NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Nissan Kicks. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Vehicle experienced sudden engine stall/shutdown after warning indicators illuminated. While driving at low speed, the ABS warning light, front collision warning light, and check engine light appeared. After placing the vehicle in Park, the engine shut off unexpectedly. Vehicle would then restart but stall again within several seconds. This created a serious safety concern because the vehicle could lose power unexpectedly in traffic or while entering an intersection, reducing ability to accelerate, steer safely with traffic flow, or avoid a collision. OBD diagnostic codes retrieved were P0101, P0102, and P0113. Based on research into common 2018-2020 Nissan Kicks issues, these codes may be secondary/false airflow sensor warnings caused by a failing or sticking electronic throttle body rather than an actual mass air flow sensor failure. Sudden stalling and restart-then-stall behavior are consistent with throttle body malfunction. Problem appears intermittent. Vehicle/component is available for inspection upon request. No prior warning lamps were present before the incident.
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled and lost motive power, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions and was diagnosed with airflow sensor failure. The contact was informed that the airflow sensor needed to be replaced. The airflow sensor was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was returned to the dealer and again diagnosed with a failed airflow sensor that required replacement. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure continued. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 100,574.
When put in park car started idling rough and then stalled. Engine light, collision warning light, and traction control light came on. Code scanned as a P0101 code.
Radio skips songs back and forth randomly, and now radio screen and buttons are block.
Intermittently for the last year, car will show 3 dash lights: 1. AEB light 2. Slip indicator light 3. Master warning light When this occurs, the car can be slow to accelerate. When the three lights are on, the problem will persist until the engine is shut off for a period of several minutes. It does not occur every time the car is driven. In the last 3 months, there have been 3-4 instances where the check engine light has come on as well. The code every time has been P1010 or no code displayed. We tried changing out the MAF sensor with a third party part, and the issue occurred even more frequently. We then went back to the first sensor after cleaning it with MAF sensor cleaner. This seemed to resolve the issue for a month, but then it started to reoccur. The last two occurrences of the check engine light have occurred after rapid acceleration. - Yes original part is available for inspection. - Safety is at risk for self and others as car can have issues accelerating, which makes it dangerous to enter freeways and highways (which are necessary for my commute). - Dealer has not reproduced the error, however they have not seen it with a check engine code (taking the car in tomorrow). - no inspection by insurance, police, or manufacturer. - before the 3 error lights started to come on fairly regularly (several times a week) I had a few issues of intermittent sluggish acceleration over the course of 1-2 years when this issue first started, but no lights came on at first.
The p0101 code has been going on and off of this car since purchase (3 years) the MAF sensor has been replaced twice and the check engine light comes back on after just a few days each time. This poses a safety risk because the car stops at stop lights and turns off, the car shakes at idle, the car refuses to accelerate risking pulling out in front of another car without being able to accelerate. The check engine light comes on and off and the traction control light as well, its so random and the only fix is to "change the sensor" which does not fix it because it happens again immediately after. Its dangerous and needs an actual fix.
All brake failure warning lights remain on while driving and ABS no longer works. It is a very common safety failure that Nissan is making a small fortune on. It is a definate safety item.
Getting code p0101. When car first starts the throttle response is very low. Once the car warms up to seems to go away but it appears to be a consistent problem. Others are reporting as well for this vehicle.
I purchased a 2018 Nissan Kicks with under 6k miles from Atlanta Luxury Motors (ALM Marietta) on April 29, 2022. The dealer failed to disclose the car was a Canadian import, which voided the manufacturer’s warranty and left me responsible for unsafe defects. At under 30,000 miles, the suspension (struts) failed and had to be replaced, and by 60,000 miles the CVT transmission began showing fault codes, slipping, and jerking, creating serious safety risks while driving. The undercarriage also showed early rust. These problems were confirmed by independent mechanics and service centers, and I have paid over $3,000 in repairs and will inquire more if transmission has to be replaced costing between 6-8k. The vehicle’s defects put me and others at risk of loss of control, and I request NHTSA investigation to determine if this model or imported versions are unsafe for U.S. consumers.
