2020 Nissan Kicks Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 23, 2026 · Filed: October 25, 2026

When driving, if the wind blows or we hit a small bump in the road, the traction control light will flash & and the car will completely lose the ability to accelerate. Then, the car will have to come to a complete stop to regain acceleration. We have taken the car to Nissan at least 5 times, and they only suggested replacing the front sensors on the car as well as the front guard. We did. This did not fix the issue. We then took it to a local mechanic. They suggested replacing the alternator because it wasn’t getting enough power to the battery. We did. This did not fix the issue. We have now spent 4k and the car is still randomly losing acceleration during normal driving.

Incident: August 3, 2026 · Filed: September 26, 2026

Date: XXXTo:National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)1200 New Jersey Avenue, SEWest BuildingWashington, DC 20590From:[XXX] [XXX]: FORMAL VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLAINT – Sudden Loss of Propulsion and Traffic Hesitation / 2020 Nissan Kicks (VIN: [XXX])To the Office of Defects Investigation,I am writing to formally report a critical, life-threatening vehicle safety defect involving the powertrain/automatic transmission assembly on my 2020 Nissan Kicks FWD SV.While operating the vehicle at 61,564 miles in active traffic, the vehicle suffered a sudden and dangerous loss of propulsion without any prior warning. Upon pressing the accelerator pedal, the transmission slipped severely, causing the vehicle to hazardously shudder, shake, and hesitate to move forward. This unexpected lag in acceleration left the vehicle moving dangerously slow in a live traffic lane, creating an immediate and imminent risk of a severe rear-end collision.The vehicle was driven to a certified facility, Vann York's High Point Nissan (located in [XXX]), for an emergency mechanical diagnosis. A diagnostic scan revealed active Diagnostic Trouble Codes DTC P17F0 (CVT Judder) and DTC P2859 (Clutch A Pressure). The certified dealership technician explicitly documented on Repair Order #XXX that the transaxle assembly "WONT MOVE AND IS NOISY," prescribing a complete transmission replacement due to internal component failure.Following this diagnosis, I was forced to navigate the vehicle back to my residence under highly hazardous conditions using hazard lights. Due to the high risk of a total sudden stall or sudden loss of acceleration on public roadways, the vehicle has been grounded at my residence and is currently parked as completely undrivable due to severe safety fears.Nissan has a widespread, heavily documented historical record of manufactur INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: September 16, 2025 · Filed: September 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Kicks. While driving from a stop, the vehicle started sputtering and lost motive power. While driving 70 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated to 45 MPH while driving uphill with the RPM elevated. The failure occurred while the outdoor temperature was above 95 degrees. The failure had persisted over time. The contact stated that the floorboard was extremely hot during the failure. The contact was concerned about being in a crash with her child in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the transmission was flushed, but the failure reoccurred. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Trophy Nissan Service (5031 N Galloway Ave, Mesquite, TX 75150), but the cause of the failure was not determined. Additionally, an independent mechanic was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer, Nissan, was called, and a voice mail was left for customer service, but there was no response. An email was sent to the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Incident: September 10, 2026 · Filed: September 11, 2026

My tire is 205 50r17 and they gave me a 235 tire which made my car feel funny . I’ve been sitting here for an hour waiting on a tire and they messed up my rim

Incident: August 5, 2026 · Filed: September 10, 2026

My car when in over 95 degree weather, literally will not have power to get up hills and starts to jerk and looses power to make the hills. When the temps outside are cooler the car works fine. I live in [XXX] and I drive long distance to work. I also have a [XXX] son that has to be in the car with me. I can’t have my car messing up all because it’s hot outside and it obviously doesn’t like the heat. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: July 18, 2026 · Filed: August 15, 2026

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 would cost $8,057.83. I then contacted Nissan consumer affairs and after one month of review, it was determined that the car was out of warranty and there was nothing they can do. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: July 15, 2026 · Filed: July 15, 2026

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 issue with other owners.

Incident: June 7, 2026 · Filed: July 15, 2026

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

Incident: July 8, 2026 · Filed: July 11, 2026

CVT issues-car is sputtering and gears slipping. Vehicle has 148,000 miles.

Incident: May 30, 2026 · Filed: June 7, 2026

The vehicle's ABS Actuator (47660-5RW0D) failed and was replaced. Given the mileage was only 32,827, the component failed prematurely and was nowhere near the end of its lifetime expectancy. This indicates it was inherently defective from the factory. This premature failure presented a critical safety hazard. Because the component controls anti-lock braking and the electronic stability control, a sudden failure compromises vehicle safety, increases stopping distances, and poses an immediate risk to driver, passenger, and public safety. Multiple warning lights have been sporadically coming on, every few months, since November of 2025 when the vehicle was serviced, but would go after the vehicle was turned off. This was dismissed as an electric glitch due to a firmware update after researching online to find this was a common occurrence and would just be fixed the next time the vehicle was serviced. Finally, a few days prior to 05/30/2026, the lights came on and stayed on. The vehicle was checked for a bad battery at a local auto parts store on 05/30/2026 as this was researched to be another common possibility. When this was ruled out, the vehicle was taken to a local dealership and inspected and diagnosed to be the bad ABS actuator.