NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 76 owner complaints for the 2021 Nissan Kicks.
2Safety recalls
76Owner complaints
6Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: steering. Most-described problems: a cracked or shattered windshield and rust or corrosion (23 complaints, 30% each). Most-reported area: body structure (24 complaints, 32%).
2 safety recalls for the 2021 Nissan Kicks
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
An intermittent electrical connection in the electric power steering (EPS) torque sensor can disable the power steering assist.
Risk: Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect the steering column torque sensor lot code and replace the steering column assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PMA26. This recall involves vehicles that were previously inspected, but did not receive a steering column replacement, under recall number 22V-693. These vehicles will need to be reinspected for this recall.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Versa and Kicks vehicles.
An intermittent electrical connection in the electric power steering (EPS) torque sensor can disable the power steering assist.
Risk: Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect the steering column torque sensor lot code, and replace the column, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 9, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PMA10 / PMA25.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021 Versa and Kicks vehicles.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
Owners have filed 76 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kicks. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Cracked or shattered windshield23 · 30%
Rust or corrosion23 · 30%
Stalling or shutting off while driving4 · 5%
Hesitation or slow acceleration4 · 5%
Check engine light4 · 5%
Transmission failure or replacement4 · 5%
Airbags did not deploy in a crash4 · 5%
Loss of power or limp mode3 · 4%
Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these.
Areas named in complaints
Body structure24 · 32%
Most named: body (24)
Forward collision avoidance15 · 20%
Most named: warnings (10); automatic emergency braking (7)
Electrical system11 · 14%
Powertrain9 · 12%
Engine8 · 11%
Brakes5 · 7%
Air bags4 · 5%
Unknown or other16 · 21%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Nissan Kicks recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2021 Kicks drew the most (46).
Owner complaints
2021: 76 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
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
Safety recalls
2021: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Nissan Kicks
Model year
Recalls
2018
1
2019
1
2020
0
2021
2
2022
0
2023
1
2024
1
2025
4
2026
3
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Nissan Kicks SUV FWD
Rollover risk 15.5%
Questions
What are the most common 2021 Kicks problems?
In the 76 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Nissan Kicks, the problems described most are a cracked or shattered windshield (23) and rust or corrosion (23). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2021 Nissan Kicks safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Nissan Kicks earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Kicks has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Nissan dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 29, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 28, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: KICKS.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.