2018 Nissan Kicks Driver assistance Problems

It originally started about two years ago when the check engine light came on (along with others) that point to a code with the Mass Air Flow sensor. It would stall at low RPMs at traffic lights, and was extremely worrying during normal driving. We got it replaced and so far okay, but recently the ABS and traction control lights come on and stay on. Another issue that many MANY Nissan owners experience. Some people thinks it’s a dirty throttle body, dirty front collision sensor, dirfty MAF. The problem is that when any of these issues are fixed, it comes back. We don’t know why the ABS and traction control (plus front collision by the way) lights come on. We took it to a mechanic, it was off for two whole days. Now it’s back on. Can’t wait to have it stall on us in the mean time.

NHTSA ID

11752756

Incident

Apr 16, 2024

When put in park car started idling rough and then stalled. Engine light, collision warning light, and traction control light came on. Code scanned as a P0101 code.

NHTSA ID

11725369

Incident

Mar 18, 2026

Radio skips songs back and forth randomly, and now radio screen and buttons are block.

NHTSA ID

11721890

Incident

Mar 2, 2026

Intermittently for the last year, car will show 3 dash lights: 1. AEB light 2. Slip indicator light 3. Master warning light When this occurs, the car can be slow to accelerate. When the three lights are on, the problem will persist until the engine is shut off for a period of several minutes. It does not occur every time the car is driven. In the last 3 months, there have been 3-4 instances where the check engine light has come on as well. The code every time has been P1010 or no code displayed. We tried changing out the MAF sensor with a third party part, and the issue occurred even more frequently. We then went back to the first sensor after cleaning it with MAF sensor cleaner. This seemed to resolve the issue for a month, but then it started to reoccur. The last two occurrences of the check engine light have occurred after rapid acceleration. - Yes original part is available for inspection. - Safety is at risk for self and others as car can have issues accelerating, which makes it dangerous to enter freeways and highways (which are necessary for my commute). - Dealer has not reproduced the error, however they have not seen it with a check engine code (taking the car in tomorrow). - no inspection by insurance, police, or manufacturer. - before the 3 error lights started to come on fairly regularly (several times a week) I had a few issues of intermittent sluggish acceleration over the course of 1-2 years when this issue first started, but no lights came on at first.

NHTSA ID

11717137

Incident

Feb 10, 2026

For over a year, I have experienced repeated failures of the front radar system, specially during rain or wet weather, when it rains the vehicle displays multiple warning such as: "Front radar unavailable" "automatic emergency braking unavailable" "Front sensor malfunction" This disable essentials safety systems, including the automatic emergency breaking (AEB) and forward collision warning, the Nissan Dealership has attempted several repairs, but the malfunction continues every time it rains, Because this is a critical safety issue that affect the vehicle braking and collision-avoidance and multiple repair have failed

NHTSA ID

11703524

Incident

Jul 23, 2025

The Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to idle roughly, stall unexpectedly, and trigger continuous beeping. During the failure, the power steering locked, making it extremely difficult to steer and creating a serious safety hazard for myself and others on the road. The issue was reproduced and confirmed by a service center, and the sensor was replaced by a Nissan dealership with the system reset/rebooted. However, despite this repair, the vehicle has again begun experiencing the same symptoms, including rough idling, stalling, beeping, and loss of steering control. The recurrence of this problem after dealership repair indicates that the issue may extend beyond a single component and presents an ongoing safety concern. The vehicle and repair records remain available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA ID

11687188

Incident

Jun 5, 2025

The ABS and forward collision system failed. This caused the car not to respond during a hard brake when it was raining. I almost had an accident. The car was inspected on September 4, 2025, by Universal Nissan (12785 S Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, Florida). Universal Nissan found a malfunction in the ABS control (Actuator & ECU Assy antiskid) with a repair cost of $2,448. The car has 18,689 miles. The warning lamps appear as soon as the malfunction starts. The Nissan Kicks owner forum reports this ABS problem as recurrent. There are multiple reports on the website. I contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs (Case #5576215). They did not take responsibility for the ABS problem.

NHTSA ID

11686580

Incident

Sep 3, 2025

I was driving on the road like normal and suddenly I got a front collision warning on the dash, the car wouldn’t accelerate and lost all power. Check engine light also came on with code reading P0101. I’ve had this issue before and the dealer doesn’t know what to do or they want to charge me a lot of money to fix it. I’ve read online many many people having the same issue. Luckily this hasn’t happened on the highway but if it does happen it could be catastrophic

NHTSA ID

11670107

Incident

Jun 29, 2025

ABS system warning light turns on and off, and ABS fails after 50,000 miles on vehicle. System requires ABS actuator replacement, but replacement isn't reliable. Nissan has been contacted and refused to acknowledge issue or offer assistance with issue. This has been an issue in ALL Nissan Kicks and Leaf models dating back to 2018 and through current models. I believe a recall should be instated for this problem because multiple cars could potentially be driving without their ABS systems active. This could lead to poor ability to stop in inclement weather and could lead to more accidents on highways. The lights randomly turning off could mislead drivers into thinking that nothing is wrong with their vehicles. Upon first inspection at local Nissan dealership they reported no problem but loose battery terminal.