The ABS and forward collision system failed. This caused the car not to respond during a hard brake when it was raining. I almost had an accident. The car was inspected on September 4, 2025, by Universal Nissan (12785 S Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, Florida). Universal Nissan found a malfunction in the ABS control (Actuator & ECU Assy antiskid) with a repair cost of $2,448. The car has 18,689 miles. The warning lamps appear as soon as the malfunction starts. The Nissan Kicks owner forum reports this ABS problem as recurrent. There are multiple reports on the website. I contacted Nissan Consumer Affairs (Case #5576215). They did not take responsibility for the ABS problem.
Code P0101 comes up which indicates an issue with the car’s MAF system triggering a check engine light. This is widely known to be a software issue and is chronic in many Nissan Kick’s manufactured around 2018-2020. This is a faulty error code and ends up visiting consumers hundreds of dollars to repair and almost always returns despite actions being taken to repair the issue.
Frequently we get error P0101 and the car loses power. It says "Mass or Volume Air Flow, A Circuit Range/Poerformance error. For us that means the car loses power, limps along or jerks suddenly and the lights flash, this can happen at any time. Happens about one or twice a month at very random times, not dependant on the weather. We have changed the MAF sensor as instructed but this still happens and it quite dangerous when driving or pulling away from a stop.
For over a year, I have experienced repeated failures of the front radar system, specially during rain or wet weather, when it rains the vehicle displays multiple warning such as: "Front radar unavailable" "automatic emergency braking unavailable" "Front sensor malfunction" This disable essentials safety systems, including the automatic emergency breaking (AEB) and forward collision warning, the Nissan Dealership has attempted several repairs, but the malfunction continues every time it rains, Because this is a critical safety issue that affect the vehicle braking and collision-avoidance and multiple repair have failed
I was driving on the road like normal and suddenly I got a front collision warning on the dash, the car wouldn’t accelerate and lost all power. Check engine light also came on with code reading P0101. I’ve had this issue before and the dealer doesn’t know what to do or they want to charge me a lot of money to fix it. I’ve read online many many people having the same issue. Luckily this hasn’t happened on the highway but if it does happen it could be catastrophic
The Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to idle roughly, stall unexpectedly, and trigger continuous beeping. During the failure, the power steering locked, making it extremely difficult to steer and creating a serious safety hazard for myself and others on the road. The issue was reproduced and confirmed by a service center, and the sensor was replaced by a Nissan dealership with the system reset/rebooted. However, despite this repair, the vehicle has again begun experiencing the same symptoms, including rough idling, stalling, beeping, and loss of steering control. The recurrence of this problem after dealership repair indicates that the issue may extend beyond a single component and presents an ongoing safety concern. The vehicle and repair records remain available for inspection upon request.
P0101 Mass air flow sensor code keeping appearing after repairing it. It causes the car to stall and shut off frequently on its own.
My steering is erratic and sometimes it feels like it’s pulling hard to one side or the other and when I try to correct it actually over corrects. I’ve read about the eps problems when looking into options for repair/replace. I feel it too dangerous for driving anywhere. It is a 2018 Nissan Kicks. Thank you.
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle occasionally experienced reduction in automotive power with the "System Malfunction" message displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the battery had been replaced twice however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
ABS system warning light turns on and off, and ABS fails after 50,000 miles on vehicle. System requires ABS actuator replacement, but replacement isn't reliable. Nissan has been contacted and refused to acknowledge issue or offer assistance with issue. This has been an issue in ALL Nissan Kicks and Leaf models dating back to 2018 and through current models. I believe a recall should be instated for this problem because multiple cars could potentially be driving without their ABS systems active. This could lead to poor ability to stop in inclement weather and could lead to more accidents on highways. The lights randomly turning off could mislead drivers into thinking that nothing is wrong with their vehicles. Upon first inspection at local Nissan dealership they reported no problem but loose battery terminal.
