2016 Nissan Versa problems
Nissan Versa is an automobile nameplate used by the Japanese manufacturer Nissan in the Americas for the following models:
According to a Nissan press release in 2008, "versa" is short for "versatile space" meant to imply the spaciousness of the interior and configurable cargo arrangements. The Versa is one of the few remaining subcompact cars left on sale in the North American market, with most automakers dropping small cars from their lineups to focus on crossovers and SUVs.
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Common 2016 Nissan Versa problems
Based on complaints from owners of the 2016 Nissan Versa, several common problems have been reported:
- Suspension System Problems:
- Nearly 30% of reported Nissan Versa problems are linked to the suspension system, with common issues related to broken or failed coil springs after passing 70,000 miles. Ignoring these issues can lead to further damage, increased costs, and potential safety hazards like tire blowouts.
- Airbag Problems:
- In some cases, airbag issues have been reported, such as improper reinforcement stitching that can cause the airbag to tear at the sewn seam during deployment. This problem led to a recall affecting certain 2017 Nissan Versa models, highlighting safety concerns related to airbag deployment.
These common problems with the 2016 Nissan Versa highlight various issues that owners have faced, ranging from transmission and steering issues to suspension and airbag concerns. Addressing these problems promptly and effectively is crucial to ensure the safety, performance, and longevity of the vehicle.
Is a Nissan Versa a good car 2016?
The 2016 Nissan Versa sedan provides comfortable, spacious and inexpensive transportation, and comes with a generous choice of available amenities. Just don't expect much in terms of personality or driver engagement.
Do 2016 Nissan Versa have transmission problems?
Reliability 4/10 – The 2016 Versa still suffers from transmission failures, although they're not as widespread as in earlier years. Avoid models from 2009–2016 while 2017–2021 are more reliable.
How many miles will a 2016 Nissan Versa last?
On average, a well-maintained Nissan can last between 200,000 to 300,000 miles. This means if you drive around 15,000 miles per year, which is the average for most drivers, you can expect your Nissan to last between 13 to 20 years.
Is the Nissan Versa a reliable car?
The Nissan Versa has an average resale value and will depreciate 24% after five years. The Nissan Versa received fair scores on all major reliability ratings, including 4.5 out of 5.0 on RePairpal, and can easily reach 100,000-200,000 miles with care.
2016 Nissan Versa car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Nissan Versa problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Air bags problems
- Power train problems
- Unknown or other problems
- Engine problems
- Service brakes problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 2016 Nissan Versa vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
Latest 25 complaints 2016 Nissan Versa
The NHTSA has received 68 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 2016 Nissan Versa. Below are the 25 most recent complaints reported for 2016 Nissan Versa vehicles.
ENGINE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-06-12
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP3GL
- Components: ENGINE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
- Summary: The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Versa. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, the contact approached oncoming traffic and depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle continued to surge forward without warning. The contact deactivated the cruise control; however, the failure persisted. The contact was able to pull off to the shoulder of the highway and placed the vehicle in park(P) while the RPM's continued to surge. Upon restart of the vehicle, the RPMs became extremely elevated, and the contact immediately shut off the vehicle. The contact opened the hood and reset the throttle sensor; the contact then restarted the vehicle and drove the vehicle home without further issues. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 176,000.
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-05-03
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP3GL
- Components: ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
- Summary: "Leaking injectors causing cylinder wall wash, resulting in low compression." Per Nissan of Chattanooga East. Stated they have seen this before and can be a "common" malfunction. Puts others and self at risk of catastrophic engine malfunction and fuel injector malfunction. Car fire, an engine explosion, or simply breaking down in the middle of the interstate, "Repair" occurred and sent home, 2 times. Subsequent followup revealed critical malfunction and requirement to replace engine and necessary components.
