AI Damage2020 Nissan Kicks: common problems
Owners of the 2020 Nissan Kicks filed 97 complaints with NHTSA, most often about forward collision avoidance and electrical system. The maker issued 123 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 97
- involving a crash
- 7
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 123
What fails most often
- 1 Forward collision avoidance 35% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 28% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 22% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 21% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 13% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 7 Lane departure 10% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- Forward collision avoidance: 34 complaints (35% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 8.
- Electrical system: 27 complaints (28% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 72.
- Powertrain: 21 complaints (22% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 17.
- Engine: 20 complaints (21% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 13 complaints (13% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- CVTnamed in 3 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 97 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 34 | 1 | 8 |
| Electrical system | 27 | 1 | 72 |
| Powertrain | 21 | 0 | 17 |
| Engine | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 11 | 2 | 3 |
| Lane departure | 10 | 0 | 5 |
| Air bags | 7 | 4 | 4 |
| Vehicle speed control | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Backover prevention | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Structure | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The contact stated that while the fiancé was driving approximately 30 MPH, and turning left the power steering and power brake suddenly failed causing the fiancé to loose control of the steering and and crash to a traffic pole.
A Nissan Rouge hit my car took off the entire front of the car and the air bags did not deploy.
The lower ball joint detached from the lower control arm and the sway bar had fractured The air bags did not deploy. The mailboxes were damaged. The contact received bruising to their abdominal area. No medical attention was received. A police report was filed.
The corner of the plow had torn a gash through the passenger door. The contact stated that both the rear passenger and driver's door glass had shattered. The driver's door was crushed but had not been penetrated by the corner of the plow.
Side impacted by 52 year old jeep. Both driver side doors caved in, windows shattered, air bags did not deploy
The vehicle began making a grinding sound at times that sounds similar to the anti-lock braking. Then on Oct 29 the vehicle locked down the brakes as she was pulling into the parking lot at work when there was not a collision imminent. She skidded into the curb damaging her front driver side wheel.
Date: XXXTo:National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)[address], 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…
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.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 597 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 28% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Kicks has 59 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 97, above average.
What to check before buying
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other…
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label =…
- DTC P17F4 STORED IN THE TCM IF YOU CONFIRM The customer reports transmission vibration when accelerating, HINT
Vibration occurs during quick reacceleration after braking, during a 2-1 downshift of the auxiliary gearbox. AND DTC P17F4 for “AUXILIARY GEARBOX (CL JUDDER)” is stored in the TCM. · If DTCs other than P17F4 are…
- AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING APPLIED SYSTEMS
Vehicles equipped with a lane camera (see Figure 1) SERVICE INFORMATION If the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) warning light or is blinking (but not illuminated steadily) or the customer states it is blinking, and…
- INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED…
INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE AND AEB/FEB WARNING LIGHT ON OR RADAR OBSTRUCTION MESSAGE DISPLAYED WITH DTC C1A16 OR C2582 IF YOU CONFIRM IMPORTANT: The purpose of ACTION (on the next page) is to give you a…
- LANE CAMERA AIMING VEHICLE REFERENCE VALUES NOT IN ESM SERVICE INFORMATION If the lane camera requires…
LANE CAMERA AIMING VEHICLE REFERENCE VALUES NOT IN ESM SERVICE INFORMATION If the lane camera requires aiming, the values in Table A on page 4 must be used. For all other models/model years, consult the Electronic…
- DTC B00A0-00 STORED This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. IF YOU CONFIRM DTC B00A0-00 (OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR UNIT) is stored, AND OCS zero point reset cannot be performed…
- RAB WARNING LIGHT ON IN INSTRUMENT PANEL AND/OR DTC B2724-23 STORED This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- DTC C1A17-49 OR C2580-49 STORED IN LASER/RADAR This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING WARNING LIGHT BLINKING This bulletin has been amended
See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NHTSA lists 123 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Nissan Kicks?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: forward collision avoidance, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 97. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (35%), driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (15%), stalls while driving (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2020 Nissan Kicks?
NHTSA lists 123 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2020 Nissan Kicks from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2020 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.