Is the Honda Civic more reliable than the Nissan Versa?

Slightly, yes. The Civic costs less to repair, at $368 a year against $456, and it averages 0.2 unscheduled shop visits a year against 0.4. The Civic also has many more owner complaints, so the edge is narrow. Both stand as good, and the chance of a major repair is 10% for each.

Which has more recalls, the Civic or the Versa?

The Civic has more. Federal recall records show 37 recalls across 9 Civic model years and 11 across 5 Versa model years. The Civic also covers more model years in this comparison. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Which is cheaper to repair, the Civic or the Versa?

The Civic. Independent repair-cost data estimates $368 a year for it and $456 for the Versa. Over five years that is about $440 less. The Civic also needs fewer unscheduled shop visits, and the chance that a repair is major is 10% for both cars.

What is the main problem with the Nissan Versa?

The CVT is the main one. Owners report sudden loss of forward drive, with the engine revving and the car not moving, often with no warning light. Others describe delayed engagement pulling away from stops and a sudden kick into gear. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault, so many cars leave unrepaired.

What goes wrong with the Honda Civic steering?

Owners describe a wheel that turns stiff, sticky, or notchy, mostly at highway speeds during small lane corrections. It resists, then breaks free and overshoots, and some say it worsens after 10 to 30 minutes of driving. Steering has the most complaints of any Civic problem area, with 58 crash-linked.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda Civic vs Nissan Versa: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Honda Civic

Good

Nissan Versa

Good

Between the Honda Civic and Nissan Versa, the Civic has a slight reliability edge, thanks to lower yearly repair costs and half the shop visits. The Versa draws far fewer owner complaints, but its CVT can lose drive without warning. Here is what to check on each.

How Do the Honda Civic and Nissan Versa Generations Compare?

Shoppers looking at 2018 through 2021 are looking at tenth-generation Civics, a design that ran from 2016 to 2021. The eleventh generation began in 2022, and that first year ranks among the Civic's weakest. For the Versa, the second generation (N17) ran through 2019, and the third generation (N18) began in 2019 and ran through 2023. A refresh arrived in 2024, and that year ranks among the Versa's weakest. The 2020 model, from the middle of the third generation, is also weak, while 2021 is one of its strongest.

Verdict

The Honda Civic is more reliable than the Nissan Versa, scoring 78/100 vs 76/100.

Slight edge to the Civic. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $368 a year against $456 for the Versa, and it needs about half as many unscheduled shop visits. The chance that a repair is major is the same, 10%. The Civic draws far more owner complaints, both in total and per vehicle sold, so the lead is narrow. Both cars stand as good, and the gap comes down to cost and shop time, not to a clean record.

Key Differences

1Honda Civic costs $88 less per year to repair
2Nissan Versa has 26 fewer total recalls
3Nissan Versa has 3.3 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

3Honda Civic

—

2Nissan Versa

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Honda Civic vs Nissan Versa: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda Civic vs Nissan Versa at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Honda Civic	Nissan Versa
Reliability Score	78/100	76/100
Years Tracked	9	5
Total Recalls	37	11
Complaints per 10k Sold	4.8	1.5
Annual Repair Cost	$368/yr	$456/yr
Repair Frequency	0.2/yr	0.4/yr
Major Repair Risk	10%	10%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2025 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	4	1

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda Civic and Nissan Versa?

Steering marks the biggest split. Civic owners describe a wheel that turns stiff or notchy on the highway, then breaks free and overshoots, with 58 crash-linked reports. Fuel pump failures bring sudden power loss and stalling, and many owners report long dealer waits for parts. Versa owners describe the CVT suddenly losing forward drive with the engine revving, often with no warning light. Dealers often cannot reproduce it. Steering is not among the Versa's main problem areas, while the Civic has crash-linked reports in steering, fuel, electrical and air bags. The Versa's crash-linked reports sit mostly in air bags.