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-04-15
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP6GL
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: Transmission failure
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-04-25
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP9GL
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS
- Summary: A while ago my airbag light began flashing, we reset it a few times and it would come back after a week or two sometimes longer, either a flashing or solid light, it felt almost random. No codes came up when we had it ran, and then we took it to the dealership for inspection. It is the back of my driver seat, the airbag for the driver side back seat. I don’t know what the qualified number of complaints is, but please at least look into this. The most complaints this car has is something to do with the airbags. I’ve also had a similar ac/belt problem that was mentioned by the guy from Texas. He said the ac compressor caused a belt failure, mine was the other way around, my belt was squeaking for a while, had it replaced- month later my ac compressor gave out due to the belt operating at full capacity for the first time in a long time. It is available for further inspection. An airbag is plainly a safety risk, not to mention the part is “on extreme back order”, which leads me to believe that this a bigger problem then what is being reported here. The problem was confirmed by the dealership It has only been inspected by the Nissan dealership As also stated above, there were warning lights about its failure. It’s late, I apologize but I’m not proof reading this. Please look into it, please, it’s a very expensive repair that I won’t be able to afford for a long time, and I’m concerned about my back passengers..
STEERING,POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-08-01
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP9GL
- Components: STEERING,POWER TRAIN
- Summary: My engine light has always been on in my car contacted the dealership and they never cared to take care of the situation. My car has a problem with picking up speed and turning corners. Took it to a mechanic and said it’s my transmission and that it was never good especially the cvt transmission in my 2016 Nisan versa that it was recalled and no one contacted me. I would like it fixed I’m a single parent and I need my car
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-07-20
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP4GL
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: Since buying car used last summer ive have numerous scares for the car stalling jerking and shutting off while driving or slowing down and taking off. I drove over train tracks on my way home and the car jerked stalled and died luckily i made it over the tracks and there was no train. Had a mechanic look at it and said the Cvt transmission more than likely blame for this problem. After researching more this particular make model and year had numerous of the same complaints and saftey is my main concern here. Thanks
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-06-01
- VIN: 3N1CN7APXGL
- Components: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
- Summary: Fuel gauge is always stuck to full. I have to rely on the gas pump to know that I have full tank of gas. Luckily I only drive it for short distances. It will not be safe to drive interstate.
STRUCTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-02-13
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP3GL
- Components: STRUCTURE
- Summary: Hood flew up while driving and smashes into my windshield
POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-07-19
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP9GL
- Components: POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,ENGINE
- Summary: Air bag red signal on and off it is very loose. AC Compressor is locked that cause belt broken and pulley is not working that AC Condenser had to be fixed Power Train Catalyst issues Exhaust leaking at manifold and catalyst too exhaust as Exhaust connections. Oxygen sensors too slow to respond. Need to repair sensors with exhaust.
POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-07-19
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP9GL
- Components: POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,ENGINE
- Summary: Air bag red signal on and off. It is very loose. AC compressor needs repair that cause Belt broken, pulley isn’t working and AC condenser needed to be repair. Power Train catalyst issues. Exhaust leaking at manifold, catalyst too exhaust as exhaust connections. Oxygen sensors too slow to respond. Replace sensors with exhaust repairs.
AIR BAGS PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-01-25
- VIN: 3n1cn7ap9gl
- Components: AIR BAGS
- Summary: Just got the car from someone, and the air bag light comes up and stays on all the time the engine starts, trying all the ways to reset the light and not working, I found online that many same car owners has the same problem and there is no recall from the manufacturer, Nissan cars has a lot of air bags problems., my car has no collision and has only 62000 miles. Going to a dealer to ask about the price to fix and was told about more than a thousand dollars and not guaranteered'
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-10-19
- VIN: 3n1cn7ap5gl
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: The transmission completely went on my vehicle at 87,015 miles. I regularly drive on a major highway and had this happened while on the highway it could have been catastrophic as speeds generally exceed 70MPH on this road. The problem has been confirmed by my dealer. Nissan will not back the repair as I am 3,015 miles out of warranty. There were no warning lights prior to the failure.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-08-24
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP1GL
- Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Summary: The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Versa. The contact stated upon noticing that the glass of the rear passenger side brake light bulb was dark, he disassembled the part and he discovered that the plate, the brake light system, and circuit were severely corroded, and water had leaked inside the housing. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take vehicle to their location for diagnostic testing however, he would be responsible for the cost of diagnostic test. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 6,500.
