I took it to the dealer who said my car isn't included in the most recent recalls and won't fix it. I was told to drive with my foot not so far up on the accelerator. This really is a dangerous problem for them to brush off.”

    NHTSA complaint #10930310, filed 2016-12, 9,500 miles

    “Speed control is way off doors won't stay closed back hatch unlatched on it's own full cooling fan went out stationary and in motion highway and town streets”

    NHTSA complaint #11340666, filed 2020-07, 90,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the CVT — a road test plus any transmission service history is worth more than mileage alone — and confirm the airbag and power steering lights behave correctly. Check that open recalls for the console trim and door latches have been completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 86 consumer complaints for the 2015 Nissan Versa Note. 54 of the complaints include a mileage, and 57% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 44,000 miles. Of all complaints, 8 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 163 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 2 Nissan Versa Note model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 50 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Wheels (6), Suspension (5), Fuel system (4), Exterior lighting (2), Lane departure (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Seat belts (1), Seats (1).

Example complaints

Other or unknown: “Driving my car I thought I had seen smoke or steam coming from my car, when I parked and got out I smelled burnt rubber, burnt brake smell and this time I could see smoke coming out from my left wheel, I took the car in next day, was told it was over spray on the underside causing the smoking and brakes were good, after that I would occasionally hear grinding noise from my brakes but the dealership said the brakes were good. …”

NHTSA complaint #10746899, filed 2015-08, 235 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “The transmissions are faulty. My original one broke at around 60k miles as I bought the car at 50k miles used. Then the refurbished one that was sent to replace it had shrapnel inside of it. The third one was put in my vehicle as a brand new transmission and broke within a month, the belt that is submerged in fluid was burned up. Then the fourth one was put in and within a year I am now getting this replaced again due to the same issue and this one was straight from Nissan brand new. On to transmission number 5.....”

NHTSA complaint #11300139, filed 2020-01, 63,000 miles

Electrical system: “Driving on highway, hot day temp on dash read 98 degrees. All electronics shut down, A/C shut down. Power steering shut down and was barely able to steer car to the side of the road. 3rd time this has happened and do not feel safe driving car especially now that I'm pregnant.”

NHTSA complaint #11222758, filed 2019-06, 113,000 miles

Engine: “When accelerating the car shuts off. When pulling into a parking lot the vehicle shut off. When pulling in driveway, up a slight hill, the vehicle shut off. The car shut off three times on 7/13/2020 on my 2015 Nissan Versa Note.”

NHTSA complaint #11339251, filed 2020-07, 45,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

57% of the 54 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 9,500 and 72,000 miles.

26%0–106%10–2526%25–5020%50–7515%75–1007%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (54 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 44,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’14’16’1818’20’22’24’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2015 Nissan Versa Note. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Versa Note · hatchback FWD★★★★☆3 / 2554 · 14.7% risk

Neighbouring years: 2014: same overall rating; 2016: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2015 Nissan Versa Note → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 163 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 163 bulletins →

Other model years of the Nissan Versa Note

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20171063,0002———Not enough data
20162941,45004—0 · FewerFalling
20158644,00024—50 · TypicalFalling
201413640,00034—75 · MoreFalling

All Nissan Versa Note model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2015 Nissan Versa Note?

Owners of this model year most often report CVT transmission trouble — slipping, lurching, delayed acceleration, or complete loss of drive — usually past 60,000 miles. The issues reported most often: CVT transmission slipping, lurching, or losing drive; Airbag warning light on / passenger seat not detected; Engine stalls or shuts off while driving.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2015 Nissan Versa Note have?

NHTSA recorded 86 consumer complaints for the 2015 Nissan Versa Note as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2015 Nissan Versa Note is reported most often?

Other or unknown is named most often, in 22 complaints (26% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain with 21.

Has the 2015 Nissan Versa Note been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2015 Nissan Versa Note do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2015 Nissan Versa Note 4 out of 5 stars overall. Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

At what mileage are problems with the 2015 Nissan Versa Note reported?

Among the 54 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 44,000 miles and the middle half falls between 9,500 and 72,000 miles; 57% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.