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the crash indicator warning light illuminated causing the vehicle to stall. After several attempts, the vehicle was able to be restarted but was unable to accelerate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
See attached document for complaint
Driver side coil spring broke near the lower part of the spring, spring was still seated and operating but rubbing on strut. There was no way to tell that the spring was broken other than the fact that I found the broken piece laying on the ground - so we immediately took it to Nissan to be repaired. This is the second coil spring to break - the passenger spring broke at the same location at around 46,000 miles - again no way to tell that the spring was broken other than the fact that I had visually inspected the car and noticed the spring broken. This is the exact same issue we had with our 2012 Nissan Versa - both coil springs within 60,000 miles - however Nissan did issue a recall for those parts.
I was driving in traffic in a 30mph zone and my car turned off, and I was unable to push down on the brakes. I had to use my emergency brake a could hardly turn my wheel and stop in the center divider of the road. I turned on my hazards and waited 15 minutes and was able to restart the car a drive home. This was very dangerous and could have caused an accident.
We had just purchased the car days prior. Assuming it was reliable we traveled an hour from home in clear conditions. Forward collision sensor malfunctioned on the way to our destination. After arriving, we left the vehicle unattended for quite sometime, hoping the issue would resolve. After turning off the forward collision sensor once back in the vehicle, it shut off completely as we were merging on to the interstate, again in clear weather conditions. The vehicle would not move, and had shut down completely. After getting the vehicle back on the road, I had my sales team drop it off at Nissan in Russellville, AR. It has since been seen 3 separate times for the same forward collision sensor malfunction. It will not drive, and I feel very unsafe with this vehicle on the road.
Im getting a front collision warning light with nothing in front of w
Car started/idled rough but stopped after acceleration. Mile into drive, yellow ck engine light flashing. Drove home and took it to auto store for free diagnostic. Misfire cylinder 1. Took to nussan dealer where purchased (certified used) to have them check it out. Light is now off, but code is stored. They moved plugs around and sent ne on my way to see if it happened again. Later that day, same thing only worse abd ck engine solid. Had it towed back. Told it was wiring harness. 6000 repair( nissan covering some). Big expense for a car with only 51,000 miles, and not covered by warrenty.
The drive side airbag where the seatbelt is connected is coming out.
Constant problems with mass air flow sensor. The traction light turns on and when I’m at a full stop, the car starts shaking and stops accelerating. I fixed this issue, but only for it to come back. Now, I noticed there’s delayed acceleration.
El Panel de control tiene prendidas las luces de ABS, luz de Warning, luces de Resbalizo, luces de choque entre vehículos (4 luces encendidas). Mi vehículo tiene 19,000.00 y casi no se usa y tiene 4 años de comprado. Por favor, ayúdenme con esta Situacion
Intermittent electrical failure that is related to the sensor systems in the vehicle. While driving the car will display sensory (ie. front collision) and traction control lights on the dash, and then the vehicle will shut off while driving. This has happened over the course of years and happens sporadically. This is very dangerous not only for myself as the driver, but also others on the road. This issue has been reported multiple times with no resolve. After researching, it has been noted that others have experienced failures with the same make and model as well as similar vehicles in Nissan’s fleet.
Light in panel appear said warning malfunction automatic emergency breaking light is on all the time and the car go to the dealers they fixed and when used the car this appear again in the panel
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated while trying to place the vehicle into reverse(R) the gear shifter failed to move. The contact turned off the vehicle and on several occasions the contact had to wait for over 20 minutes before the shift lever would move into reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure started as an intermittent failure but was now constant. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed due to a fee being charged. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.
I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO CALL IT., THE CAR WILL TURN COMPLETE OFF WHEN DRIVING AND IT WILL ALSO HAVE THE CRASH LIGHT COME ON ALMOST ALL THE TIME ALONG WITH THE CAR WITH THE WIGGLE LIGHT COME ON. ALSO YOU CAN SMELL GAS WHEN YOU PUT GAS IN THE TANK REAL HEAVY FUME.....I BROUGHT THIS CAR ON OCT 1 2022., I EXPLAIN TO THE DEALER SHIP THE SAME THING THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING SINCE I BROUGHT THE CAR FROM THE USED CARD DEPARTMENT.
