2018 Nissan Kicks Electrical 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

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

NHTSA ID

11721890

Incident

Mar 2, 2026

The p0101 code has been going on and off of this car since purchase (3 years) the MAF sensor has been replaced twice and the check engine light comes back on after just a few days each time. This poses a safety risk because the car stops at stop lights and turns off, the car shakes at idle, the car refuses to accelerate risking pulling out in front of another car without being able to accelerate. The check engine light comes on and off and the traction control light as well, its so random and the only fix is to "change the sensor" which does not fix it because it happens again immediately after. Its dangerous and needs an actual fix.

NHTSA ID

11716621

Incident

Jan 23, 2026

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

Frequently we get error P0101 and the car loses power. It says "Mass or Volume Air Flow, A Circuit Range/Poerformance error. For us that means the car loses power, limps along or jerks suddenly and the lights flash, this can happen at any time. Happens about one or twice a month at very random times, not dependant on the weather. We have changed the MAF sensor as instructed but this still happens and it quite dangerous when driving or pulling away from a stop.

NHTSA ID

11675888

Incident

Jul 24, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the crash indicator warning light illuminated causing the vehicle to stall. After several attempts, the vehicle was able to be restarted but was unable to accelerate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11584123

Incident

Apr 19, 2024

Mileage

70,000 mi

while driving will stall and power off in the middle of traffic, the dealer said this issue was caused by the idle air control valve sensor, but continued to do this even after the sensor was cleaned and replaced, this has been happening over several years. it started when i received the vehicle 18k miles and continued periodically, it is extremely unsafe, now it is unusable, at 88k miles i am replacing the computer. i hope this will finally fix the issue.

NHTSA ID

11581803

Incident

Apr 16, 2021

Car started/idled rough but stopped after acceleration. Mile into drive, yellow ck engine light flashing. Drove home and took it to auto store for free diagnostic. Misfire cylinder 1. Took to nussan dealer where purchased (certified used) to have them check it out. Light is now off, but code is stored. They moved plugs around and sent ne on my way to see if it happened again. Later that day, same thing only worse abd ck engine solid. Had it towed back. Told it was wiring harness. 6000 repair( nissan covering some). Big expense for a car with only 51,000 miles, and not covered by warrenty.

NHTSA ID

11539198

Incident

Aug 4, 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

This car has been shutting down without warning, everything goes haywire and shuts off. When or if it start back up, the gauges aren't working. Several times I have had to jump start the vehicle. I was almost hit by an 18-wheeler, and I cringe at the fact my Dad or Son could have been driving or I could had my nieces or grandchildren in the car with me. My Dad purchased this car last year and it still doesn't have 45,000 miles on it. I tried to get it into a Nissan Services center, and I have to wait until the end of next week to have it checked out. This vehicle is a death trap.

NHTSA ID

11472977

Incident

Jul 5, 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

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

A few weeks ago while I was driving 50mph on a completely dry hwy the slip indicator came on. I thought I accidentally hit traction control so i hit that button and then realized they we two different icons. Shortly after the slip indicator came on the screen popped up saying Malfunction See owners manual. I pulled over where lights just started popping on and then my car died. After waiting 6 hours for a tow truck it was finally brought to the dealership. they did their inspection and said I needed a new alternator and they replaced that. Today 3 weeks later my car was parked. I was going to leave as my car was on and Malfunction see owners manual and the slip indicator started popping on. I went to put it in reverse and could not press the peddles and gravity rolled me back. I then had to throw it into park to stop it. I turned off my car and same thing again. I turned it off again and restarted and it was fine. I took it back to the dealership and they are still trying to figure out what is going on. this is extremely dangerous especially it stopping when driving. Looks like I am not the only one having this problem.

NHTSA ID

11439872

Incident

Nov 8, 2021

1: the back-up camera display may suddenly go dark while you’re in the middle of reversing 2: the vehicle would not start and something stalls when driving with with a boost off and had the vehicle serviced twice for this issue, but to no availability answer. The Nissan Dealership can’t find any problems .

