2023 Nissan Kicks Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
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What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2023 Nissan Kicks, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Driver assistance741.2%
- Electrical317.6%
- Brakes211.8%
- Powertrain (other)15.9%
- Steering15.9%
- Visibility15.9%
- Engine15.9%
- Exterior lighting15.9%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
I find driving my Nissan 2023 Nissan kicks 2023 when I look to my right my rearview mirror obstruct my view. It do not allow me to see completely what I’m approaching while my car is moving. I have to lean to my right and look under my mirror to get a clear view of what beside me. Or or what I am approaching. Or what is approaching me. I have had two accident in his car due to my rearview mirror obstructing my view. I went back to the dealership and I told them about this situation and they said it was nothing they can do. I was injured in the last accident did not see the car approaching me at all. The Nissan car dealership did not give a height verification of people who should drive this car. I am five 9 1/2 and I am buying a Nissan kicks 2023 and I tell you you have call me back pain I have to get shots in my back because of all the linking and ducking I have to do to see why this car is moving. This is a dangerous vehicle on the road. It should be taken off the road. It should be taken off the market. Should nobody buy this a Nissan kicks. The word.Period.
The driver side (left) camera seems to be partially out (gets a faint signal in sunlight, fully out at night) and it is unclear how well the saftey features work as a result.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. The contact had to wait for 20 minutes to an hour before being able to start the vehicle. The failure was intermittent. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
I started braking and the red "BRAKE" started intermittently shining. Later on, the warning, front collision, and traction control lights suddenly turned on. I cannot use cruise control now either. A quick look online shows this to be a widespread issue across many Nissan Kicks, but the dealership is saying that the issue only applies to some models of Kicks, not mine. But my issue is identical to the one people online have said applied to theirs and was covered, so I think it is a more widespread issue than Nissan is letting on/admitting. This is dangerous as these systems are last-resort braking systems for emergencies, so when they are supposed to engage is precisely when you need them most (to prevent a deadly crash). Additionally, there is now a second instance of one of the side cameras going out. The first one happened at roughly ~20k miles, and now the other side at ~36k miles. This is dangerous since these cameras feed into the lane keeping and blind spot systems, as well as the parking system.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
My car will just slam on the brakes for no reason at all. The only thing I did different was use the emergency brake the day before when I was on a slope. There is nothing in front of me causing this to happen. I've been to the shop about this before they charge you $190 to put it on a sensor and tell you there's nothing wrong with it that was a good while ago probably a year. It happened again Saturday morning driving home from work I was able to get to the shop today Tuesday morning. I told them I saw online that other people were having this issue. I could not afford to give them another $190 even though they said they could only diagnosis if it would happen while the mechanic was driving it or they could find it on the machine that would cost $190. I have a warranty on this car and I don't feel that it's fair that although they have to know about this issue they still want to charge me and will not even acknowledge that they're aware of this. I told the woman on the phone when I called in Saturday morning for an appointment which by the way they couldn't get me in until Monday anyways, that I had an hour commute to and from work and that if anyone would have been behind me they would have hit me. She seemed unconcerned. Everyone at Nissan seems unconcerned.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while stopped at light, the vehicle did not accelerate and lost power. The vehicle was towed to a friend's residence. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the CVT transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,632
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
I went to have car checked and mechanic said it was a recall and the problem is an unstable electrical connection within the sensor that measures the force the driver applies to the steering wheel during turns and can result in the power steering feature being disabled. I can have inspection done at any time. I drive my family to work and my infant grandson around. I don’t want to have an accident or put my family at risk. Other vehicles that were of the same yr and make have been recalled but mine was made in a different country so it has not been recalled as of yet but I need answers due to the risk factor of driving this vehicle.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
Back window shattered spontaneously without notice
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the headlights became extremely dim before the failure was self-corrected. The failure was intermittent. Occasionally, the contact had to restart the vehicle for the headlights to illuminate properly. The contact stated that after the initial start-up, the vehicle hesitated, and there was an extensive amount of time before the transmission shifted into 2nd gear. There was also an extended amount of time before the vehicle shifted into 1st gear while the vehicle was idling. While driving uphill and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle decelerated and lost motive power. The failure became a persistent failure. The contact stated that on one occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, while the transmission was shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, a loud boom came from the vehicle, and the vehicle lost power. The contact was able to push the vehicle, with assistance, to a nearby parking lot. There was a mechanic shop nearby, and a certified mechanic inspected the vehicle. The mechanic determined that the transmission fluid was leaking from the driver's side CV axle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was made aware that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 25V508000 (Exterior Lighting, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. The VIN was not available.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the headlights became extremely dim before the failure was self-corrected. The failure was intermittent. Occasionally, the contact had to restart the vehicle for the headlights to illuminate properly. The contact stated that after the initial start-up, the vehicle hesitated, and there was an extensive amount of time before the transmission shifted into 2nd gear. There was also an extended amount of time before the vehicle shifted into 1st gear while the vehicle was idling. While driving uphill and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle decelerated and lost motive power. The failure became a persistent failure. The contact stated that on one occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, while the transmission was shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, a loud boom came from the vehicle, and the vehicle lost power. The contact was able to push the vehicle, with assistance, to a nearby parking lot. There was a mechanic shop nearby, and a certified mechanic inspected the vehicle. The mechanic determined that the transmission fluid was leaking from the driver's side CV axle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was made aware that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V437000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 25V508000 (Exterior Lighting, Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. The VIN was not available.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .