Nissan Kicks Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2021 Nissan Kicks drew the most (46; most described: a cracked or shattered windshield and rust or corrosion) and the 2022 the fewest (14).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 28, 2026

Every model year since 2018 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 33 mpg combined, arrived in 2018. Includes the 2025 Kicks Play, which EPA lists alongside the Kicks for that year.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2021 Kicks Most described: a cracked or shattered windshield and rust or corrosion	46	76	2
2020 Kicks Most described: the check engine light coming on, then stalling or shutting off while driving	32	96	0
2019 Kicks Most described: stalling or shutting off while driving	31	134	1
2018 Kicks Most described: stalling or shutting off while driving	30	85	1
2023 Kicks Most described: stalling or shutting off while driving	21	34	1
2022 Kicks Most reported: forward collision avoidance	14	23	0

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints	Crash test
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	31 mpg Gas	3	7
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	4	37
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	1	37
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	1	34
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	0	23
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	2	76
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	0	96
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	1	134
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	33 mpg Gas	1	85	Not rated

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2021: 76 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Nissan Kicks
Model year	Complaints
2018	85
2019	134
2020	96
2021	76
2022	23
2023	34
2024	37
2025	37
2026	7

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 31 to 33 mpg (every year from 2018 to 2026); highest in 2018.

2026: gas 31 mpg

Show as a table

Nissan Kicks best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2018	33
2019	33
2020	33
2021	33
2022	33
2023	33
2024	33
2025	33
2026	31

Questions

Which Nissan Kicks years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2021 (46) drew the most, then the 2020 (32). Owners of the 2021 most often describe a cracked or shattered windshield and rust or corrosion.

Which Nissan Kicks years have the fewest problems?

The 2022 (14) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Nissan Kicks years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2021, against 30 complaints in a typical Nissan Kicks year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Nissan dealers.

Which Nissan Kicks years have the most recalls?

The 2025 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (4), then the 2026 (3). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2018 to 2026 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.

What are the most common Nissan Kicks problems?

In the 529 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2018 to 2026 models, owners most often describe stalling or shutting off while driving (83 complaints, most of them for the 2018 and 2019); a cracked or shattered windshield (38 complaints, most of them for the 2021); and hesitation or slow acceleration (36 complaints, most of them for the 2019 and 2020). One complaint can describe several problems. Each year's recalls and problems page lists what owners describe for that year.

Which Nissan Kicks year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 33 mpg combined, first reached by the 2018 gas version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 29, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 28, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.