Nissan Kicks Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability
Year-by-year breakdown of safety recalls, NHTSA owner complaints, reported deaths, injuries, crashes, and worst problem areas. Updated daily from federal databases.
Recent Safety Incidents — Last 5 Model Years
Own a Nissan Kicks? Check your specific VIN for a full history report.
Nissan Kicks — Year-by-Year Problem Comparison
| Year | Verdict | Recalls | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths | Top Issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026Best | Excellent | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2025 | Good | 2 | 11 | 1 | 1 | — | Visibility/Wiper | Full report → |
| 2024 | Good | 1 | 19 | 3 | — | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2023 | Good | — | 26 | 3 | — | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2022 | Good | — | 18 | — | — | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2021 | Good | 1 | 28 | 4 | — | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2020 | Caution | — | 75 | 7 | 3 | — | Forward Collision Avoidance | Full report → |
| 2019Worst | Avoid | — | 127 | 6 | 4 | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2018 | Caution | — | 78 | — | — | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
9 model years shown. Crashes, injuries, and deaths from NHTSA complaint filings. Click any year for full details.
Most Common Nissan Kicks Problems
Based on 385 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across all model years.
Recent Safety Recalls — Nissan Kicks (2022–2026)
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Titan, Frontier, Infiniti QX60, Pathfinder, 2023-2024 Sentra, Versa, Kicks, Infiniti QX50, and 2023 Rogue vehicles. Due to a manufacturing issue, the driver's air bag inflator may absorb moisture, and cause the air bag to deploy improperly.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front driver's air bag assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD103, PD104, and PMA34.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Kicks vehicles. The "Shift-to-Park" warning may not activate as intended when the vehicle is shut off and still in a gear other than "Park." As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Remedy: Dealers will reconfigure the body control module (BCM) to activate the "Shift-to-Park" warning, free of charge. Some owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2025. The remaining owner notification letters will be mailed at a future date, anticipated, May 7, 2025. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA42.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Kicks vehicles. The certification label may have been printed with the incorrect Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) values, which can result in the vehicle being overloaded. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification." Additionally, certain 2025 Nissan Kicks SR trim level vehicles equipped with an optional 19-inch wheel package may have a certification label that states an incorrect wheel size. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Remedy: Dealers will install new labels, free of charge. Additionally, dealers will mail replacement labels to owners. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2025. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD136 and PMA47.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Frontier and Kicks vehicles. The center information display unit may display a blank screen when shifted into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will update the software on the vehicle’s center information display, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 10, 2025. The manufacturer numbers for this recall are PD152 and PMA48.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Altima, Sentra, 2025-2026 Frontier, and 2026 Kicks vehicles. The door strikers may have been improperly welded and break, allowing the door to open while moving. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
Remedy: Dealers will replace the door strikers, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD185 and PMA61. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning January 28, 2026.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2026 Kicks and Sentra vehicles. The hook bracket of the front seat frames may be insufficiently welded, which can cause the front seat frames to become loose. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 207, "Seating Systems" and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front seat assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 1, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA64. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 13, 2026.
Showing 6 recalls from 2022–2026 model years. See the full year-specific pages for older recalls.
Recent Owner Complaints
Direct reports filed with NHTSA by Nissan Kicks owners — 2022–2026 model years.
The passenger door of the vehicle is stuck and unable to open. It is currently in the body shop as they will need to cut into the door to fix the issue. It has gotten stuck previously but has been able to be opened, this time it will not open know matter how much effort is put in. I believe this is a major safety issue, as you will not be able to get out if an accident or incident occurs
Vehicle: 2023 Nissan Kicks SR Incident Detail: On April 1, my son was involved in an auto accident. According to my son, he was traveling at approximately 20–30 mph. Upon approaching slowed traffic, my son applied the service brakes; however, the vehicle failed to decelerate or stop. To mitigate the impact, my son veered to the right. Despite this evasive maneuver, the front-left side of the Nissan Kicks struck the rear-right bumper of the lead vehicle. My son was only able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop by engaging the emergency brake. Notably, despite the impact, the airbags did not deploy. This incident could have resulted in serious bodily injury or death for all involved and cause significant property damage and anxiety. The highway patrol was on scene and working on a full investigation. No warning lights appeared during the incident. The incident occurred 2 days ago and has not been inspected yet. The vehicle is available for inspection.
About 15 minutes after starting car and about 5 miles, I was making a right turn from a stop sign. Made almost a complete turn and the car stopped moving. Engine revved from depressing accelerator and car did not move (except for backwards due to being on an incline). Applied the brakes. Looked to make sure I was in gear and I was. Display said D for drive and gear selector was in D. For about after 10 seconds of wondering what was happening, the transmission engaged and I was able to continue. Called Nissan and was told as long as it's driving now, they will look at it at my next service (10,000 m).
The contact owns a 2024 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle but was unable to shift to drive(D). There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that prior to the failure the vehicle was taken to a dealer for service and was advised that the transmission fluid needed to be flushed. The transmission fluid was not flushed. Additionally, during an oil change at a fast oil change service, the technician advised the contact that there was an oil leak coming from one of the spark plugs. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or mechanic to be diagnosed. The oil leak was not repaired. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the local dealer or independent mechanic for the transmission failure. The vehicle was diagnosed but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
Blind spot warning does not come on until the vehicle is past you, and the display screen that has your speed and everything else on it is fading again, this is the second screen they have had to put in my car. and the steering wheel moves when it is in the locked position you will be driving down the road and then out of know where the steering wheel will just start moving without being unlocked.
