A virtual solid state storage system is provided with solid state storage error emulation. An exemplary apparatus comprises a virtual solid state storage device configured to emulate a solid state storage device. The virtual solid state storage device comprises an interface that communicates with a solid state storage controller; an address translation module that translates memory addresses from a solid state storage-based memory space to a second memory space of a second memory device; and a non-solid state storage memory controller that communicates with the second memory device; and an error module to emulate solid state storage errors for testing error handling functions of the solid state storage controller for predefined error types of the solid state storage memory device by: (i) flipping bits sent to and/or read from the second memory device; and/or (ii) changing a status response sent to the solid state storage controller.