VEHICLE BUYER'S GUIDE
Nissan Kicks2018–2026
Year-by-year buyer intelligence from NHTSA safety data — reliability, value, and which years to target or avoid.
Best Years to Buy a Nissan Kicks
Buyer Score combines reliability (65%) and depreciation value (35%) — higher is better.
Nissan Kicks Years to Avoid
1 recall · 127 complaints
4 reported injuries
Top issue: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 recall · 78 complaints
Top issue: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
0 recalls · 72 complaints
3 reported injuries
Top issue: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Nissan Kicks — Year-by-Year Comparison
Every model year ranked by Buyer Score. Click any year for its detailed problem report.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | Injuries | Deaths | Reliability | Value | Buyer Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 3 | — | — | 78 | 40 | 65 | Excellent |
| 2025 | 3 | 10 | 1 | — | 73 | 55 | 67 | Good |
| 2024 | 0 | 18 | — | — | 85 | 68 | 79 | Good |
| 2023 | 0 | 23 | — | — | 86 | 78 | 83 | Good |
| 2022 | 0 | 18 | — | — | 89 | 85 | 88 | Good |
| 2021 | 2 | 28 | — | — | 83 | 88 | 85 | Good |
| 2020 | 0 | 72 | 3 | — | 82 | 87 | 84 | Caution |
| 2019 | 1 | 127 | 4 | — | 77 | 83 | 79 | Avoid |
| 2018 | 1 | 78 | — | — | 82 | 77 | 80 | Caution |
Buyer Score = Reliability (65%) + Value window (35%). Deaths and injuries sourced from NHTSA complaint filings. Year links open full NHTSA problem reports.
Known Nissan Kicks Problems
Most frequently reported components across all model years, from NHTSA owner complaints.
Complaint counts across all model years. Numbers indicate frequency, not severity.
Shopping by Era
How each generation of the Kicks compares — best year within each era shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best year Kicks to buy?+
The 2022 Nissan Kicks scores highest on our Buyer Score (88/100) — combining a reliability score of 89/100 with a value score of 85/100. It has 0 recalls and 18 NHTSA complaints on record.
Which Kicks years have the most problems?+
The 2019, 2018, 2020 model years have the highest problem scores in our analysis. The 2019 Kicks leads with 1 recalls and 127 owner complaints.
What is the Buyer Score?+
The Buyer Score is a composite metric that combines reliability (65% weight) and depreciation value (35% weight). Reliability reflects recall and complaint severity. Value reflects how much of the vehicle's depreciation has already been absorbed by prior owners — a 4–6 year old vehicle typically sits in the sweet spot.
What are the most common Kicks problems?+
The most frequently reported Nissan Kicks issues involve: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE. These are aggregated across all model years from NHTSA owner complaint filings. Frequency of complaints does not necessarily indicate severity.
Deep-Dive Research
A buyer's guide shows model-level risk. A VIN report shows the individual vehicle — accidents, odometer history, open recalls, and auction records.