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-07-30
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP5GL
- Components: STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: My vehicle stops running whenever I turn on heater or A/C. When either is turned on, dashboard lights up with four or five other lights like battery, P/S, Brake, Temp, and other. When A/C or heater is not turned on, then my car is running. It looks like my vehicle may be defective in some way. I bought it only last year and I don’t understand why this particular control for heater or A/C is causing the problems. I believe some parts may be sub-standard and they may will cause some problems one day.
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-04-15
- VIN: 3N1CN7APXGL
- Components: POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES
- Summary: EVERY SINGLE DAY MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY MY ABS LIGHT COMES ON CARS TRANSMISSION JERKS AROUND OR WHATEVER IT IS. I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND TURN VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART TO DRIVE AGAIN. I MAY HAVE TO DO THAT A FEW TIMES IN A MILE. I THINK IT'S A SAFETY CONCERN. IT COULD BE IN MOTION OR STOPPED CAR WANTS TO LUNGE FORWARD
UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-10-22
- VIN: 3N1CN7APXGL
- Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: VEHICLE SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY WHILE IN MOTION REGARDLESS OF SPEED. I'VE HAD IT SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING 15MPH ON THE STREET AS WELL AS WHEN I'VE BEEN GOING 60+MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. BASED OFF OF OTHER FINDINGS AND LAWSUITS, I'VE BEGAN TO SUSPECT IT IS THE TRANSMISSION. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP EACH TIME IT HAS HAPPENED, AND THEY'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO GIVE ME AN ANSWER. I'VE GOTTEN MY WARRANTY EXTENDED BY THEM, BUT THAT'S IT.
SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-08-16
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP2GL
- Components: SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE
- Summary: SO I'M PROBLEMS WITH SPEED AND THE TRANSMISSION
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-06-27
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP2GL
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: CAR BOGGING DOWN WON'T ACCELERATE WHEN NEEDED JERKING AROUND NISSAN HAD A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM FOR THIS AND IS REFUSING TO FIX THE VEHICLE.
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-04-06
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP9GL
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 NISSAN VERSA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE UP A HILL, THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING BACKWARDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CVT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED. KAMAAINA NISSAN (471 KALANIANAOLE AVE, HILO, HI 96720) WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.
SUSPENSION PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-03-20
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP3GL
- Components: SUSPENSION
- Summary: FRONT CONTROL ARM BUSHING FAILURE
UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2018-10-19
- Crash: 1
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP2GL
- Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: I PULLED IN TO A PARKING SPOT I WAS IN PARK. NEXT TO A 4X4 DIESEL PICKUP, HE STARTED TO BACK UP AND TURNED HIS WHEELS TO WERE HE WAS GOING TO RUN ME OVER I HELD THE HORN DOWN HE DID NOT HEAR IT AND RAN ME OVER FROM THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TO THE BACK DOOR. HE STOPPED WHEN HE REALIZED HE WAS ON TOP OF MY CAR.
TIRES PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-02-13
- VIN: 3N1CN7APXGL
- Components: TIRES
- Summary: 1) I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY US 35 GOING WEST BOUND WHERE MY REAR PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT RIGHT BEFORE THE 75 OVERPASS. 2) PASSENGER REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. A 2 INCH ABRASION ON THE SIDE WALL. 3) I BOUGHT A NEW TIRE AND REPAIRED MY RIM.
