IllustrationWhen driving early in the morning or late at night, front impact sensor and front distance sensor lights flash on the dash display for between 2-5 minutes. Vehicle has been to the dealership for this exact issue 3 times previously, have a 4th visit scheduled this coming week.
2021 Nissan Kicks
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2021 Nissan Kicks do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 37.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Kicks years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 6 of 76 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports
Forward Collision Avoidance complaints
15 reportsWhile I’m driving, usually while I’m on the freeway, my 2021 Nissan Kicks will think I’m about to get into a head on collision and try to brake for me. I get warnings that come onto my dash and my emergency brake light will come on. This happens about 2-3 times a week and seems to be happening more frequently. My car is still un…
Read full complaint
While I’m driving, usually while I’m on the freeway, my 2021 Nissan Kicks will think I’m about to get into a head on collision and try to brake for me. I get warnings that come onto my dash and my emergency brake light will come on. This happens about 2-3 times a week and seems to be happening more frequently. My car is still under warranty and I’ve taken it into the dealership three times now and they can’t seem to find an issue.
Brand new vehicle purchased on 12/28/21. Forward Collision Warning System - This system has activated twice when there were no other vehicles near mine. Then on 3/15 returning home from an out of town trip it appears that it activated again with no other vehicles within distance and then my vehicle completely shut down and every…
Read full complaint
Brand new vehicle purchased on 12/28/21. Forward Collision Warning System - This system has activated twice when there were no other vehicles near mine. Then on 3/15 returning home from an out of town trip it appears that it activated again with no other vehicles within distance and then my vehicle completely shut down and every light on my dash came on and a malfunction warning for it. The vehicle was towed back to the dealership where I bought it. The dealership is also where I am employed. The diagnostic has been completed and it threw 6 codes. Safety could be impacted in several ways. The vehicle started to slow and there was no power to accelerate. The car could have cut off in the middle of the highway broke down also putting other vehicles in danger of hitting the car and causing injuries and vehicle damage. I was driving alone at midnight when this occurred. If I did not have AAA I would have had to walk miles alone to the nearest exit possibly putting myself in danger. If this function would have failed when it was needed accidents and injuries would occur.
While traveling on a hwy with my 2021 Nissan Kicks, me and my wife were sandwiched. A black SUV suddenly stopped in front of us causing us to rear end them going approximately 50-60 mph then we were rear ended. No air bag deployed and the passenger seat appears to have come off of its tracks. Nissan has been notified of this and…
Read full complaint
While traveling on a hwy with my 2021 Nissan Kicks, me and my wife were sandwiched. A black SUV suddenly stopped in front of us causing us to rear end them going approximately 50-60 mph then we were rear ended. No air bag deployed and the passenger seat appears to have come off of its tracks. Nissan has been notified of this and should conduct an investigation. Not sure if the automatic emergency braking failed or if the car just did not have time to react.
I have experienced my forward collision warning light coming on when driving toward the sun in the mornings on my way to work. When I go into a shade it turns off but immediately pops back on and slows my car down when I return into the sunlight. It has not done this since I bought in July 2021 until last week.
Official recalls
223V496000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System
Jul 18, 2023
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
22V693000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System
Sep 15, 2022
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.