Is the Hyundai Elantra more reliable than the Nissan Versa?

Yes, but only slightly. The Elantra has the higher standing, fewer unscheduled shop visits at 0.3 a year versus 0.4, and a 9% chance of a major repair versus 10%. It also has many more owner complaints per car sold, so the lead is narrow.

Which has more recalls, the Elantra or the Versa?

The Elantra. Federal recall records show 33 recalls across 9 model years for the Elantra and 11 across 5 model years for the Versa. The Elantra also covers more model years here, so the totals are not a direct like-for-like count.

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

They cost almost the same. Independent repair-cost data puts the Elantra at $452 a year and the Versa at $456. Over five years that is roughly $20 in the Elantra's favor, which is too small to drive a buying decision.

What goes wrong with the Nissan Versa transmission?

Owners describe the CVT suddenly losing forward drive, with the engine revving and the car not moving, often with no warning light. Others report delayed engagement from a stop, then a kick into gear. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault, so many cars leave unrepaired.

Do Elantra engines have a known oil problem?

Owner complaints center on oil burning with no visible leak, often starting between 20,000 and 27,000 miles. Ticking, power loss, and seizure can follow. Many owners cite engine recall 21V301 and say dealers refused coverage, so confirm recall work is complete before buying.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Hyundai Elantra vs Nissan Versa: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Hyundai Elantra

Excellent

Nissan Versa

Good

Reliability favors the Hyundai Elantra over the Nissan Versa, but only slightly. Fewer shop visits decide it, despite more complaints. The Versa's CVT drive loss and the Elantra's engine and transmission failures are the issues to weigh.

How Do the Hyundai Elantra and Nissan Versa Generations Compare?

A sixth-generation (AD) Elantra covered 2017 to 2020 and received a facelift for 2019. The seventh generation (CN7) began in 2021, with a facelift marked for 2024. Its two weakest years, 2020 and 2022, sit on either side of that 2021 changeover. For the Versa, the second generation (N17) ran through 2019, so a 2018 is the older design. The third generation (N18) began in 2019 and received a model year refresh for 2024, and 2024 is one of the Versa's weakest years. A 2020 or later Versa is an N18.

Verdict

The Hyundai Elantra is more reliable than the Nissan Versa, scoring 80/100 vs 76/100.

A slight edge goes to the Elantra. Independent repair-cost data shows fewer unscheduled shop visits and a marginally lower chance that a repair is major, and yearly repair cost is nearly identical. Owner complaints point the other way: the Elantra draws far more per car sold, and its engine and transmission failures are severe. The Versa has a much thinner complaint record, so the gap is narrow and depends on whether you weigh repair data or complaint volume more heavily.

Key Differences

1Nissan Versa has 22 fewer total recalls
2Hyundai Elantra scores 4 points higher in reliability
3Hyundai Elantra costs $4 less per year to repair

Category Scoreboard

4Hyundai Elantra

—

2Nissan Versa

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Hyundai Elantra vs Nissan Versa: Which Is More Reliable?

Hyundai Elantra vs Nissan Versa at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Hyundai Elantra	Nissan Versa
Reliability Score	80/100	76/100
Years Tracked	9	5
Total Recalls	33	11
Complaints per 10k Sold	3.7	1.5
Annual Repair Cost	$452/yr	$456/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.4/yr
Major Repair Risk	9%	10%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2025 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	2 (1 tied)	2 (1 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the Hyundai Elantra and Nissan Versa?

Severity separates these two more than anything else. Elantra owners report engines that burn oil with no visible leak, then tick, lose power, or seize, plus transmissions that stop delivering power, sometimes within the first 8,000 miles. Its steering area has 12 crash-linked complaints, and its electrical area has 6, including flickering high beams. The Versa's main issue is the CVT, which can lose forward drive with the engine revving and often no warning light. Its electrical complaints, mostly fuel gauge errors, have no crash links. Air bags is a crash-linked area for the Versa that is not among the Elantra's main problem areas.

