Nissan Kicks Engine Problems

Owners have filed 101 complaints about engine & cooling problems with the Nissan Kicks — 19% of all Kicks complaints. The worst model years are 2019 (36), 2018 (23) and 2020 (20). Problems typically start around 43,000 miles. No engine recall has been issued for the Kicks.

101complaints
2019worst year
43ktypical miles
0related recalls
0crashes
0fires

Engine complaints by model year

201820192020202120222023202420252026233620945211
Engine complaints per model year, Nissan Kicks.
YearComplaintsShare of year's complaintsTypical mileage
2026113%2,000 miles
202512%—
202425%180,000 miles
2023528%37,000 miles
2022417%97,000 miles
2021912%—
20202021%2,000 miles
20193627%27,000 miles
20182327%100,000 miles

Which parts fail

  • Cooling system › Radiator assembly
    1

Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    1354%
  • 25k–50k
    417%
  • 50k–75k
    313%
  • 75k–100k
    14%
  • 100k–150k
    28%
  • 150k+
    14%

What owners report

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. …

2023 Kicks · 35,000 miles · Aug 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that there was a green fluid leaking underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there were two hoses leaking from the transmission and the radiator. After further inspection, it was determined the radiator had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the failure was being investigated. The failure mileage was approximately 37,100.

2023 Kicks · Cooling system › Radiator assembly · 37,000 miles · Aug 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to pull to the side of the road. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

2022 Kicks · 10,000 miles · Mar 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle decelerated while the accelerator pedal was being depressed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer; where it was diagnosed; however, the failure was not replicated. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed by the same local dealer and remained with the dealer for further diagnostic tests. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000. The VIN was not available.

2022 Kicks · 97,000 miles · Feb 2025

Was driving on the interstate when all of the sudden any time I would hit the accelerator it would start to brake. I went from going 60 to 45 and realized I had to pull over and was able luckily to get to a median to call AAA. Once i got to the median my battery and oil change light appeared and AC stopped working. I attempted to turn my car off and it would just automatically restart. I did that three times and on the third time the lights turned off and ac was back blowing cold but still couldn't move my vehicle. AAA then towed it to their facility and said it was transmission issues and he had never seen something like it before since no sensors were notified to the issue. It's now being towed from the AAA center and is being taken to the dealership closest for repairs. I'm still waiting to hear back from Maus Nissan about my car and where to go from here. …

2021 Kicks · Nov 2022

My CVT transmission has stopped working. At no time during taking it to Nissan dealerships to have oil changes in basic maintenance was it ever suggested to do a filter or fluid change on my transmission although Nissan transmissions are sold to consumers as locked and maintenance free it is a well-known fact that I've come to find out that this is a very incorrect statement and fluid and filters do need change every 30 to 50,000 miles or it will cause severe damage to one's transmission which is what it occurred to me on my 2021 Nissan kicks. Also all my safety features that told me if I was outside of a lane or anything like that would go off and not work properly tell me that it was wet conditions when it wasn't tell me I was going to crash when I wasn't even near anything. This occurred before the transmission completely bottomed out.

2021 Kicks · Feb 2026

*Engine or transmission failure - 27,165 current mileage *safety Risk - During moderate traffic conditions , vehicle was traveling approximtely 45 miles per hour, when it suddenly be gain to slow down. By the vehicle slowing in the manner that it did, could have caused the traffic following the vehicle to come to an abrupt stop resulting in a rear end collision. * The vehicle is currently at the Larry Miller Nissan for inspection and diagnostics * Check engine light illuminated seconds before the vehicle stalled there were no other indicators of distress such as burning smells or leaking fluids prior to the incident.

2020 Kicks · Oct 2021

Since I got the kicks in May of this year 2022 I have had multiple incidents where the lights for the sensors come on out of nowhere and it shows 3 messages for .sensor malfunction. They popped on again a few days ago and now the check engine light is on and the code it's showing is main air flow sensor failure. That sensor from what I have been told should last a long time. I have had it 7 months and it's only 2 years old. I change the air filter every oil change and with the sensor failed it won't drive proper causing a safety hazard for me and my children.

2020 Kicks · Dec 2022

Frequently asked questions

Which Nissan Kicks years have engine problems?

By NHTSA complaints, the 2019 (36), 2018 (23), 2020 (20), 2021 (9) and 2023 (5) model years. Engine complaints make up 27% of all complaints for the 2019.

Is there a recall for Nissan Kicks engine problems?

No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for any Nissan Kicks model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.

At what mileage do Nissan Kicks engine problems start?

Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 43,000 miles; 71% happened before 50,000 miles.

What part fails most often?

Owners most often name the cooling system › radiator assembly (1 mentions).

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.