AIR BAGS PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-02-11
- Number Of Injuries: 1
- Crash: 1
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP7GL
- Components: AIR BAGS
- Summary: LOST CONSCIOUSNESS DUE TO PREVIOUSLY UNDIAGNOSED MEDICAL ISSUE, CAR WAS IN 2ND GEAR AND HIT TELEPHONE POLE. CAR WAS TOTALED AND I WAS INJURED FROM THE IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS PRESUMABLY GOING AS FAST AS POSSIBLE IN 2ND GEAR AS MY FOOT WAS ON THE PEDAL WHEN I LOST CONSCIOUSNESS.
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-02-02
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP8GL
- Components: POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: ON APPROXIMATED ON FEBRUARY 02, 2020 ON THE NORTH BOUND 215 FWY EXISTING FWY OFF RAMP ON NEWPORT BLVD IN MENIFEE CA, WHEN MY 2016 NISSAN VERSA STALL, IT'S ON DRIVE AND NOT MOVING. NO WARNING SIGNS OF ANY MECHANICAL ISSUES, NO ENGINE LIGHT ON. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED THEN I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE BUT THE RPM IS MOVING UP AND DOWN. I PULLED OVER TO THE NEAREST GAS STATION AND CALLED MY ROADSIDE ASSISTANT THROUGH GEICO. THE NEXT DAY I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO PEDDER NISSAN DEALERSHIP FOR A DIAGNOSTIC OF THE VEHICLE. THE SERVICE DEPT RETURN MY CALL AND NOTIFIED ME THAT MY TRANSMISSION IS OUT ON A LESS THAN FOUR YEARS OLD VEHICLES THAT I PURCHASED BRAND NEW FROM THIS DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP & NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIR HAVE BOTH HAVE GIVEN ME THE RUNS AROUND. I SEE THERE BULLETIN FOR MY VEHICLE MODEL AND YEAR. I NEED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE.
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2019-02-01
- VIN: 3N1CN7AP3GL
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: I HAD ISSUES WITH THE GEARS THAT INITIALLY THE ISSUE SHOWED UP AS A PROBLEM WITH AC/HEATER NOT WORKING PROPERLY, BUT WHEN THE MECHANIC EXAMINED THE ISSUE, IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH GEARS. SOON AFTER THAT, MY CAR BEGAN TO HESITATE WHILE DRIVING AND THEN BEGAN TO SMELL LIKE SOMETHING BURNT. THE CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED, I DID REGULAR MAINTENANCE AS INSTRUCTED IN THE MANUAL, BUT IT WAS AROUND 60,000 MILEAGE WHEN ISSUES BEGAN TO SHOW UP AND AROUND 90,000 WHEN IT BEGAN HESITATING AND SMELLING. IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON CITY STREETS BECAUSE IT WILL NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY AND SO I CANNOT DRIVE IT ON THE HIGHWAY. I CONTACTED NISSAN WHILE I HAD MILEAGE IN THE RANGE OF 80K-84K TO SEE IF THEY WILL EXAMINE MY CVT, GIVEN THE CURRENT LAWSUIT, FREE OF CHARGE. BUT THEY STATED THAT THE LAWSUIT HASN'T BEEN SETTLED YET AND THAT BY THE TIME IT IS, I WILL LIKELY BE OVER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY.
Negative 2016 Nissan Versa car reviews
Positive 2016 Nissan Versa car reviews
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I bought my 2016 Versa in 2018 with around 50,000 miles and drove it to almost 150,000 miles in 3.5 years. The car was incredibly reliable, and I only needed to replace a ball bearing on one tire at around 110,000 miles and the stock battery at around 120,000 miles, in addition to regular maintenance. I would highly recommend this car to anyone looking for great mileage and reliability. It was easy to park and I averaged an impressive 39 miles per gallon. While oil changes were a bit of a hassle due to the oil filter placement on the vehicle, it was not too bad overall. I changed my oil every 10,000 miles with full synthetic and the car functioned perfectly. I only got rid of it because I was tired of dealing with the bureaucracy and absolute nonsense of trying to get my title back from the state of Kansas (the Kansas TR-42 form is a nightmare). Despite this, I loved my Nissan! The only downside was driving it in high winds, as the car weighs very little.
