2019 Nissan Kicks: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
134 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 134 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 19.14
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
When driving in rainy, snowy/icy, or wet conditions, water/slush impacts the front sensors/MAF sensor, causing the engine to shudder, stall, and shut off completely while in drive. The ABS, battery, and oil lights instantly flash on the dashboard, and the Automatic Emergency Braking system triggers/faults, creating a severe stall and safety hazard on active roads.
The front driver’s side coil spring broke. The front passenger side was showing signs of premature wear. Nissan does not just sell the coil spring, so a strut assembly had to be purchased for both sides. This was a very expensive repair.
I was trapped inside my car because the driver side door lock actuator was broken. I had the door lock actuator replaced at a Nissan dealership who verified the problem. There was an issue where the driver side door would not lock properly with the key fob. When I tried to unlock the door with the fob, the car horn would go off until I pressed the fob again.
Recalls: 1 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 19V654000 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 33 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $1,850
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Forward Collision Avoidance43 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Electrical System39 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine35 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other31 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Service Brakes22 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Power Train19 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Nissan Kicks years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2019 Nissan Kicks?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Forward Collision Avoidance (43 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2019 Nissan Kicks a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 79/100, computed from 134 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2019 Nissan Kicks's most common problem?
43 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2019 Nissan Kicks sit in the Forward Collision Avoidance group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is radar or camera module replacement and calibration: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $780–$2,160 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2019 Nissan Kicks cost to run per year?
About $3,863 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $19,315 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2019 Nissan Kicks have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2019 Nissan Kicks, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 12/09/2019. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2019 Nissan Kicks really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 134 complaints, 1 recalls on record
- 134 NHTSA complaints on record (19.1/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (15.2/yr)
- 1 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems