The most common problems seen in the 2011 Nissan Versa deal with the airbags, with more than half of all complaints. That said, the suspension, engine, and electrical systems have also faced criticism from disgruntled drivers.

The Nissan Versa is an unshowy but practical entry into the bargain car market. It’s one of the cheapest cars you can buy in the United States, but it still manages to be simple, spacious, and comfortable. It’s not especially attractive and lacks any real excitement in its driving performance, but does its price tag also mean that it comes with any serious issues?

Here to break down everything that’s wrong with the 2011 Nissan Versa—from shortcomings in the lineup to the most common mechanical faults reported by actual drivers—is

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The most common 2011 Nissan Versa problems

So does the low price tag of the 2011 Versa mean you’ll be sacrificing in key areas like safety? Unfortunately, the two stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for overall safety suggests that might be the case. Breaking that down, it received three stars for the front in the event of a crash, two stars for the side, and four stars for rollover resistance.

A rating of two stars out of five isn’t great news for the Versa’s safety, but what other issues does this model have that should offer more causes for concern?

The NHTSA has received 258 complaints about the 2011 Nissan Versa. This is considerably more than Versa models from recent years, but far less than the 466 complaints for the 2012 model.

But there seems to be a common theme in these complaints, with 145 of them (that’s 56%) focusing on the airbags. Some of these relate to the potentially dangerous and harmful situation of airbags deploying for no reason, while most of the rest relate to issues with warning lights being improperly displayed.

Airbags are an important safety feature in a vehicle, so these issues area major concern, particularly as they seem so common with this model of the Versa.

The next most frequent complaint is about the suspension, with 43 people having issues with coil springs in particular. Other common issues are around the car’s electrical system, whether it’s a burning smell or electrical components simply not working at times. The engine is also an area of concern for several Versa owners.

Other common problems with the 2011 Versa include:

Headlights failing

Seat belts locking up

Brakes not stopping the car

Poor exterior lighting

Power steering not working

These might seem more like little problems than major issues, but any of them could potentially either lead to a crash or make a crash more dangerous.

There have been seven formal recalls of the 2011 Nissan Versa. Six of them—perhaps unsurprisingly—were to do with issues relating to the airbags. These recalls were primarily because of the risk of the inflator exploding, potentially resulting in sharp metal fragments hitting people in the car.

The other recall was due to the front coil springs corroding, potentially causing a crash by fracturing and puncturing tires.

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Is the 2011 Nissan Versa reliable?

Despite these problems, the 2011 Nissan Versa has generally good reliability scores, including a 4/5 from RepairPal. J.D. Power rates it as 76/100 for overall reliability and 75/100 for quality. This places it fifth in the overall ratings for small cars from 2011, behind rivals like the

Toyota Yaris

, the

Honda Fit

, and the

Kia Rio

The average annual cost of 2011 Nissan Versa repairs is approximately $418, putting it at the more affordable end of the Versas in recent years.

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How to simplify car insurance shopping (and still optimize coverage!)

The 2011 Nissan Versa can have its issues with safety and reliability, but some would argue that its price tag makes it an attractive option anyway. If you’re inclined to buy a Nissan Versa, you probably like to get the best deal—and you’ll love

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