Here I am for a 3rd time reporting an issue with this car. After work I went to get in my car. I could not turn it on, I was not able to push the brake and a lot of lights came on. I decided it needed jumped so I got jumped. The next day I remote start the car and see it did not turn on. So I went out to start it and it once again didnt start. I jumped it again. I then decided it needed a new battery as it was the original to the car. I went to batteries plus and the guy was not even sure how I managed to jump it as it was completely drained. He mentioned something about the alternator. The one I just had replaced a year ago for my car stopping on me at speeds of 50+. He recommended me not to drive it and get it towed to a dealership. He tested my alternator and said it is not testing where is should. I had a tow truck driver follow me to South Colorado Springs Nissan. I took it in they said the battery test (brand new battery that was only hours old) and my alternator both failed testing. They then let me car sit over the weekend and of course its acting normal now. Clearly something is triggering the alternator to fail quickly as I had just got this one replaced a year ago. That needs to be looked into more. They didn't find anything and sent me on my way. The photos attached are from the 2 years worth of problems I have had.
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the airbag warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was 64,215.
This car has been shutting down without warning, everything goes haywire and shuts off. When or if it start back up, the gauges aren't working. Several times I have had to jump start the vehicle. I was almost hit by an 18-wheeler, and I cringe at the fact my Dad or Son could have been driving or I could had my nieces or grandchildren in the car with me. My Dad purchased this car last year and it still doesn't have 45,000 miles on it. I tried to get it into a Nissan Services center, and I have to wait until the end of next week to have it checked out. This vehicle is a death trap.
My headlights, dome lights and tail lights were flickering changed alternator. Kept doing it took it to the dealership in Daphne, Alabama. Had it put on the machine. They told me it was because it was a refurbished alternator. I finally found a new one in Tampa fla. So I ordered it and had it put on. And it is still doing it. The danger of this is that sometimes they will go off. And you can't see anything if it's dark. There was no warning light prior to the problem. The dealership said its because the refurbished alternator was strong enough. That was the findings from them. But like I said even after the new one was put on its still doing it. This has been going on for a couple of months
When driving my car the slip indicator will come on. My car will then struggle to stay running and then the malfunction light and car collision lights will also pop on. This happens when I am driving at any speed and if I place in park the car will completely shut down.
HVAC unit doesn’t function properly which causes a lot of distractions while driving. When set at 60 or 61 degrees with AC off car air is cool. When set at 62 or higher it blows very hot where it becomes uncomfortable. It leads to always having to play with buttons and knobs. Nissan says it’s functioning properly even though there is a forum of people with same issue.
While running errands on yesterday, car shut off several times while stopped at traffic light. Several lights appeared on dashboard, including engine oil, battery, automatic emergency braking and slip indicator lights. While stopped, had to put car in park turn the car off and then turn the car on again. My battery is in good condition. Was able to drive home, let the car sit and then approx 30 mins later, cranked the car back up and the lights went away and car was running like normal.
A few weeks ago while I was driving 50mph on a completely dry hwy the slip indicator came on. I thought I accidentally hit traction control so i hit that button and then realized they we two different icons. Shortly after the slip indicator came on the screen popped up saying Malfunction See owners manual. I pulled over where lights just started popping on and then my car died. After waiting 6 hours for a tow truck it was finally brought to the dealership. they did their inspection and said I needed a new alternator and they replaced that. Today 3 weeks later my car was parked. I was going to leave as my car was on and Malfunction see owners manual and the slip indicator started popping on. I went to put it in reverse and could not press the peddles and gravity rolled me back. I then had to throw it into park to stop it. I turned off my car and same thing again. I turned it off again and restarted and it was fine. I took it back to the dealership and they are still trying to figure out what is going on. this is extremely dangerous especially it stopping when driving. Looks like I am not the only one having this problem.
