2011 Nissan Versa Electrical System Problems

Driver door handle will not open from inside car at times. The exterior handle locking mechanism gets stuck not allowing the door to open from the inside. When this happens, I need to roll down the window to reach outside and jiggle the exterior door handle in order to be able to open the door from inside the car. This poses a serious safety hazard of the driver not being able to exit the vehicle in an emergency. This is a common issue with the Nissan Versa car on many car forums online. I believe there was a recall issued for newer model cars, but not the 2011 year.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 NISSAN VERSA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS IN TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY, THE HORN FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT, DUE TO THE AIR BAG, THE HORN FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V449000 AND 16V349000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,012.

STARTING ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS AGO MY WIFE WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE A/C NOT WORKING PROPRTLY. THEN ABOUT A WEEK AGO WHEN YOU TURN THE ALARM ON THE HORN WOULD NOT BEEP LETTING YOU KNOW IT WAS ARMED. YESTERDAY WHEN I WENT OUT TO START THE CAR TO GO TO WORK NOTHING WORKED OR CAME ON. MY WIFE BROUGHT HER VEHICLE OVER TO JUMP START IT. AS SOON AS THE JUMPER CABLES WERE HOOKED UP THE BATTERY ON THE VERSA EXPLODED AND THERE WAS ALOT OF SMOKE. NOW THE CAR IS JUST SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY CANT EVEN GET IT OUT OF GEAR TO MOVE IT. EVEN IF IT GETS FIXED MY WIFE IS NOW AFFRAID TO PUT OUR 2 YEAR OLD SON, HERSELF OR ME IN IT TO DRIVE ANYWHERE. YOU CAN STILL SMELL THE BURNT SMELL FROM UNDER THE HOOD

THE MATERIAL WHERE MY ARM REST THAT HAS THE CONTROLS FOR MY WINDOWS AND DOOR LOCKS, ON DRIVER SIDE, FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, AND BACK PASSENGER SIDE IS COMING APART. MY SLEEVES GET CAUGHT SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE IT HAS GOTTEN SO BAD.

THIS MORNING, MY CAR WOULD NOT START. I USED A BATTERY CHARGER PACK, AND IT STARTED. HOWEVER, AFTER DRIVING 3 MILES TO THE LOCAL AUTO ZONE CAR STORE TO CONDUCT A FREE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR TEST, THE CAR STALLED OUT. AFTER USING THE BATTERY PACK TO JUMP START IT AGAIN, THEIR BATTER/ALTERNATOR CHECK MACHINE CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR. IT IS 1/19/2015 AND THE CAR IS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION 2011 NISSAN VERSA WITH 33,000 MILES ON IT; THERE ARE NO MODIFICATIONS ON IT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE ALTERNATOR HAS STOPPED WORKING AFTER ONLY 33,000 MILES WHEN THE AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF NISSAN FACTORY ALTERNATORS TEND TO LAST TO OVER 100,000 MILES. *TR

DROVE CAR TO STORE, CAME BACK OUTSIDE AND CAR WOULD NOT START, ONLY A FEW INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. JUMP STARTED THE CAR IT STARTED RIGHT AWAY, TURNED ON THE HEADLIGHTS AND CAR INSTANTLY STOPPED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. *TR

THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO GO ON AND OFF AS WELL AS A KNOCKING SOUND HAD DEVELOPED. WE HAD OUR SON, WHO HAD ATTENDED SCHOOL TO BECOME A MECHANIC, CHECKED IT LOOKING AT THE OIL LEVEL. THE OIL WAS ABOUT A QUART LOW AND HE ADVISED US TO TAKE IT TO CARMAX WHERE WE HAD PURCHASED THE CAR. AFTER TWO DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND AN OIL CHANGE AT $140.00, MY HUSBAND WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. IT IS BURNING OIL AND IS BEING EMITTED OUT THE EXHAUST AND HAS EXCESSIVE ENGINE BLOW BY. WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY MAXCARE, CARMAX'S WARRANTY COMPANY, THAT IN ORDER TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND DETERMINE IF IT IS COVERED BY WARRANTY WE HAVE TO PAY ANOTHER $400.00 TO HAVE THE ENGINE TORN DOWN WITH NO GUARANTEE REPAIRS WILL BE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY THE ANOTHER $400.00 TO PUT IT BACK TOGETHER IF IT IS NOT FIXED. ALSO, AT LEAST 3 TIMES WHEN THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO TURN ON AND OFF THE VERSA STALLED WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. WE ALSO COMPLAINED TO CARMAX THAT THE CHECK TIRES INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD GO ON AND OFF CAUSING US TO CONSTANTLY STOP TO CHECK THE PRESSURE AND OFTEN IT WAS OK. CARMAX OFFERED TO RUN ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR MORE MONEY TO TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. BOTH PROBLEMS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE IN THE FUTURE AND IT SEEMS THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT REPAIRED IS TO PAY OUT OF OUR POCKET. *TR

