2008 Nissan Versa Powertrain (other) Problems

THE CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSIONS ON NISSANS ARE UNSAFE. FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, OUR NISSAN VERSA WOULD BRIEFLY LOSE POWER WHEN WE STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL, BUT IT ONLY HAPPENED OCCASIONALLY AND TEMPORARILY. THEN ON JULY 15, IT GOT MUCH WORSE. WE COULD BARELY DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE IT WOULD CONSTANTLY LOSE POWER. THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN WE STARTED THE CAR AND CONTINUED AS WE WERE TRYING TO DRIVE THE CAR A COUPLE OF BLOCKS ON THE CITY STREETS. I AM THANKFUL THAT WE WERE NOT ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE CAUSED A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. WE LEARNED LATER THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION AND THE CAR WAS TRYING TO START IN A HIGH GEAR INSTEAD OF A LOW GEAR. OUR 2008 NISSAN VERSA IS 6 WEEKS PAST THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION. DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE ARE BELOW THE MILEAGE REQUIREMENT OF THE WARRANTY AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS LIKELY BEEN GIVING US PROBLEMS FOR YEARS, NISSAN WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY. I BELIEVE NISSAN SHOULD BE ORDERING A RECALL ON THE CVT TECHNOLOGY, ESPECIALLY FOR THE OLDER MODELS. THEY KNOW THE TECHNOLOGY IS FLAWED AND UNSAFE, THAT'S WHY THEY CREATED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. BUT IF YOU'RE JUST OUT OF THAT WARRANTY PERIOD, THEY WON'T HELP YOU OUT AS A CONSUMER. IF THEY PUBLICIZED THE CVT PROBLEM AND ORDERED A RECALL, THEY WOULD PREVENT HAVING UNSAFE CARS ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ID

11112390

Incident

Jul 15, 2018

Mileage

111,000 mi

THERE WERE 3 RECALLS ON MY 2008 NISSAN VERSA. TWO WERE FOR AIRBAGS AND 1 WAS FOR FRONT COILS/SPRINGS. I WAS GIVEN A LOANER VEHICLE UNTIL PARTS WERE AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE REPAIRS. NISSAN HAD ME DRIVE MY VEHICLE IN TO GET SERVICED, KNOWING THAT IT WAS A HAZARD TO MY LIFE. ON THE WAY TO GET MY VEHICLE SERVICED ONE COULD HEAR A LOUD POP, THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER OPERATIONAL AND WAS AT THEN ENGULFED IN FLAMES.

NHTSA ID

11082431

Incident

Jan 29, 2018

Mileage

120,000 mi

I WAS INFORMED IN MAY 2016 OF THE AIRBAG RECALL AND NISSAN STILL DOES NOT HAVE THE PART TO REPAIR IT, THEY SAID JAN 2017. AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED IN THE VEHICLE AND NISSAN WANTS TO CHARGE 4600.00 TO FIX IT. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL MECHANICS AND NISSAN HAS HAD A TERRIBLE FAILURE RATE WITH THESE TO PARTS, ALSO THE FRONT COIL HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF A RECALL. IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA YOU HAVE TO PASS AN INSPECTION AND THAT WAS DUE IN MAY 2016 AND THE AIRBAG PARTS ARE NOT IN TILL 01/2019. I HAD TO SPEND MONEY OUT OF MY OWN POCKET TO HAVE THE CAR PASS INSPECTION IN ORDER FOR MY DAUGHTER TO DRIVE IT WITHOUT GETTING A MOVING VIOLATION FOR FAILED INSPECTION. NISSAN SAID THEY WOULD BE GLAD TO GIVE ME A DISCOUNT ONLY I PURCHASED A NEW VEHICLE- THAT IS UNJUST. *TR

NHTSA ID

10936258

Incident

Apr 1, 2016

Mileage

100,000 mi

THIS CAR WAS BROUGHT INTO THE SHOP WITH 120,807 MILES AND THE COMPLAINT WAS IT WOULD NOT GO. MANY TRANSMISSION CODES FOUND AND TRANSMISSION FLUID VERY BLACK IN COLOR. HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION DO TO THE FACT THAT NO ONE WILL REBUILD THIS CVT TRANSMISSION. A GOOD DESIGNED TRANSMISSION SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 121,000 MILES WITH WHAT THEY COST.