205/55/R17 I’ve taken the car to Nissan Jackie cooper in Tulsa ok they’ve replaced the battery from running on low power. Left it there for two days & they said the computer system is failing always restarting while I’m driving backup camera doesn’t work sometimes or is very very blurry. My car has stalled on me almost daily & shuts down i put it in park & it’s fine but it’s a ticking time bomb it has 47,000 miles always put Mobil 1 full synthetic & a Mobil one oil filter top of the line these things should absolutely not be happening & also the air filter that lets air into the engine accordion has been loose since i received the car from them. These recalls need to be taken care of.
Malfunction to the automatic emergency brake, yes available for inspection. Have had that sensor replaced twice and on the the last time was never called to see if the part came in so I'm still have the malfunction. The car brakes without warning, may cause an accident while on the interstate. The sensor has been vhanged multiple times. Been inspected by nissan dealers. First appeared October of 2021 and has not stopped since.
Vehicle randomly brakes and shuts down. Had sensor replaced yet problem resurfaced yesterday.
Upon acceleration vehicle stalls and will not move forward, I had to put car in park, turn off and then restart engine to accelerate. This issue has happened many times over the last month with no idea of what the faulty issue might be. I was almost side wiped in an intersection due to the car not wanting to accelerate and it requiring to be restarted to get it to move. It only does this after driving and coming to a stop and then attempting to move forward. There has been a message thats come across the dashboard twice that says system off, however it's not causing the check engine light to come on.
1: the back-up camera display may suddenly go dark while you’re in the middle of reversing 2: the vehicle would not start and something stalls when driving with with a boost off and had the vehicle serviced twice for this issue, but to no availability answer. The Nissan Dealership can’t find any problems .
Randomly when driving I will have a malfunction see owner manual warning pop up it. Once I clear that to see the error I am getting the traction control and the indicator that looks like two cars colliding. While this is one the car does not have the power that it did before. If I stop and let the car sit for 10 to 15 minutes it mostly goes away but keeps the check engine light on for a couple days. The. The check engine light will go away and this will happen all over again. I bought the car used in May and it is having the same issue. I have had Nissan look at it as it is still under warranty but it seems to go away once I get it to the shop. They tell me nothing is wrong with the car. I have even took pictures of the indicators and they still say my kicks is 100 functional.
Back on 2021. My children and I were in a Starbucks Drive through, as we were waiting in line. As the car in front of us stopped, I press on the brake petal to stop and the vehicle began to shake and I noticed the idle meter was moving up and down, then suddenly our car stalled. Everything was lighting up but the engine stop. I put the gear on park then I pressed the Engine On button then the car started. After that everytime I press on the brake it does the same thing. I am afraid to drive the car far away because everytime I stopped on a stop light for certain amount of time, the car seem to show the same symptom, where first it shakes then the idle begins to move up and down again. It places me and my children at a very dangerous risk whenever the car stalls on the left lane of a stop light or any other stop signs. And it is scary if other driver doesn’t see our vehicle at night. The other problem with the car is whenever I shift the gear to either Park, Drive or Reverse. I have to firmly press on the brake for the gear to change or move also whenever the gear change we hear a loud noise underneath the vehicle.
while driving will stall and power off in the middle of traffic, the dealer said this issue was caused by the idle air control valve sensor, but continued to do this even after the sensor was cleaned and replaced, this has been happening over several years. it started when i received the vehicle 18k miles and continued periodically, it is extremely unsafe, now it is unusable, at 88k miles i am replacing the computer. i hope this will finally fix the issue.
THE AUDIO HEAD UNTIL HAS TECH ISSUES CONNECTING AND PLAYING ANDROID AUTO. IT CONSTANTLY SKIPS 5 SECONDS AT A TIME. THERE IS ALSO ISSUES WITH THE USB INPUT STAYING CONNECTED. LOOKING ONLINE, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH NISSANS THAT HAVE THE SAME ISSUE.