Hyundai Elantra vs Nissan Versa common problem areas comparison
Component	Hyundai Elantra	Nissan Versa
ENGINE	0.8Very Low	0.2Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.6Very Low	0.2Very Low
POWER TRAIN	0.4Very Low	0.4Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.5Very Low	0.2Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	0.2Very Low	—None
STEERING	0.2Very Low	—None
SEAT BELTS	0.2Very Low	—None
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.1Very Low	—None
SERVICE BRAKES	0.1Very Low	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	0.1Very Low	—None
STRUCTURE	—None	—None
VISIBILITY	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	—None
WHEELS	—None	—None

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

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Hyundai Elantra or Nissan Versa?

Repair cost does not separate these two. Independent repair-cost data puts the Elantra at $452 a year and the Versa at $456, a gap of $4 a year, or about $20 over five years. The Elantra needs 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year against 0.4 for the Versa. Its chance of a major repair is 9%, versus 10%. Those small differences favor the Elantra, but one out-of-warranty engine or CVT failure would outweigh them.

How Does Hyundai Elantra vs Nissan Versa Reliability Compare by Year?

Hyundai Elantra vs Nissan Versa year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Hyundai Elantra	Nissan Versa	Edge
2025	87/1000R / 21C	81/1000R / 9C	Hyundai Elantra
2024	85/1001R / 50C	73/1001R / 91C	Hyundai Elantra
2021	75/10010R / 147C	77/1003R / 29C	Nissan Versa
2020	72/1003R / 212C	74/1002R / 60C	Nissan Versa
2018	76/1001R / 309C	76/1005R / 55C	Tie

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Hyundai Elantra scored 85/100 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 Hyundai Elantra vs the Nissan Versa?

Pick the Elantra if you want the better overall standing and fewer trips to the shop. Avoid 2020 and 2022, its weakest years. The 2025 and 2026 models rank well, but they are too new to have collected many complaints, so do not treat them as proven. Before buying any Elantra, ask whether engine recall 21V301 and transmission recall 22-01-030H were fully done, since owners report coverage disputes. Pick the Versa if you want a car with far fewer complaints per car sold and no oil-burning or steering pattern to worry about. Avoid 2024 and 2020, its weakest years. The 2021 model ranks among its strongest. On a test drive, watch for delayed engagement when pulling away and any sudden loss of drive. Owners say dealers often cannot reproduce CVT faults, and many cars leave unrepaired.

Hyundai Elantra vs Nissan Versa: Common Questions

Is the Hyundai Elantra more reliable than the Nissan Versa?: Yes, but only slightly. The Elantra has the higher standing, fewer unscheduled shop visits at 0.3 a year versus 0.4, and a 9% chance of a major repair versus 10%. It also has many more owner complaints per car sold, so the lead is narrow.
Which has more recalls, the Elantra or the Versa?: The Elantra. Federal recall records show 33 recalls across 9 model years for the Elantra and 11 across 5 model years for the Versa. The Elantra also covers more model years here, so the totals are not a direct like-for-like count.
Which is cheaper to repair, the Elantra or the Versa?: They cost almost the same. Independent repair-cost data puts the Elantra at $452 a year and the Versa at $456. Over five years that is roughly $20 in the Elantra's favor, which is too small to drive a buying decision.
What goes wrong with the Nissan Versa transmission?: Owners describe the CVT suddenly losing forward drive, with the engine revving and the car not moving, often with no warning light. Others report delayed engagement from a stop, then a kick into gear. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault, so many cars leave unrepaired.
Do Elantra engines have a known oil problem?: Owner complaints center on oil burning with no visible leak, often starting between 20,000 and 27,000 miles. Ticking, power loss, and seizure can follow. Many owners cite engine recall 21V301 and say dealers refused coverage, so confirm recall work is complete before buying.

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How we score the Hyundai Elantra 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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