My 2020 Nissan versa kept hesitating when being put in reverse the engine light kept coming on every few months I kept being told it was other issues until the transmission went out. I got it checked on multiple occasions because of the way it was hesitating and seemed like it was heating up.
2020 Nissan Versa: check engine light
11 of the 64 complaints about the 2020 Nissan Versa describe check engine light.
- owner complaints
- 11
- of this car's complaints
- 17%
- recalls
- 0
Check engine light by model year
What owners say
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle unexpectedly jerked and stalled with the transmission warning light and the malfunction indicator warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 155,146.
I have had this happen numerous times in my car for absolutely no reason. I also just got my cars state inspection and nothing was noted, while other things unrelated to this issue were recommended by the mechanic. The car will start to stall in reverse AND in regular driving mode. Most recently it will come up with see manufacturers manual, and my engine light, traction control and crash sensors will appear on my dash board. Shutting the car on and off doesn't change the issue. Also this will happen sporadically sometime with check lights on and sometimes it's random and resolves itself. This is extremely dangerous when you're trying to drive and your car won't get "unstuck" and then randomly goes full speed. I drive 5,000 miles a year so I'm not using the car that hard.
I am reporting a chronic and dangerous defect in my 2020 Nissan Versa that results in an unpredictable, sudden, and complete loss of acceleration (motive power) while driving. This defect has been present since shortly after purchase and remains unresolved, posing a severe safety risk on public roads. Specific Safety Incident Details: Symptoms: The failure begins with the illumination of the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light), simultaneously accompanied by dashboard messages like "Malfunction See Owner’s Manual" and "Key System Error." The Critical Safety Hazard (Loss of Power): Immediately following the dash warning, the vehicle experiences a major, sudden loss of acceleration. This is not a gradual deceleration—the throttle becomes unresponsive, and the vehicle will not accelerate for approximately 4 to 5 seconds. Driving Conditions: This failure occurs randomly, including during critical maneuvers such as accelerating from a stop, merging into traffic, or attempting to accelerate on a highway. Consequence: When the vehicle unexpectedly fails to accelerate (especially in high-speed or high-traffic situations), it creates a high risk of being struck from behind or being unable to clear an intersection or merging lane safely. Initial Report (In-Warranty): The problem was first reported on March 31, 2021 (Mileage 25,404) to Central Houston Nissan (Invoice # NICS309560) and again on July 29, 2021 (Mileage 32,229) to Sterling McCall Nissan (Invoice # 2373806). Engineering Investigation: On both occasions, the dealerships specifically noted that the issue (DTC P0101 and associated warnings/power loss) was "under investigation under Nissan Engineers." Technical Service Bulletin (TSB): Nissan has acknowledged this widespread issue by releasing TSB NTB21-049 (June 8, 2021), which addresses the "MIL ON WITH DTC P0101" for the 2020-2021 Versa model.
Car runs rough at idle and has difficulty accelerating. Check engine lights comes on intermittently. CODE p0101 points at MAF sensor. Replaced multiple times. Cleaned air system, ie filter, hoses and throttle body. Same issues. Car feels unpredictable and unsafe. Can’t accelerate through intersections and does not respond well went issue is present.
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the Chevrolet dealer where the vehicle was purchased, and the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Versa. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that while driving 40 MPH or exceeding 40 MPH, the vehicle started jerking abnormally. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I’ve read other other complaints about this make/ model car and my car does ALL of those things. First the acceleration at Rand times my car will not accelerate whether it be pulling out of a parking space, sitting at a red light, making a turn etc. have took to a mechanic because this issue and my check engine light was on due to the mass air flow sensor or filter got that fixed and car still does the same thing. Second when playing music through Bluetooth the radio just randomly restarts after playing approx 3 songs. Next the forward and back collision , abs system lights make an appearance on the dash whenever they feel like it. The emergency breaking system forward and back breaks for me when nothing is behind my car or I’m a great deal behind another car. The car now cuts off while driving. My passenger side door does not lock when pressed on the key fob with all of the other doors. The remote start does not work AT ALL. The trunk does not open when pressed on the key fob either. The lighter port does not have any power. I did buy this car used for being 5 years old and having 71,000 miles I thought that I was getting a somewhat decent deal but that is not the case, I do not feel safe in this car nor do I get to enjoy any of the features of “having a newer car”.
I am not sure which component or system is failing neither does Nissan however it is available for inspection. This vehicle will stall in traffic starting at high speeds and it fails to accelerate while driving which’s puts my safety and other drivers at risk. The dealership has not been able to properly diagnose or repair this ongoing problem. This problem has persisted for 2 years. It has only been inspected by the dealer ship at two different locations. Of the seven times it has been to the shop only one time the check engine light came on. No other lights have ever been ignited on the dashboard.
CVT Shudders Jolts and grinds on stop and go traffic to the point where it feels like it’s going to destroy itself. The symptom occurs at very random occasions and the cars onboard diagnostics has failed to detect a problem with the vehicle. Vehicle had also turned off once suddenly when pressing accelerator from a complete stop(Has not happened ever since). Vehicle has no check engine codes or pending codes. Nissan Consumer affairs has failed to offer a resolution to this issue to my satisfaction other than pay out of pocket for diagnosing and repairing. Issues presented themselves prior to the warranty expiring and are only getting worse. Of course the dealer said it’s normal and most likely did not notate my concern (started happening very slightly and no check engine lights were on at the time of notifying them and even then it was a very random issue at that time) when I told them during my oil change. But now it’s too noticeable.
Check engine light came on went and got a diagnostics and P2859 and when i looked it up on google Nissan has had recalls in the past on the same thing
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2020 Nissan Versa check engine light
Is check engine light a common problem on the 2020 Nissan Versa?
11 of 64 owner complaints about the 2020 Nissan Versa (17%) mention check engine light. The model year with the most reports is 2012.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2020 Nissan Versa?
There are 0 recalls and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
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