I bought a 2007 Nissan Versa SL about 18 months ago - the car was declared a “Lemon” (for a persistant engine idoling problem) in NY, the problem was fixed by Nissan and put on sale in MN. However, since I bought the car I have had problem after problem and I’m wondering if the car is cursed or if I made a HUGE mistake buying this car? None of the issues I’ve had since I bought the car have been related to the issue that caused it to be declared a lemon and everything has been covered under warrenty. But, that won’t last forever and I can’t afford monthly trips to the dealership once the warrenty is up.
Since I bought the car, I have had the following problems:
- Sunroof came off it’s track - 1 trip to diagnose and fix.
- Sunroof leaked after being fixed, required 5 trips to diagnose and fix the problem.
- HVAC fan wouldn’t work, 3 trips to diagnose and finally fix.
- Gas Door release broke, 1 trip to diagnose and fix.
- And just today, the “Service Engine Soon” light came on. Not yet taken it in for diagnostics.
I’ve not heard anyone else have this many issues with a Nissan Versa. Can I make any assumptions about the future of this car based off the LEMON diagnosis and my history with it? I thought I was getting a good deal and figured if anything came up i had the paperwork and could pursue any action necessary if the same issue arose with the engine. However, all the problems I’ve had with the car have been annoyingly random and unrelated.
Any thoughts or advice? Is my dealership run by morons? Should I try to sell it while it still is warrented or do something else?
For a 2007 that is quite a few problems.
I think you some bad service folks with this one. It sounds like a dealer problem more than car problem. Sunroof problems are interrelated not two seperate ones. HVAC fan failure is just bad luck, 3 trips is ridiculous. Gas release is bad luck.
If you are unhappy with the car besides the issues sell it. Happy keep it and find an independent garage to service it once the warranty expires.
It has had a bad start to its life but no way of predicting the future.
Well, if you bought a car you knew had been declared a “lemon,” what did you expect?
I’d sell or trade this before the warranty runs out, because after that any repairs are on you.
For some reason CR rates the hatchback Versa “below average” for reliability, but the sedan gets a better rating. Don’t know why. Which is yours?
I expected (and had paperwork stating) that the issue had been fixed and the car was ok - perhaps niavely. It’s a hatchback, CVT.
The Versa has its good points and its bad points.
On a positive note, it is roomier than the better-known Toyota Yaris, it rides much better than the Yaris, and the interior is far more comfortable and luxurious than that of the Yaris.
On a negative note, the Versa has the worst reliability of the small economy cars, according to Consumer Reports. That is not to say that it is an unreliable car, but merely that it is “average” to “worse than average” in reliability, as compared to cars like the Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent (both “better than average”) and the Yaris (“MUCH better than average”).
The chief problem areas on the Versa are Power Equipment and the Fuel System, which would seem to coincide with your car’s past and present problems. You might want to consider trading it in on a Fit or an Accent, but you will take a major hit in the value of the car upon trade in.
You rolled the dice and you took your risk. I would say it wasn’t worth the risk, and I think you should dump this lemon before the warranty runs out.
When you bought this car, how did you determine why it was declared a lemon? How did you determine there weren’t other issues involved? How did you determine the vehicle had been fixed? Please don’t tell me you took the salesperson’s word for it.
Before you bought this used vehicle that had been previously declared a lemon, what did your mechanic say about its overall condition? You did have the car inspected by your mechanic before you signed the papers, didn’t you? That is so important for used cars, and I think it would be a no-brainer for one that had been previously declared a lemon.
You didn’t have an inordinate number of problems. You just had poor service. This is a dealer fault, more than a car fault. Could you find another dealer?
Paperwork was given to me from the state of NY declairing the issue, the lemon label, and the repair work that was done. Certified by nissan and the state. But again, none of the issues I’ve had have been related to the issue that caused the car to be declaired a lemon.
The vehicle was in fine working order when I had it checked out - the more i read here the more i feel like I’ve just got some dim-wit mechanics.
That “service engine soon” light is probably nothing to worry about. I believe it comes on after a certain amount of miles, and should be reset by your service provider. There is probably no need to get it checked out if you are current on maintenance. They probably just forgot to reset the light when it was last serviced. Check your owner’s manual to confirm I am right and, if necessary reset it yourself.
I have never liked sun roofs. Eventually, most leak or malfunction, and they are not usually worth the loss in head room.
Maybe your car was assembled on a Friday afternoon by distracted workers? I don’t blame your mechanics for the emergence of all these problems. Even if you switch mechanics, I believe this car will give you one problem after another for the rest of its life.
The fact that none of these issues seem related points to the car as the problem. Once everything is working as it should, I would dump it quickly before something else breaks.
To others, these don’t sound like an inordinate number of problems, but I don’t agree. I would normally expect one or two problems during the warranty period, not four.
The Service Engine Soon light is just a reminder that you’re due for an oil change.
However, you say the car was declared a “lemon” in NY and shipped (probably auctioned) to be sold in MN? My impression is that you knew you were taking a risk when you bought it and may have lost on this one.
Whether it’s worth keeping ir not is a tough call. None of the issues you listed has anything to do with the drivetrain, chassis, or safety related systems (such as brakes or steering). They’re all simply nuisance problems. You didn’t say what earned it a “lemon” rating, however. That, to me, or any problem related to drivetrain syspension or safety, would be the moment I’d get rid of it.