2013 Nissan Versa 1.6SV Sedan

After the loss of our 2009 Nissan Versa in March 2013 we became a one-car family. At the time we totaled the car, I had already decided I wanted to start slugging to work instead of driving, which meant I only needed to drive to the local commuter lot. As it turned out, just a couple of weeks after the accident Winnie quit her job at the local mall, so we really didn’t need a second car at all, especially as the Rodeo was the car we used for towing our boat and other recreational uses.

So for the next several months we relied solely on the Rodeo while  deciding what type of car Winnie wanted to replace the Nissan Versa. We discussed it a lot, and periodically Winnie would peruse E-Bay car sales, or we’d stop by the local Car Max and browse the lot.   But since Winnie was still out of work there was no real urgency for a second car.

The Purchase

That lack of urgency ended about August, 2013, when Winnie expected to get hired into a new job. We drove by the local Nissan dealership one Saturday and Winnie spotted a lovely blue 2013 Nissan Versa sedan on the lot. We stopped and looked then kept on going. Over the following week we talked about it, then Winnie decided she really wanted to buy it. So bright and early on a Saturday morning we went back to the car lot.

We picked up a sales rep pretty quickly and showed him the car we were interested in. It turned out the car was technically a used car, as someone had bought it several months earlier then voluntarily turned it back in. It looked and felt like a new car except the odometer had about 1700 miles on it. We checked the Car Fax report (the dealer provided it) and everything looked good, so we entered the negotiating phase of the sale. This time, Winnie was on a tear and the negotiations lasted for several hours. Several times Winnie was about to walk away, but I convinced her this was a nice car and a good deal. Finally, worn down, we closed the deal. We drove the car away the following day, Sunday.

In Use

This was the first blue car I’d owned, even though my parents were both mostly “Blue Car PeopleBlue Car People StereotypeDuring the 1960s - early 1970s, Blue Car People were a stereotype car owner. It was said certain people would only ever buy a blue car. In truth, blue cars represents practicality and stability. People that drive blue vehicles are often extremely comfortable in their own skin. They are honest and giving. Blue also reflects happiness, indicating that the driver is down to earth. Most drivers of blue cars are thought to be helpful and reliable. These traits do describe my parents, and maternal grandfather, all of whom almost exclusively owned blue cars their entire lives. “. It was a sedan vice the hatchback Winnie previously owned, but otherwise wasn’t too different than our previous Nissan. The most exciting option was Bluetooth technology for making phone calls. Winnie had just recently gotten her first Smartphone that was Bluetooth capable, and quickly learned to love being able to legally talk on the phone while driving.

Winnie did land a job a few weeks after we purchased this car, and the new job required her to commute about 60 miles round-trip. So right away she started putting miles on this car and learned to love Northern Virginia driving. She also surprised me by getting custom license plates. She chose a number combination that was considered “auspicious” in Chinese numerology, and considering the way we lost the previous car I couldn’t help but agree this car needed good luck.

Over the next several years this car provided Winnie with reliable, economical, commuting to various jobs she held. This also became our primary long-distance road trip car, simply because of its economy and reliability. Literally the only maintenance was occasional oil changes, brakes, and replacement tires.

Mechanic’s Scams

One issue that we did encounter with this car was mechanics trying to scam Winnie. During an oil change at a “quick stop” oil change shop, the owner told Winnie she needed new brakes, a tune-up, and new tires. All of which he could conveniently provide. Unfortunately for him, we’d just replaced the tires and had a brake job done a few weeks prior. Winnie called and asked me to speak to this Wanna-Be cancer-capitalist, which I happily did. She got the car home without any further issues.

Except, a few days later I noticed oil drips on our driveway. I was pretty sure I knew what had happened, and immediately took the car over to our Nissan mechanics. They confirmed; the oil plug was loose and dripping oil. Fortunately, we hadn’t lost too much oil (or the plug). I wrote a flaming Yelp review on that oil change shop describing what the owner tried to pull.

Nissan Service Breaking Bad

Then, a few years later the Nissan service dealer tried scamming Winnie. This time it was over her annual safety inspection. The mechanic claimed the rubber bushings on her CV joints were “dry rotten” and needed immediate replacement as a safety issue, an $1100.00 repair job. Winnie was able to get her car out of the shop on promise she’d come back within two weeks when she had the money. Then she took it to two other shops we’d previously dealt with. Both shops confirmed – there was nothing wrong with her CV joints.

On this occasion I wrote to the Virginia Attorney General, with copy to the dealer.

The Pandemic Shutdown

By March 2020, when the Covid pandemic hit, Winnie was back to doing local commutes. With the great pandemic shutdown all our driving pretty much stopped. It was at this point I appreciated how reliable the Nissan was. After several weeks of not driving my 2015 Jeep Cherokee, the battery would completely discharge due to all the electronics still running while the Jeep was parked. This Nissan didn’t have that issue. So, on a number of occasions over the months of the great shutdown, when we needed to drive, the Nissan was our only working car.

The Great Shutdown was also the end of Winnie’s commuting life. The company she was working for shutdown, and Winnie decided she’d had enough of a working career. When her business reopened Winnie decided to stay home. I started commuting back to work only twice per week, which was enough driving to keep my Jeep’s battery charged. So, this Nissan was used for Winnie’s shopping trips and other occasional local driving.

Retirement Move

In April 2024 we purchased our retirement house in Charlotte, North Carolina. So, part of our move included the Jeep, our newly purchased Thor RV, and Winnie’s Nissan. Winnie considered selling it on basis that we didn’t need another car. I wasn’t convinced, considering this Nissan had proven more reliable than the Jeep. In truth, I think Winnie just enjoyed driving the Jeep more than her car.

After discussion, we decided to keep the Nissan until at least after we settled into our new house. On our second moving trip, we took the Nissan and our Thor RV down. The Nissan remained, parked in our garage, pending us settling there permanently.

Ron Charest

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