BrakeNewsOwner complaints, read early

Your vehicle report

2021 Nissan Kicks

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
78
Received Sep 2021 to Oct 2026
Official recalls listed
2
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Paint peels off roof and hood22 complaints · 28% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Airbags fail to deploy in crashes5 complaints · 6.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Unintended acceleration despite braking4 complaints · 5.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #23V496000Nissan 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.
  • Recall #22V693000Nissan 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.
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 6 crashes, 0 fires, 2 people injured, 0 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 7 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

Brakes

Electrical & lights

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Airbags, belts & seats

Steering, suspension & tires

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Body, doors & glass

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 2021 Nissan Kicks
22
Show as a table
MonthComplaints
September 20211
October 20211
November 20210
December 20212
January 20220
February 202222
March 20222
April 20220
May 20222
June 20221
July 20220
August 20220
September 20220
October 20221
November 20221
December 20220
January 20233
February 20231
March 20233
April 20233
May 20230
June 20230
July 20231
August 20230
September 20230
October 20232
November 20230
December 20230
January 20240
February 20240
March 20240
April 20240
May 20240
June 20240
July 20242
August 20240
September 20240
October 20240
November 20240
December 20240
January 20250
February 20252
March 20252
April 20251
May 20253
June 20251
July 20250
August 20251
September 20250
October 20250
November 20253
December 20251
January 20260
February 20264
March 20260
April 20262
May 20260
June 20263
July 20262
August 20262
September 20261
October 20262
Total78

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Paint peels off roof and hood2228%–
Airbags fail to deploy in crashes56.4%–
Unintended acceleration despite braking45.1%–
Automatic emergency braking applies without reason45.1%–
Rear door latch fails to open or close33.9%7.1×
Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips33.9%–
CVT transmission fails or loses power33.9%–

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #23V496000July 18, 202311,824 vehicles affected

    steering: electric power assist system

    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.

    Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    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.

  • NHTSA recall #22V693000September 15, 202220,040 vehicles affected

    steering: electric power assist system

    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.

    Loss of power steering assist can increase the steering effort required, especially at low speeds, and increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    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.

Other model years

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2021 Nissan Kicks.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN