Electrical system, engine and powertrain issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The 2019 Nissan Kicks has been plagued with problems, including issues with the electrical system, engine, service brakes, forward collision avoidance (FCW) and automatic emergency braking (AEB), power train, FCW warnings, fuel/propulsion system, vehicle speed control, and airbags.
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When looking at a powertrain, the transmission becomes the most valuable aspect of the system. When the transmission in a vehicle is unreliable, it causes many problems that cannot be resolved. That’s what is seen with the 2019 Nissan Kicks.
Here is one Edmunds review talking about the trouble. “Unfortunately, the car has virtually no power. Do not attempt to pull out in front of anyone. The body is tin metal cheap with the gas cap cover showing signs of stress wear within the year – ridiculous. The CVT transmission will drive you nuts with hard shifts and frequent sticking in a particular gear – took it back and was told this is normal? Nissan may make a few good cars, but this is not one of them.”
It shouldn’t be surprising that the automaker is aware of issues. Service Bulletin #NTB19-040c describes engine hesitation and reduced power, which might also cause the Check Engine Light to come on. These issues shouldn’t occur with a new vehicle as the powertrain should be built to handle everyday driving. Yet, there is no indication that the company is looking to do anything to change the situation. Sadly, customers can’t “get their kicks” in the Kicks.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
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Engine
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Unknown Or Other
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Electrical System
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Power Train
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Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings
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Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
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Service Brakes
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Vehicle Speed Control
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Fuel/propulsion System
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Air Bags
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Moving onto the electrical system, there are just as many complaints, if not more.
Here is one that was filed with the NHTSA. “The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that on several occasions the automatic electronic brakes failed to operate as intended. The contact was concerned that the software was ineffective to have the vehicle operate as intended. The vehicle was taken to [dealer] to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the vehicle operated as intended and that all the sensors and software were calibrated as intended. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 3,700.”
It appears that the company continues to tell customers that the vehicle is “running as intended,” yet customers are continuing to experience malfunctions. What is seen with this vehicle is a massive electronic system failure with the back-up camera, as illustrated by NHTSA Campaign Number 19V65400. It appears that the back-up image is not being shown correctly on over more than one million vehicles. Is that also what was intended? The automaker would like owners to believe that.
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The engine in any vehicle needs to be not only powerful, but it also must be reliable. Yet, the Kicks isn’t impressing drivers at all.
Here is what another NHTSA complaint says. “Car stalls when pulling into city traffic from an intersection. Appears as if engine won’t take fuel when I have accelerator depressed. Happened several times and dealers says nothing shows up on cars computer as a problem.”
Aside from the fuel not reaching the engine in a timely fashion, another issue is illustrated in Service Bulletin #NTB17-082b. It states that there could be a leak at the vent control valve O-ring, which leads to further complaints. Again, these can’t be classified as “normal operation,” no matter what Nissan claims. It’s not normal for vehicles to hesitate when pulling out, lose electrical connection to vital systems and have a leak. It seems the automaker is nothing better than a Hot Wheels manufacturer since they don’t know the first thing about putting together a working vehicle.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Nissan pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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We are leasing the 2019 Nissan Kicks. Didn’t know of any of these problems and got to talking with my dad and he said sometimes it wont start or if he is trying to to go at a stop light it doesn’t want to go. He also noticed on the front seat where the seam is it is starting to come apart. Now I’m worried about him driving it.
My husband and I recently went to Premier Auto in Kansas city Kansas for a reliable vehicle, my husband’s car recently had the thermostat die and it became non drivable , we went there to see about a truck , they made us wait for over 5 hours , a sales man named Scott Loux assisted us we also had our daughter who’s 6 years old with us too well we waited at the dealership and we test drove a 2016 Chevy Silverado we were told that everything with our financial side looked good to get the truck, LIE they instead put us in a 2019 Nissan kicks, they told us that all that occurred with this vehicle was a accident that resulted in the front end needing repairs well they “fixed ” the front end however the collision warning light goes off a few days after we got it back to Lawrence Kansas where we live and we’ve called the dealership and explained the issue with the car sensor lighting up and that the car violently shakes and suddenly shuts off completely, we’ve left multiple messages since we drove the car off the dealership lot on September 11th of this year however we’ve also had to replace all 4 tires because of leaks and horrible types of “fixes ” and plugs the dealership mechanic done to “fix” the leaking tires all 4 tires PSI dropped past 20, I just made my first auto loan payment to consumer portfolio services for this vehicle and they also waited past the 10th of this month to send us the car title for us to register the vehicle here in Kansas, the car still has issues with the auto breaking system, I don’t know why they were able to sell a vehicle that continues to have and been this much repairs , both myself and my husband are frustrated with the dealership because they show lack of not caring and I drive my child back and forth to school each day, how is this a reliable car when I’ve already had to pay over $700+ for all 4 tires to be replaced a week after we drove the car home , and the salesman was extremely rude saying that he didn’t have the money to replace all the tires due to the fact they all had a 4 inch tread left and the auto repair tire shop sales Associate said that was extremely dangerous for me to drive the car with 4 inches of tread on all 4 tires and they helped me replace them. However the sensor for collision still comes on , I’ve had it happen 3 times yesterday and I’ve noticed that it happens more when it rains , however it should have been replaced before the salesman sold us the car and we are paying $675.59 per month in the auto loan payments I cannot afford to keep paying that amount for a car that continues to show issues with running properly, much worse I also am worried for my children’s lives too especially if we are on the highway and the sensor happens to show errors, what can I do since I don’t live in California, I live in Lawrence Kansas. Also the total amount that I’ll be paying for the 2019 Nissan kicks is $23,419.00 after 32 payments are consecutively made then we own it however it is not a new vehicle it’s used and had severe rust signs all over the tire rims and under the hood it also shows rust that is clearly visible and the car grinds when I hit the brakes too not sure if that’s a Huge issue however I don’t need to be paying for new brakes and break pads considering all of what’s wrong with this car since we’ve driven it off the dealership lot and back home.
Radio went nuts @35000 miles , backup camera went blank @36000 miles, passenger airbag turned itself off while driving down the interstate at exactly 40000 miles and will not come back on, dealer says it’s no longer in warranty….it has only 40500 miles on it . I’m at a loss as to what to do, am on a fixed income and cannot afford to have airbags repaired or replaced
Just purchased vehicle today tps light on say I have no right front tire, passenger seat belt sign on constantly with nothing in seat, radio volume will not remain on and reverts to 0 unable to use, will return to dealer
I bought my 2019 Nissan kicks last year that had approx 50,000 miles. Since I’ve had the car, I’ve had to take it to the dealership when I started getting the check engine light. They fixed the problem, but also I noticed that it lags when I’m driving it, I’ve had my internal light for my speedometer & the control screen go black on more than 1 occasion. The inside lights flicker at night when the car is just running, maybe an alternator issue in the future. I’ve had problems with my key fob, “no key detected” when I try to start my car, I’ve changed the fob battery 2 times in the last month. I really liked this car when I first bought it, but have been having issues which are annoying. What can I do about this situation?
Wow! Reading all these comments, I’m scared as to what else may happen with my 2019 Kicks over time. The biggest issue has been that the battery has died upon the first deep freeze (-30 celsius) of winter in the past two years. I’ve been told it was a faulty battery. I had my car in for service recently and asked them about it and how to prevent it from happening this winter, and they told me to get a trickle charger. I asked why my previous car (2009 sentra) never had any issues. They told me that it’s because there are more things drawing on the battery in the newer vehicles. I’m just not buying it and I feel like I’m being lied to. I don’t know how to fight the dealer on this, and I’m not in a financial position to change cars. This is the worst car I’ve ever had and I will not purchase another Nissan because they are not providing good, and honest service. I’ve noticed some comments about a noise when braking over bumps – I have that too; and I agree with the lack of power; and some stickiness when shifting gears at times. To note, I live in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. Feeling very dissapointed.
