Nissan Kicks: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Nissan Kicks: 8 model years scored from 442 NHTSA owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns. Worst year 2019, best year 2018.
Nissan Kicks: which years to avoid
Across 6 scored model years the Nissan Kicks ranges from 79/100 in 2019 to 94/100 in 2022 — a 15-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Forward Collision Avoidance (43 of them).
Safest years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2018 (score 91). Worst: 2019 (score 79, BUY).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | $2,530 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 81 | BUY | $2,843 | 34 | 1 |
| 2023 | — | DATA PENDING | $2,660 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 94 | BUY | $2,904 | 22 | 0 |
| 2021 | 80 | BUY | $3,225 | 75 | 2 |
| 2020 | 85 | BUY | $3,374 | 93 | 0 |
| 2019 | 79 | BUY | $3,583 | 134 | 1 |
| 2018 | 91 | BUY | $3,560 | 84 | 1 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the Kicks, through the years →
Kicks sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the Kicks on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Nissan Kicks
Across every Kicks model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Forward Collision Avoidance119 complaints across all Kicks years · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration$780–$2,160
- Electrical System103 complaints across all Kicks years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other96 complaints across all Kicks years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Engine87 complaints across all Kicks years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train48 complaints across all Kicks years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Service Brakes37 complaints across all Kicks years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Nissan Kicks years to buy?
2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2022 at 94/100, on 22 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
Which Nissan Kicks years should I avoid?
The 2019 is the weakest year we score, at 79/100 (BUY), on 134 complaints and 1 recalls. Check the year-by-year table above before committing to any particular car.
What is the most common Nissan Kicks problem?
119 of the complaints filed against the Kicks across all its model years sit in the Forward Collision Avoidance group — more than any other component.
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04