NHTSA ID

10871085

Incident

May 21, 2016

Mileage

120,807 mi

MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLE. CLUTCH PEDAL LINKAGE BROKE FROM CLUTCH THROW ROD UNDER THE DASH. THERE IS A PLASTIC COMPONENT THAT CONNECTS THE PEDAL TO THE LINKAGE AND IS ONLY HELD BY A BALL/SOCKET COMPRESSION FIT. AFTER FAILURE, CLUTCH CANNOT BE ENGAGED AND CAR WILL BE COMPLETELY INOPERABLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10669536

Incident

Jan 1, 2015

Mileage

127,300 mi

CVT TRANSMISSION IS MAKING A METAL RUBBING NOISE WHEN IN DRIVE AND IDLING. NISSAN DEALER CONFIRMED THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED AND EVENTUALLY THE CAR WILL NO LONGER ACCELERATE DUE TO CVT FAILURE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10544300

Incident

Apr 1, 2013

Mileage

118,000 mi

WHILE SITTING IN THE YARD WE HEARD A METAL CLANG SOUND COMING FROM ONE OF THE CARS. WE LOOKED BUT COULD NOT TELL WHICH CAR IT CAME FROM. LATER WHEN I STARTED TO DRIVE THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE SHREDDED. THIS WAS DUE TO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SPRING BEING BROKEN. WE LATER FOUND THE BROKEN PIECE WHERE THE CAR WAS PARKED. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 48,684 MOSTLY HIGHWAY MILES ON IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10523540

Incident

Jul 6, 2013

Mileage

48,684 mi

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 NISSAN VERSA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT PUTTING IT ON A COMPUTER WOULD BE A WASTE OF TIME AND ADVISED HER TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN REFUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT NO CAUSE FOR FAILURE WAS FOUND AND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CHANGED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. SIX MONTHS LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000. DT

NHTSA ID

10521890

Incident

Jun 26, 2012

Mileage

130,000 mi

I HAD TROUBLE SHIFTING CAR INTO PARK. DASH INDICATOR SAID IT WAS IN PARK . THEN I COULD NOT REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY. I THEN WIGGLED THE KEY IT CAME OUT. AS I WAS GETTING OUT OF THE CAR IT STARTED TO ROLL DOWN HILL. BROUGHT TO MY LOCAL SERVICE STATION AND THEY HAD FOUND THE SHIFTER TO HAVE A BROKEN PIECE OF PLASTIC IN IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10515508

Incident

Jun 5, 2013

Mileage

73,309 mi

THE CAR HAS BEGUN TO MAKE A LOUD METAL CLUNKING SOUND AT THE TOP RIGHT SUSPENSION AS WELL AS WHAT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE A GRINDING BUT NOT SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. I WAS GOING AROUND A CURVE AT THE TIME. THE SOUND GETS WORSE WHEN GOING DOWN A HILL CHANGING SPEEDS, SWITCHING LANES, ON POT HOLES OR AN UNEVEN SURFACE. I TOOK IT TO A FEW DIFFERENT PLACES AND COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM AT THE TIME. WHILE DRIVING WITH A MORE EXPERIENCED MECHANIC HE WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THE SOUND TO BE ISOLATED TO THE RIGHT STRUT AND THE LEFT INNER TIE ROD. HE SAID THAT THE STRUTS ARE USUALLY ONLY REPLACED ONCE IN A CARS LIFETIME SO I AM WONDERING WHY IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED SO SOON. I AM WRITING THE COMPLAINT BECAUSE I THINK THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE ALL ALONG. THE CAR NEEDS AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF REALIGNMENTS AND BRAKE REPLACEMENTS. WHEN I FIRST RECEIVED THE CAR THE ROTORS AND BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE SOMEHOW THEY HAD BEEN INSTALLED BACKWARDS. THE STEERING HAS ALWAYS FELT INSECURE AS WELL AS THE FEELING WHEN PRESSING THE GAS AND THE BRAKES. THE FEELING I HAVE NOW UNDER THE PEDALS WHEN THE SOUND OF THE STRUT MALFUNCTIONING ENGAGES I HAVE FELT ALL ALONG BUT NOT THIS INTENSELY. THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE WITH THE PARTS USED AS I HAVE SPOKEN TO SO MANY NISSAN OWNERS WHO REPORTED THE SAME ISSUE OF STEERING AND EXHAUST SYSTEM ISSUES ON NISSANS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10511566