I traded my Ford escape for a down payment on a 2019 Nissan kicks only had 32,014 miles on it .after having it for a week it started having problems with the brakes I would brake and it would take over and start braking harder and jerking once u give it gas to pick up spend . Highway driving sucks the car has no speed takes for ever to get up to 60 for going 45 I have to turn off the a/ c so it would help . Then after having it for 3 months the car would shut off on me driving down the high way scared me the steering wheel got hard couldn’t move it brake pedal wouldn’t go down to brake . When that happen I took it to the dealership so they can look at it they said there’s noting wrong with it when I know there is . now today the car had a light on the dash with a car and squiggly lines under it don’t know what it means cause the dealership never gave me a manual . The car would idle weird when it got to low it would shut off I would have to push the start button and lock and unlock the doors for it to work for a second. These cars are the wrost cars ever made by Nissan I’m very disappointed in them for even letting these cars go out . Knowing that they have to many problems and unsafe . I will be taking this one back or something I don’t want this car and waste money on
I bought a 2019 Nissan Kicks in May of 2019 and I have had multiple problems with the vehicle. The radio cannot be played because the channels and the volume will change on their own. I have been waiting a year for the replacement part.
Yesterday my vehicle would not start and the AAA tech said that the alternator might be bad. I am having a lot of electrical issues with the vehicle.
2018 nissan kicks bought new with 18 miles on it. Car had been doing good but now is a different story. Started with radio acting crazy by blocking out and volume changing on its own, I could deal with that. In January this year while driving all engine lights came on and car felt like it had no power and was hesitating. Took to the shop they changed the mass air flow sensor. On Tuesday March 29 it did it again. Replaced at shop again with part order from the dealership. Today is April 1 not even 3 whole days later and it’s happened again. Now they are saying the computer may need reset or the entire wiring in the car needs checked. Any other problems with this same issue?
I purchased a 2019 brand new in September 2019. It was my first ever vehicle, barely drove it until August 2020. Since February 2021, I was onto my third battery, new strut bearings, new engine. They told me it happens, but from November 2021-January 1, 2022 I had the vehicle for 1 week total. In the week I had it, I was told all the problems happened again and it was a coincidence. It would lose power, all dash light flickered and lost all power. Despite loving this vehicle and how fuel efficient and cute it was, I had to trade it in. I was sick and tired of paying for a car I wasn’t driving and the extra money I had to put out for the 6 weeks of rental car fees!
2019 kicks. Nothing but issues with lights and check engine light. Nissan wants to blame on after market battery that they say is faulty. Not faulty. Buyer beware you will get no help from Nissan.
I have a 2018 Nissan Kicks with so many issues. I have taken it to the shop once so far but the electrical issues still persist. I don’t have the money to keep repairing this faulty car. How do I go about seeing if my vehicle is a lemon or qualifies for any of the class action lawsuits against Nissan?
I bought a nissan kicks 3 months ago, they have an alternator that works only under certain temperatures. They basically informed that I would have to buy a tickle charger for the winters because their alternator doesn’t charge the battery in the winter. I live in Canada where the climate here is mostly winter, this was not brought to my attention prior to sale because you shouldn’t sell people an unreliable vechile. It’s been so frustrating, they refuse to give me a loaner and are trying to charge me to fix the alternator even though it is under warranty. I was stuck with costs for cabs ubers, loss of work, loss in daycare because I could not bring my child its been in their shop 3 times now. Plus the towing. It’s absolutely ridiculous and I hope to god no one else comes across this.
I love my nisssan kicks 2021, but after my accident there’s a noise when hitting the big bumpy road at the back bumper, ill bring otvto the shop and they said it’s normal beacause of the temperature is cold nas freeze and some ice stack on it.
But i dont understand what’s going on.
Bought a 2019 used. Still has a 3 year warranty on it. It’s been in the shop TWICE. Only have made 2 payments on it. After reading these comments, I have experienced some of the same issues. Does my car qualify for lemon law?
I just rented one with 14,000 miles on it. Got it on the freeway and was appalled at the wind and road noise. Then I noticed the engines revs to 3000 quite often. When I started to drive around town, I started to notice the complete lack of power. Pulling into traffic, I almost got hit because there is acceleration like a bicycle. I looked, it up and it says 122 hp. More like half that I think.
I bought a 2019 Nissan Kicks last Oct. 20, 2019 at Nissan Morningside in Toronto, Canada.
