Sedan Trunk design problem

[sooner4x4]

I know most of the Versas are hatchbacks so this thread may not be of interest of a lot of you, but I have noticed an issue with the trunk in my Sedan.

When you load anything significant in the trunk, it causes the floor of the trunk to sag. The floor can bow enough so it eventually pops under the lip at the very back. At that point it is very difficult to bend the floor enough to get it free from under the lip. The problem is worse in hot weather, because the plastic deforms easier. Basically the trunk is worthless for hauling anything more than about 25 pounds for any length of time.

The trunk floor is a very thin piece of plastic that is unsupported over a large area housing the spare tire. There are five very small pieces of foam rubber glued to the bottom of the removable floor that in theory contact the spare tire to offer support but that is useless. There needs to be more support for the floor like there is in the hatchback, where there is a large formed piece of dense styrafoam.

I suspect the main reason for the styrafoam in the hatch is to suppress noise since the hatch area is open to the cabin, but an important benefit is the support it provides for heavy items.

The sedan needs something similar. I have checked, and the spare tire well is a little different in the sedan so the styrafoam from the hatch doesn't fit it just right, AND, to buy the molded styrafoam piece is expensive (over $500 from the dealership, no BS).

Any sedan owners out there who have experienced this or have fashioned a fix? I have temporarily rigged something with pieces of lumber that prevents the sagging from getting too bad but it could be improved upon when I get more time.

[KimberKenobi]

O.O

but the floor in the hatchback is so well made... why would they skimp on the sedan in this fashion?!?

We have one large 'foam' insert which covers the tire and is smooth on the top (except for the 'handle') and then a thin piece that covers it and goes under the cargo mat... That sux and (quite frankly) I am surprised and appalled.

[07Vsdn]

we filled up the trunk with luggage (for four people) a month ago for a road trip and i didn't notice any sagging.

i'll take another look this weekend (short road trip).

[monkeybear]

I too have noticed the rather flimsy floor panel. I wish I had an idea for an easy cheap diy solution.

[vpnavy]

Wow - never noticed a problem. I put down a thick blanket on the floor when we got the V. We've loaded a bunch of stuff in the trunk but nothing very very heavy and never noticed a problem. However, I will keep an eye on it for a while.

[irsa76]

Sadly this is common on cars in this price range these days. The only thing I can think of, and will probably look into if I ever get a straight answer about my lease, is make up a new floor out of MDF.

[sooner4x4]

I have thought about cutting out a piece of plywood, at least a half inch thick and making a new floor. I have wondered if something that rigid would be a problem in the unlikely event of a severe rear end collision. This could possibly result in this rigid board intruding into the cabin through the back seat.

Typical things hauled in the trunk that have caused sagging:

My two teenage kids are the principal drivers. Both have book bags that they haul around. These can easily weigh 10 - 20 pounds (if not more) each. My daughter plays softball and the bag of gear is quite heavy. My son often has gear related to FFA activities with livestock or welding. The trunk is plenty large to haul these items. The trunk is seldom completely empty. When we were buying the Versa I really liked the hatchback but the area behind the seat just wasn't large enough for the kids typical gear without folding down the seat. That is why we went with the Sedan. Besides our other two vehicles (minivan and Tundra) are capable of hauling large items so the ability to haul large things in the hatchback wasn't necessary.

[Great White Versa]

I have routinely load my trunk full of VERY heavy boxes and have not noticed any problems with sagging above the spare.

[07Vsdn]

i double checked this weekend.

i don't think the floor in our sedan is that bad.

[BillyBeaneBall]

Man, I'm sorry to read this...but Irsa76 is correct this is common in small, cheap, cars. My 2000 Kia Sephia suffered from this and my girlfriend's 2005 Saturn Ion does as well. I was happily surprised when I saw the foam in the hatchback and thought to myself, "Alright no more sagging!" I wish they'd done this for the Versa Sedan as well

On a related note, PLEASE post about your Versa Sedan here. WE WANT TO KNOW...we know the Sedan is relatively new but without new owners posting Sedan issues (as well as HB issues) this would not be a "true" Versa forum...every little bit helps.

[monkeybear]

I am wondering if I put a full sized spare in there if it will help keep the floor mat up a little.

I am worried that when my sub box goes in there it will sag.

[Great White Versa]

Really? the sedan doesn't have the foam support that the hatch has above the spare?

[jfanaselle]

A good way to fix this would be to use expanding foam in the spare tire area. You can find industrual style expanding foam at most home improvement stores. Cover everything under the trunk floor with a plastic drop cloth, use some boards or something else to block off a good portion of the sides (so you basically have a square right over the tire) and spray away. Once it dries, you can trim down the top and voila, you have yourself a foam under-support. Certainly won't hold 100 pounds but could easilly handle 50 or 60 pounds without sagging.

[matttail]

You could perhaps buy some wax paper and sealing foam from a hardware store and build your self a foam support structure. the wax paper would be so it doesn't adhere to your car. You'd have to create the foam piece in layers because that much foam won't dry properly. But with some careful work I bet you could create a custom support piece to sit in there.

Just an idea.

EDIT: Woops, I took to long to type this reply and someone else already posted my idea. That's what I get for forgetting about the post and going to the bank before hitting submit.


Modified by matttail at 4:01 PM 11/12/2007

[sooner4x4]

Fellow sedan owners who haven't noticed or experienced a problem with the wimpy floor, consider yourself lucky. I don't expect the Versa to be a heavy hauler, but we have definitely experienced problems with less than 100 pounds in the trunk. One day when the trunk floor pops under that small lip at the very back, you will have one heck of a time getting it free.

Today, I took out the floor to get out the spare to rotate my tires. Looking at the floor out of the car, it has a noticeable permanent bow in the plastic. I tried putting one of the regular tires in the spare tire area and it fits well and would provide good support for the trunk floor.