MY CAR THAT I BOUGHT IN 2011 BRAND NEW HAS CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING EVERY OTHER MONTH . IT IS VERY RANDOM AND NO LIGHTS COME ON IN THE CAR. THE LAST TIME MY WIFE WAS DRIVING 35 MPH ON A HIGHWAY AND SHE HAD TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND START IT BACK AGAIN. I HAVE BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE NEAREST NISSAN DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY HAVE DRIVEN IT OVER 140 MILES, SCANNED 4 TIMES FOR FAILURES IN WHICH NONE CAME UP. I COMPLAINED TO THE NISSAN CORPORATION AND THEY SAY ONLY WAIT UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN AND BRING IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THIS HAS HAPPENED A TOTAL OF 6 TIMES WHILE DRIVING IN THE PAST YEAR. MY CAR HAS ALSO NOT CRANKED UP FOR A TOTAL 10 MINUTES AT A TIME. THIS HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST 15 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY CAR. THEY LEAVE ME WITH NO OTHER OPTION THAN TO DRIVE IT AND WAIT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT (WITH A HERTZ RENTAL CAR IN KAUAI HAWAII) AND SWITCHING BETWEEN HIGH BEAM AND LOW BEAM AND TRAVELING AT 40 MPH ALL THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF. THE STALK MOUNTED SWITCH CONTROLS BOTH HEADLIGHT ON/OFF (ROTARY MOTION) AND HIGH BEAM-LOW BEAM WITH BACK AND FORTH STALK MOTION. AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND SUCCESSFULLY USING THE HIGH-BEAM LOW BEAM SELECTOR OFTEN, ON THE NEXT CHANGE BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW BEAM THE ROTARY MOTION OF THE KNOB ALSO ENGAGED AND TURNED THE HEADLIGHTS OFF. I HAVE SIMILAR CONTROLS ON MY CAR AT HOME AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED. THE ROTARY MOTION OF THE ON / OFF KNOB REQUIRES JUST A VERY LIGHT TWIST AND THE IN-OUT MOTION NEEDED TO CHANGE BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW BEAM ALSO TWISTED THE OFF SWITCH. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A HALT WITH THE BRAKES AND STAY ON THE ROAD. IT WAS VERY SCARY AND VERY FRIGHTENING TO BRAKE FROM 40 MPH IN THE PITCH DARK NOT KNOWING IF THE NEXT INSTANT WAS TO BRING A CRASH. MY WIFE WAS ALSO VERY SHOOK UP. AFTER I STOPPED I FIGURED OUT WHAT HAPPENED. IT WAS PITCH BLACK OUTSIDE WITH NO STREET LIGHTS. THIS CAN KILL SOMEONE!! THE FLUTED SURFACE OF THE ON/OFF KNOB EXACERBATES THE PROBLEM AND MAKES IT EASIER FOR A LIGHT BRUSH WITH A FINGER TIP TO TURN THE KNOB AND HEADLIGHTS OFF. THE VIN I COPIED FROM THE LIHUE AIRPORT HERTZ RECEIPT FOR THE RENTAL. LICENSE NUMBER WAS [XXX], HAWAII .IT WAS A RED COLOR CAR WITH AUTOMATIC SHIFT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER CAUSE THE FIX MY AIRBAG RECALL BUT WHEN I GOT MY CAR BACK MY HORN STOP WORKING IT WAS WORKING WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO THEM THEN I WENT BACK THE THIRD TIME CAUSE THE AIRBAGS LIGHT CAME BACK ON NOW THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME FOR WHAT THEY DID IM I RESPONSIBLE TO FIX MY REPAIR