Honda Civic vs Nissan Versa common problem areas comparison
Component	Honda Civic	Nissan Versa
STEERING	2.5Low	—None
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.3Very Low	0.2Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.3Very Low	0.2Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.1Very Low	0.4Very Low
ENGINE	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	0.3Very Low	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.2Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.1Very Low	—None
SERVICE BRAKES	0.1Very Low	—None
STRUCTURE	—None	—None
SEATS	—None	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
WHEELS	—None	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
PARKING BRAKE	—None	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda Civic or Nissan Versa?

A lower bill favors the Civic. Independent repair-cost data estimates $368 a year for it and $456 for the Versa, a gap of $88 a year, or $440 over five years. The Civic also averages 0.2 unscheduled shop visits a year, half the Versa's 0.4. Neither car has an advantage on severity, since the chance that a repair is major is 10% for both.

How Does Honda Civic vs Nissan Versa Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda Civic vs Nissan Versa year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Honda Civic	Nissan Versa	Edge
2025	84/1005R / 49C	81/1000R / 9C	Honda Civic
2024	81/1005R / 131C	73/1001R / 91C	Honda Civic
2021	81/1003R / 118C	77/1003R / 29C	Honda Civic
2020	78/1008R / 405C	74/1002R / 60C	Honda Civic
2018	71/1004R / 605C	76/1005R / 55C	Nissan Versa

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Honda Civic scored 81/100 and the 2021 Nissan Versa scored 77/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Honda Civic vs the Nissan Versa?

Pick the Civic if you want lower running costs and fewer trips to the shop. It averages 0.2 unscheduled visits a year against 0.4 for the Versa. Target the 2019 to 2021 years from the tenth generation. Steer clear of 2022 and 2018, the two weakest years. Before you buy, ask the seller whether every open recall repair is done, and test the steering on a long highway drive, since owners say the stiffness grows the longer they drive. Pick the Versa if a low complaint count matters most to you. It has far fewer filings per vehicle sold. Look at 2021, one of its strongest years. Avoid 2024 and 2020, its weakest. The 2025 model year looks strong, but it has had little time to collect complaints, so do not treat it as proven. On any test drive, pull away from several stops and listen for delayed engagement or whining. Those are the CVT symptoms owners report, and dealers often cannot reproduce them later.

Honda Civic vs Nissan Versa: Common Questions

Is the Honda Civic more reliable than the Nissan Versa?: Slightly, yes. The Civic costs less to repair, at $368 a year against $456, and it averages 0.2 unscheduled shop visits a year against 0.4. The Civic also has many more owner complaints, so the edge is narrow. Both stand as good, and the chance of a major repair is 10% for each.
Which has more recalls, the Civic or the Versa?: The Civic has more. Federal recall records show 37 recalls across 9 Civic model years and 11 across 5 Versa model years. The Civic also covers more model years in this comparison. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.
Which is cheaper to repair, the Civic or the Versa?: The Civic. Independent repair-cost data estimates $368 a year for it and $456 for the Versa. Over five years that is about $440 less. The Civic also needs fewer unscheduled shop visits, and the chance that a repair is major is 10% for both cars.
What is the main problem with the Nissan Versa?: The CVT is the main one. Owners report sudden loss of forward drive, with the engine revving and the car not moving, often with no warning light. Others describe delayed engagement pulling away from stops and a sudden kick into gear. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault, so many cars leave unrepaired.
What goes wrong with the Honda Civic steering?: Owners describe a wheel that turns stiff, sticky, or notchy, mostly at highway speeds during small lane corrections. It resists, then breaks free and overshoots, and some say it worsens after 10 to 30 minutes of driving. Steering has the most complaints of any Civic problem area, with 58 crash-linked.

More Honda Civic comparisons

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More Nissan Versa comparisons

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Decided between Honda Civic and Nissan Versa? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Honda Civic and Nissan Versa

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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