Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 134 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Nissan Kicks, and it carries 1 recall. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown or other | 18 | 13% |
| Power train | 8 | 6% |
| Electrical system | 7 | 5% |
| Engine | 6 | 4% |
| Electrical system | 6 | 4% |
| Electrical system | 5 | 4% |
| Service brakes | 5 | 4% |
| Electrical system | 4 | 3% |
| Unknown or other | 4 | 3% |
| Power train | 4 | 3% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
When driving in rainy, snowy/icy, or wet conditions, water/slush impacts the front sensors/MAF sensor, causing the engine to shudder, stall, and shut off completely while in drive. The ABS, battery, and oil lights instan
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
My vehicle has experienced transmission-related issues that have affected its safety, reliability, and overall performance. The symptoms include hesitation during acceleration, delayed response when pressing the accelera
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The front driver’s side coil spring broke. The front passenger side was showing signs of premature wear. Nissan does not just sell the coil spring, so a strut assembly had to be purchased for both sides. This was a very
NHTSA complaint: Suspension
Frequently and randomly I get errors on my dash for the front collision sensor and slippery roads warning. This seems to occur for no reason as all while I am driving. When this happens my RPM's drop and my car will stal
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
I was trapped inside my car because the driver side door lock actuator was broken. I had the door lock actuator replaced at a Nissan dealership who verified the problem. There was an issue where the driver side door woul
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
The contact owns a2019 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the engine had stall while the RPMs had dropped below 2000. Also, the ABS and Traction Control warning lights had illuminated. The
NHTSA complaint: Engine and engine cooling
CEL on, code PO101 indicates MAF sensor is faulty with related ABS, FCW, and slippery road lights illuminating when braking on a curve or at a stop sign. Car often loses power and need to be turned off to reset and becom
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Kicks. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed and stalled. The vehicle was able to restart. The check engine and three oth
NHTSA complaint: Engine
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2019 Nissan Kicks. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additio
Risk: The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners
| Reliability raw | 86 | excellent |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 80 | excellent |
| Maintenance | 90 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 76 | good |
| Performance | 41 | below average |
| Efficiency | 55 | average |
| Safety | 87 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 134 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and unknown or other is the most reported area with 18 of them (13%). There is 1 recall on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 86/100 (excellent) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 80/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2019 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 77/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.