NHTSA ID

11616750

Incident

Sep 19, 2024

We had just purchased the car days prior. Assuming it was reliable we traveled an hour from home in clear conditions. Forward collision sensor malfunctioned on the way to our destination. After arriving, we left the vehicle unattended for quite sometime, hoping the issue would resolve. After turning off the forward collision sensor once back in the vehicle, it shut off completely as we were merging on to the interstate, again in clear weather conditions. The vehicle would not move, and had shut down completely. After getting the vehicle back on the road, I had my sales team drop it off at Nissan in Russellville, AR. It has since been seen 3 separate times for the same forward collision sensor malfunction. It will not drive, and I feel very unsafe with this vehicle on the road.

NHTSA ID

11562228

Incident

Oct 17, 2023

Im getting a front collision warning light with nothing in front of w

NHTSA ID

11545924

Incident

Sep 21, 2023

El Panel de control tiene prendidas las luces de ABS, luz de Warning, luces de Resbalizo, luces de choque entre vehículos (4 luces encendidas). Mi vehículo tiene 19,000.00 y casi no se usa y tiene 4 años de comprado. Por favor, ayúdenme con esta Situacion

NHTSA ID

11514615

Incident

Mar 26, 2023

Light in panel appear said warning malfunction automatic emergency breaking light is on all the time and the car go to the dealers they fixed and when used the car this appear again in the panel

NHTSA ID

11510257

Incident

Oct 17, 2022

Malfunction to the automatic emergency brake, yes available for inspection. Have had that sensor replaced twice and on the the last time was never called to see if the part came in so I'm still have the malfunction. The car brakes without warning, may cause an accident while on the interstate. The sensor has been vhanged multiple times. Been inspected by nissan dealers. First appeared October of 2021 and has not stopped since.

NHTSA ID

11492536

Incident

Oct 9, 2021

Intermittent electrical failure that is related to the sensor systems in the vehicle. While driving the car will display sensory (ie. front collision) and traction control lights on the dash, and then the vehicle will shut off while driving. This has happened over the course of years and happens sporadically. This is very dangerous not only for myself as the driver, but also others on the road. This issue has been reported multiple times with no resolve. After researching, it has been noted that others have experienced failures with the same make and model as well as similar vehicles in Nissan’s fleet.

NHTSA ID

11489695

Incident

Oct 17, 2022

When driving my car the slip indicator will come on. My car will then struggle to stay running and then the malfunction light and car collision lights will also pop on. This happens when I am driving at any speed and if I place in park the car will completely shut down.

NHTSA ID

11466520

Incident

May 27, 2022

Front obstruction/radar malfunction warning light comes on while driving for no apparent reason.

NHTSA ID

11462989

Incident

Sep 1, 2020

Randomly when driving I will have a malfunction see owner manual warning pop up it. Once I clear that to see the error I am getting the traction control and the indicator that looks like two cars colliding. While this is one the car does not have the power that it did before. If I stop and let the car sit for 10 to 15 minutes it mostly goes away but keeps the check engine light on for a couple days. The. The check engine light will go away and this will happen all over again. I bought the car used in May and it is having the same issue. I have had Nissan look at it as it is still under warranty but it seems to go away once I get it to the shop. They tell me nothing is wrong with the car. I have even took pictures of the indicators and they still say my kicks is 100 functional.

NHTSA ID

11442767

Incident

May 27, 2021

Vehicle randomly brakes and shuts down. Had sensor replaced yet problem resurfaced yesterday.

NHTSA ID

11434961

Incident

Sep 29, 2021

AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING (AEB) SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT (IF SO EQUIPPED) I PURCHASED MY 2018 NISSAN KICKS IN FEB OF 2019, AND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE WARNING LIGHT THAT LOOKS LIKE TWO CARS COLLIDING RANDOMLY APPEARING ALONG WITH A MESSAGE "UNAVAILABLE FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION." THESE WARNING LIGHTS CAN COME ON AT ANY GIVEN TIME DURING THE TIME IN WHICH THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN, AND BEGAN SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. WEATHER CONDITIONS, ETC HAVE NO EFFECT ON THIS ISSUE. THE WARNING LIGHT/MESSAGE HAS COME ON WHEN IT'S SUNNY. IT CAN COME ON WHEN CHANGING LANES, AND NOT EVEN HAVING A VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF YOU. I MONITORED THE BEHAVIOR FOR QUITE AWHILE IN ORDER TO CONFIRM THIS WAS AN ACTUAL DEFECT. MY VEHICLE IS GARAGED MOST OF THE TIME, AND THERE HAS BEEN NO DAMAGE TO IT WHATSOEVER. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH, I CHECKED THE OWNERS MANUAL THEN REALIZED THE WARNING LIGHT THAT I HAVE BEEN SEEING IS ACTUALLY THE AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING (AEB) SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT. THE MESSAGE THAT APPEARS ON THE DASH INDICATES A FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION, OR IMPACT NEAR THE FRONT OF THE CAR AS WELL. THESE MAY BE TWO SEPARATE ISSUES, BUT THEY OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME EVERYTIME. I ALWAYS SEE THE AEB LIGHT, AND THE FRONT RADAR OBSTRUCTION WARNING SIMULTANEOUSLY. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BLIND SPOT WARNING LIGHTS RANDOMLY APPEARING, AND MY BACK UP CAM GLITCHING OUT/FREEZING IN THE PROCESS OF BACKING UP.