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Overall, it's a great starter car for credit repair. It's light on the road, especially on windy days. I added 120lbs in my trunk, which gave it stability. Other than that, I love my 2016 Versa Sedan. But my next car will be a Nissan Sentra, only because I'm moving up. Or maybe I will stay with the Versa...
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Remember, you are buying a Versa, not a high-end vehicle. I absolutely love this little car though! I bought it for myself as a retirement runaround car, and my wife liked it so much that she wants the high-end Hatchback model.
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I hope you're doing well! I just wanted to share my experience with my 2016 Nissan Versa SV. Over the course of three years, I found that it got great gas mileage and was very peppy. I never had any issues with a noisy motor, and the car itself was very quiet. Additionally, I never had any trouble with the transmission. Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts!
Additional sources
More sources of information about 2016 Nissan Versa problems:
2016 Nissan Versa Review, Problems, Reliability, Value, Life ...
Nov 8, 2022 ... Overall Rating 5/10 – 2016 is a bad year for the Nissan Versa since they still have mechanical problems, giving it a low overall rating. Owner ...
2016 Nissan Versa, End of Life Review : r/Nissan
Jul 23, 2023 ... It was light enough we could push it with no problems while figuring out what to do to get the last mile home. The 2/3 months leading up to the ...
2016 Nissan Versa Problems | Kelley Blue Book
How reliable is the 2016 Nissan Versa? See the most common repairs performed and learn if your vehicle is at risk for major repairs in the next 12 months.
The Most Common 2016 Nissan Versa Problems | GetJerry.com
Nov 4, 2022 ... Powertrain, airbag, and brake issues are common problems with the 2016 Nissan Versa.
2016 Nissan Versa Repair: Service and Maintenance Cost
Get 2016 Nissan Versa repair and maintenance costs, common problems, recalls, and more. Find certified Nissan mechanics near you.
Other years of Nissan Versa
Are you having problems with your 2016 Nissan Versa?
Chadrick Howell 2024-11-05
Great fuel mileage, but unfortunately I would not buy again due to multiple expensive repair issues.
Markus Powlowski 2024-09-24
I have three Nissan Versas parked in my driveway, including my neighbor's. I noticed that the rear bumper appeared to be supported by clips. Unfortunately, I backed into a curb with very little impact and the right rear bumper's clips separated. This happened to my 2015 Versa. My housemate also experienced a similar issue with the front bumper when the clips separated after a slow-motion impact, although the other car had no damage. I was surprised to find out that my insurance bill was $2300. Do they put these cars together with tiny clips and a touch of glue? This experience has left me feeling disappointed, and I am hesitant to purchase another Nissan in the future. Sincerely, Jerry Seckeler from Winter Springs, FL.
Friedrich Cole 2024-08-21
Irks: The glove box lacks a light, the USB ports are in a bad spot, and the cup holders are cramped and small. Additionally, there is outside noise and the gas mileage could be better. However, I do appreciate the entertainment system, overall comfort, and styling. The climate control works well and all controls are powered!
Kenton Dibbert 2024-08-12
Hi there! I hope you're doing well. I wanted to share my experience with my car that I bought brand new six years ago. While I've had some issues with the key not wanting to go back in the ignition after being taken out, I've found a solution by keeping the key in the ignition and covering the steering area with a scarf for security purposes. Additionally, the trunk can only be opened from the inside of the vehicle, which can be a bit inconvenient. Unfortunately, my car has been in and out of the mechanic shop for the past month due to some engine issues. While it's been a bit frustrating, I'm hopeful that it will be resolved soon. Overall, I would say that this car may not be the best option for those looking for long-term quality. Thanks for listening!
Darion Hettinger 2024-07-25
Hey there! Have you considered going for a run today? It's a great way to get some exercise and clear your mind. You got this!