12/10/2024 brake warning light was on. Took to dealership and they found the left rear C1BDA-13 actuator malfunction, caliper parking brake motor to have open connection internally. Replaced on 12/13/24 along with gasket brake hose. 1/31/25 brake warning light on again. Dealership found the right rear C1BDB-13 actuator malfunction open. Unable to get code to reset. Replaced on 2/14/25 along with gasket brake hose. 2/19/26 brake warning light on again. Dealership found both rear actuators malfunction open and cracked (technician stated they were cracked in the video sent to me as an update), believe moisture getting inside parking brake calipers and freezing. Replaced both on 3/5/26 along with all 4 gasket brake hoses
The contact owns a 2025 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle with the telescoping steering wheel locked into position, the steering wheel erroneously moved from the locked position. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
Back window shattered spontaneously without notice
The contact owns a 2025 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that there was a popping sound coming from the steering wheel while making a left or right turn. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the sound. The dealer had not diagnosed or repaired the vehicle. The contact stated that the sound had become more prominent and persistent. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
To whom it may concern: I am writing to express my concern regarding the recurring issues with the safety cameras on my 2026 Nissan Kicks, which were purchased on [XXX]. Despite multiple visits to the dealership for repairs and replacements, the problem persists. Initially, the cameras were not functioning properly on [XXX], and subsequent visits to the dealership on February 21st, February 28th, and March 3rd did not resolve the issue. The dealership's attempts to reset the camera, replace the camera, and change the module, respectively, have been unsuccessful. On March 3rd, I spoke with service manager Mac regarding the ongoing issue, and he informed me that there is no solution to fix the problem. Mac advised me to contact Nissan's Manufacturing department for assistance. I subsequently contacted Nissan's Compliance Department and opened a case with case number #[XXX]. They indicated that someone would contact me within 10 days to discuss a potential solution. Given that we have only had the vehicle for three weeks, I am disappointed that we are still experiencing this issue and that no resolution has been found. I would appreciate any further assistance or guidance from the dealership or Nissan's Manufacturing department to ensure that the safety cameras are functioning properly. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle will not go forward when accelerating, the vehicle does go in reverse. It is available for inspection at Nissan Vacaville. It is a safety risk as I was driving, it stalled in turning lane on street and wouldn't go. I had to have it put in neutral so I could get it to a safe location so I could have it towed to my residence. I have a service report saying that there's a faulty piece in the transmission by Nissan In Vacaville. No indication that there were any issues to the vehicle when I took it for service on Saturday 2/28/26. No lights came on the car or anything that would warrant an issue.
January 15, 2025 (~1,000 miles): Infotainment system was black at startup. Vehicle was beeping and flashing warning/service lights. System would not shut off. This occurred three times within the first week. I contacted the selling dealer for guidance. No documentation was provided for that initial report. • I was unable to bring the vehicle in immediately due to a family medical emergency but continued reporting the issue. • Prior to February 7, 2025: I contacted Deery Nissan regarding the ongoing infotainment malfunction and water leaking through the rear hatch during a car wash. • February 7, 2025 (2,230 miles): Rear hatch seal replaced. Electrical repairs performed on infotainment system. • March 24–28, 2025: Infotainment malfunction reported again. Diagnostics and software check performed. • September 2025: Front bumper paint peeling. Repainted at local repair shop. Paint also peeling from steering wheel Nissan emblem. • January 16, 2026: Infotainment malfunction reported again. • January 20, 2026: Dealer unable to duplicate. • January 27, 2026: Both screens malfunctioning. I recorded video and sent to dealership. • February 4, 2026: Vehicle inspected again. Dealer stated unable to duplicate. • February 11, 2026: Additional video sent, including VIN visible. I also brought vehicle in so dealership could record the malfunction themselves. • February 20, 2026: Still no resolution. I have an appointment to speak to the DTSM from Nissan. Paint peeled on my front bumper and Nissan logo on my steering wheel.
98 total complaints retrieved from NHTSA for 2022–2026. For older model years, see individual year pages.
Kicks Years to Avoid
Best Kicks Years to Buy
Nissan Kicks Problems by Year
Frequently Asked Questions — Nissan Kicks Reliability
What year Kicks has the most problems?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2019 Nissan Kicks had the highest combined complaint and recall count — 127 complaints and 0 safety recalls. See the full 2019 report for specific defects.
Is the Nissan Kicks reliable?
The Nissan Kicks has accumulated 385 owner-filed complaints and 5 safety recalls across all model years in NHTSA's database. The 2026 model year shows the fewest reported issues. Always run a VIN check before purchasing any used Kicks.
What are the most common Kicks problems?
The most frequently cited problem areas are: Forward Collision Avoidance (84 reports), Electrical System (51 reports), Unknown Or Other (44 reports), Engine (38 reports). Based on NHTSA complaints across all model years.
How do I check if my Kicks has an open recall?
Use the vehicle's 17-character VIN at VinCheckEngine.com. Our free VIN report pulls the latest NHTSA recall data along with auction history, odometer records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
Check a Specific Nissan Kicks VIN
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