NHTSA ID

11387330

Incident

Feb 28, 2019

Mileage

2,000 mi

SE ME APAGA CORRIENDO , RUIDO EN LA PARTE FRONTAL. Y EN D NO QUIERE PONERSE EN MARCHA.

NHTSA ID

11366540

Incident

Jun 21, 2019

Mileage

23,753 mi

THE FRONT SENSOR FOR COALITION CONTINUOUS GOES OFF, SNOW. SLEET, RAIN, AND NOW WHEN ITS SUNNY OUT. I'VE HAD THIS CAR FOR LESS THEN 6 MONTHS AND IT HAD STOP WORKING 23 TIMES.

NHTSA ID

11337307

Incident

Jul 2, 2020

Mileage

16,000 mi

FRONT SENSOR FOR THE VEHICAL KEEPS STATING THAT THE SENSOR IS OBSTRUCTED. THE EXTERIOR OF THE CAR HAS BEEN CLEANED AND LOOKED AT BY THE DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM AND REFUSE TO DO SO, DUE TO THE CLAIM THAT RAIN AND BUGS ARE THE CAUSE OF SETTING OFF THE SENSOR. THE SENSOR HAS BEEN GOING OFF SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN AUGUST OF 2018.

NHTSA ID

11318069

Incident

Mar 14, 2020

Mileage

16,000 mi

FRONT RADAR UNAVAILABLE DUE TO OBSTRUCTION. THE SENSOR MALFUNCTIONS (SHOWS ON DASH) WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN RUSH HOUR SLOW TRAFFIC OR NORMAL TRAFFIC, RAIN OR SHINE. IT MAY COME ON WHILE BRAKING OR DRIVING OVER A MANHOLE OR POTHOLE IN THE ROAD. IT HAS COME ON WHILE SLOWING DOWN OR STATIONARY. BOUGHT MY CAR IN JUNE 2019. IT STARTED COMING ON 3 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE AND SEVERAL TIMES SINCE WITH THE LAST TIME ON NOVEMBER 22ND. KEY. CAR WOULD NOT START EVEN WHEN THE KEY WAS PLACED NEAR THE STARTER. BRAKE COULD NOT BE PRESSED IN ORDER TO START IGNITION. KEY NOT DETECTED SENSOR WOULD COME ON. THIS HAPPENED ON A FEW OCCASIONS DAYS AFTER PURCHASE. CALLED DEALER AND INFORMED THEM OF THE PROBLEM. I MISSED WORK DUE TO CAR NOT STARTING. ISSUE RESOLVES ITSELF AFTER SEVERAL HOURS. NEVER WAS FIXED AT THE DEALER SO IT DOES HAPPEN AGAIN ON ANY GIVEN DAY OR TIME.

NHTSA ID

11282004

Incident

Nov 22, 2019

Mileage

8,990 mi

PURCHASED MY 2018 NISSAN KICKS NEW IN FEBRUARY OF 2019. HAVE HAD MANY ISSUES STARTING WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF PURCHASE. MY FIRST ISSUE WAS WHILE WAITING AT A LIGHT THE VEHICLE CUT OFF AND TOOK 3 ATTEMPTS TO RESTART. NEXT ISSUE WAS WHILE DRIVING THE KEY LIGHT GLOWED AS IF THE KEY WAS NOT IN THE VEHICLE. THE CAR STUTTERS AND DON'T PICK UP SPEED. CRASH LIGHT AND OTHER LIGHTS COMING ON WITHOUT WARNING OR REASON. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE IN AFTER EVERY ISSUE AND HAVE LEFT VEHICLE WITH NISSAN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND ISSUES ARE STILL NOT RESOLVED. THIS IS A VEHICLE THAT THEY JUST CAN'T SEEM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH IT. TODAY 11/14/19 IS MY LATEST VISIT FOR THE VEHICLE CUTTING OFF AND NOT STARTING IMMEDIATELY AFTER CUTTING OFF. THE SIDE DOOR BUTTONS HAVE FALLEN INTO THE DOOR PANEL AND STILL NO RESOLUTION. I LEFT THE VEHICLE AND I JUST HOPE THAT THIS TIME ALL MY ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE WIL BE RESOLVED. VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH NISSAN. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM NISSAN AGAIN.

NHTSA ID

11280169

Incident

Mar 24, 2019

Mileage

5,023 mi