Incident

Apr 5, 2013

Mileage

47,000 mi

REPLACED THE CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION ON 09/13/2011 AT 92524 MILES. APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS LATER MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING VEHICLE AND THE CAR STALLED. THE CAR WILL RUN BUT WHEN PUT IT IN GEAR IT WILL NOT GO ANYWHERE OR REV UP. THIS CAR HAS BEEN TO THREE MECHANICS INCLUDING NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE FOUND. NUMEROUS PARTS WERE CHANGED OUT BUT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. SOMETIMES IT WILL DRIVE FOR A SHORT DISTANCE (LESS THAN A BLOCK) AND THEN WILL BE UNMOVEABLE AGAIN. THIS CAR HAS BEEN UNDRIVABLE SINCE SEPTEMBER 2011. THEY ARE A HAZARD ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO THE FACT YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THEY ARE GOING TO SHUT DOWN. ALSO WE ARE PAYING FOR A CAR THAT IS UNDRIVABLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10451320

Incident

Sep 26, 2011

Mileage

93,934 mi

1ST...AFTER 25K MILES THE CAR BEGAN TO SHIFT ON ITS OWN IRREGULARLY, FINALLY AT 45K IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE CVT WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. IT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS COVERED IT ACTUALLY COST ME 1,800 FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. SECOND PROBLEM WAS A THUMPING NOISE AS I WENT OVER A BUMP IN THE FRONT END THAT WAS DIAGNOSED AS DAMAGED STRUTS AND THE SUB FRAME LINKS, THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY, AND WE ARE STUCK WITH THIS ONGOING FAULTY PROBLEM. IT IS GREATER THAN 4,000 TO FIX. *TR

NHTSA ID

10446928

Incident

Feb 2, 2009

Mileage

25,000 mi

THERE HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOUND IN SOME VERSA SLS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, RELATING TO THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM. IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT ON HOT DAYS, THIS SWITCH MAY MOVE, AND CAUSE THE HYDRAULIC CLUTCH TO DISENGAGE PREMATURELY. THIS PROBLEM CAN BE DANGEROUS IF IT OCCURS IN A REMOTE AREA OR ON A HEAVILY TRAFFICKED ROAD. THIS PROBLEM WILL SEVERELY COMPROMISE YOUR VEHICLES ABILITY TO MOVE, AND YOUR CAR MAY END UP DISABLED OR POSSIBLY WITH A BURNED OUT CLUTCH IF YOU IGNORE IT. THERE SEEMS TO BE A GROWING TREND WITH CLUTCH PROBLEMS IN NISSAN VERSA'S RANGING FROM MILEAGE OF 168 AND UP. NISSAN FAILS TO RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10383816

Incident

Feb 9, 2011

Mileage

57,000 mi

FRONT AXLES "CLICK" WHEN MAKING TURNS. CVT TRANSMISSION CUTS OUT OR STALLS WHEN MAKING TURNS AND/OR ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. OCCURRENCE IS 3-5 X WEEKLY. I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE 9-10 TIMES. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE FRONT AXLES AND TRANSMISSION WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10275867

Incident

Feb 12, 2009

Mileage

5,000 mi