NHTSA ID

11429962

Incident

Jul 1, 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

THE AUDIO HEAD UNTIL HAS TECH ISSUES CONNECTING AND PLAYING ANDROID AUTO. IT CONSTANTLY SKIPS 5 SECONDS AT A TIME. THERE IS ALSO ISSUES WITH THE USB INPUT STAYING CONNECTED. LOOKING ONLINE, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH NISSANS THAT HAVE THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11366696

Incident

Oct 1, 2020

Mileage

41,000 mi

THE VEHICLE HAS TURNED OFF 3 TIMES ON THE FREEWAY. AND IT WON'T START FAST IT TAKES FROM 15 MINUTES TO HALF AN HOUR. THEY HAVE ALREADY REPAIRED IT 2 TIMES AND IT CONTINUES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

11329825

Incident

Jun 20, 2020

Mileage

8,000 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

NISSAN KICKS 2018 (BOUGHT JULY 2018) - PROBLEMS WITH FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR AND APPROXIMATE MILEAGE DATA. PROBLEMS WITH FUEL GAUGE AFTER TANK REFILLED AND DURING MOVING. PROBLEM EXISTS PERMANENTLY AND RELEASED IN NOVEMBER 2018, JUST 4 MONTHS AFTER BUYING. DEALERSHIP SERVICE COULD NOT REALIZE WHAT IS WRONG WITH FUEL GAUGE AFTER MORE THEN 3 INVESTIGATIONS. THEIR SOFTWARE COULD NOT REALIZE THE REASON OF ISSUE AND HOW TO SOLVE IT. RISKS - DRIVER DISINFORMATION AND POSSIBILITY TO STUCK WITHOUT FUEL ON HIGHWAY. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED FILE: 1. CAR HAS A GASOLINE AND FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR DISPLAYS IT, BUT "APPROXIMATE MILEAGE' DISPLAYED AS - - - - KM 2. 0.0 KM AND "APPROXIMATE MILEAGE' IS 71 KM. CAR REFILLED WITH A GASOLINE > FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR BAR IS NOT INCREASED AFTER GASOLINE REFILLING. 3. CAR MOVED 31.7 KM. "APPROXIMATE MILEAGE" DECREASED ONLY BY 10 KM, FROM 71 KM TO 61 KM. BUT THE CAR MOVED 31.7 KM ! FUEL GAUGE INDICATOR BAR ADDED 3 MORE BARS SUDDENLY.

NHTSA ID

11269341

Incident

Nov 20, 2018

Mileage

2,500 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11265809

Incident

Aug 21, 2019

Mileage

1,300 mi

FRONT COLLISON SENSOR KEEPS MALFUNCTIONING ON A BROAD RANGE OF NEWER NISSANS INCLUDING THE KICKS WHICH COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STOP ON ITS OWN. ALSO, MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPLACE SCRATCHED UP AND MALFUNCTIONING TOUCH SCREEN RADIO UNITS.

NHTSA ID

11231882

Incident

May 17, 2019

Mileage

15 mi

AT RANDOM TIMES WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED THE ENGINE STARTS BUT NONE OF THE INSTRUMENTS IN THE DASHBOARD (DIGITAL GAUGE, SENSORS, ETC...) INCLUDING THE STEREO WOULD TURN ON. IN ADDITION POWER STEERING IS NOT FUNCTIONAL. IT TAKES SEVERAL TRIES OF RESTARTING THE CAR IN ORDER TO GET ALL THE GAUGES, SENSORS, STEREO AND POWER STEERING TO FUNCTION. THIS ISSUR CAN HAPPEN WHEN THE CAR IS COMPLETELY OFF AND IT IS TURNED ON. I EVEN TOOK A VIDEO SHOWING THE ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11140171

Incident

Oct 13, 2018

Mileage

2,700 mi