Everything went smooth until I noticed that the left tail light assembly is cracked (on both areas where it was screwed). I went to the dealership and they looked at it and right there and there they said “its a wear and tear”. How can it be “wear and tear” if the parts cracking is not even moving. One of the technician even told me that might be a caused of someone trying to steal the housing from outside.
Why would people steal a less than a $200 worth of parts and sell it? Sell a broken housing? Unbelievable. The right of the tail light assembly assembly is started to crack as well. Showed it the service manager and took a photos of both side of the tail lights assembly and submitted to the warranty department and it was denied. It’s so frustrating that every time I have to drive the car, I got so nervous that the housing might fall especially that I have to take the highway everyday going to work. And nobody from the dealership wants to help me. Never again buy a Nissan car, any model .
I got this 2019 Nissan Kicks but from the get-go, on the test drive, car went over a speed bump and it (engine?) made a horrible sound! I asked dealer about it and he told me it was normal and it had happened only because of the speed I was going (normal, slow speed to get over a speed bump).
It’s happened many times in 2 years and in last 6 months, I’ve been having all types of issues like loss of power, all types of lights turning on (my panel looks like a Christmas tree at times!) and when talking to someone about it, twice they’ve tried to just sell me another car and they’ve told me they’ll buy car from me EVEN with all those “engine repair needed” warnings but at a loss to me! (higher APR and car payment than I already have)
Now, in past 30 days, I can’t even get my car to back up into my driveway! I can have it on drive, give it gas and just have it not move and seem like I’m pressing gas AND brakes at same time!
I have problems with my 2019 kicks since I bought it… electric problems, it has a bad sound in the engine, no engine power… etc..every time I take it to the dealership they say that it’s ok..NOT PROBLEM WITH THE CAR…🤬
I purchased the Nissan Kick in 2019, I’ve had more problems with it. my hatchback will not open, something is wrong with the axel, but the dealer said there was nothing wrong but if I turn the air on the car starts to smoke, I wasn’t in an accident, so I don’t know why all these thing are happening, I was told I need a brand new battery, because the car would just shut off while I was driving, I was told the maintenance was kept up poorly, which was not true and I was told something was wrong with the oil, so basically the car was fine to them
No power ! It’s a bike not a motor bike even
Brought a 2019 Nissian Altima had it barely 2 years and my AEB lights and all other light keeps showing up on my dashboard as well as a electrical problem. Took it to the dealership to get it looked at they said they had to reprogram computer got my car back all light’s were off. The next following day driving to work the lights are on again with two more light’s I didn’t see the first time I feel I was sold a lemon car so pissed.
iI have purchased this car as pre-owned. I have changed the throttle so far and the radar went out twice. I have noticed that the power is limited but no other problems have been detected so far. It the transmission could be defective?
Under this provision the car is refundable
Had to replace my radio it kept shutting off and doing its own thing, flash forward to having enough and smashing it . I replaced it with a direct upgrade , now my steering wheel cannot program to it . What a crock of shit. Can’t wait to trade this MF in. Won’t buy Nissan ever again.
My 2019 Kicks, accelerates when gas pedal is not being push down, when attempting to slow down and come to a complete stop, the car hesitates as if it’s still trying to accelerate, leads me to smashing down on brakes etc. dealership has told me twice there is nothing wrong with the vehicle that they can find.
No power and takes forever to shift into geat
No power.. 3 months after i purchase my kicks.. oil lost.. they had To change to motor..
Kicks stop everywhere in the middle if the road… i almost got kill…
3 times in a garage in a years…
My 2019 kicks had EBS braking sensor replaced and air conditioning condenser also had to be replaced ….from first day I bought it ..they kept saying everything was fine. I asked for change if car two week after purchase,they told me would would gladly but back my car at an appraisal price ..very dissatisfied wish I could get.wish I could get my money back and give them their car..can anybody help
My 2019 Nissan kicks has no piwer, transmission hard shift, takes ling time to shidt. It has been needing to be jumped to start, it says malfunction, does not detect key. When I try to start it it just clicks but will not start without a jump. It’s in the shop now, they claim they can’t find anything wrong with battery.
I purchased a 2019 Nissan Kicks. There have been consistent manufacturing issues; to include a malfunction with the alternator. Please Advise.