2020 Nissan Kicks: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
93 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 93 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 15.5
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
My 2020 Nissan Kicks with 62,000 miles, went into limp mode on XXX and after a diagnostic test by the Pinnacle Nissan dealership in Scottsdale ([XXX]), it was determined a "Throttle Body Replacement" was needed. I paid $1,143.69 for that work. On XXX, the car went into limp mode again while on the freeway and the Pinnacle Nissan dealership in Scottsdale stated it needed an "Engine Wire Harness" replacement that wou…
Check engine light appears on and throws code p0101, mass air flow sensor. Have changed mass air flow sensor twice, had code cleared at mechanic. Drive 5 miles and BAM check engine light appears. As soon as my car hits 2000 RPM, the front and rear collision lights and traction light come on… my car almost doesn’t move when I press the gas to go after this happens and the rpm’s are up to 3000-4000 just going 30 mph
My vehicle over the last 3-4 years has been showing P0101 code errors, resulting in issues with idle, performance, and fuel economy. Cleaning the MAF sensor does nothing. This causes all sensors to turn off and stay off until the car is subsequently turned off again. I have taken it in to Nissan to be inspected and refuse to pay over $500 just for them to diagnose the issue. Have seen this also being a recurring issu…
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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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 Avoidance34 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Electrical System27 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine20 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train18 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Fuel/Propulsion System13 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Unknown Or Other12 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
Other Nissan Kicks years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Nissan Kicks?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Forward Collision Avoidance (34 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2020 Nissan Kicks a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 85/100, computed from 93 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2020 Nissan Kicks's most common problem?
34 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2020 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 2020 Nissan Kicks cost to run per year?
About $3,654 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $18,272 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.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2020 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 — 93 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 93 NHTSA complaints on record (15.5/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (15.2/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems